Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus

What Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus does

Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus, operating as Destinations Texas since a 2024 rebranding, is a nonprofit membership-based professional association founded in 1974 that serves destination marketing organizations (DMOs) across Texas. The organization's stated mission is to elevate and empower members through education and collaboration, with a member base comprising convention and visitor bureaus, tourism boards, and convention centers statewide. It positions itself as "the Leader in Tourism Education in Texas," citing more than 50 years of continuous operation and a community of hundreds of professional peers.

The association's core offerings are its membership program, the Annual Conference, the Women's Leadership Conference, the Destination Management Specialist (DMS) Educational Certification, the Texas Tourism Awards Program, the Texas Destination Excellence Awards, and a Career Center job board. There is no proprietary software product; operations run on third-party Novi AMS Association Management Software, and distribution is handled through a self-serve website portal with on-site enrollment at conferences. Revenue is generated exclusively through recurring membership dues; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Strategic partnerships with Texas Hotel & Lodging Association, Simpleview (a Granicus company), Madden Media, AJR Media Group, and CFO By Design support programming, technology, and member services. The organization is privately held with no parent company, no institutional investors, and no disclosed headcount or financial metrics.

Name

Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus

Legal name

Destinations Texas

Website

https://tacvb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Destinations Texas (formerly Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus) is a nonprofit membership association that provides tourism education, certification, conferences, and awards to destination marketing organizations across Texas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The organization generates revenue through membership fees from destination marketing organizations (DMOs), tourism bureaus, convention and visitor centers, and related tourism professionals across Texas. Members pay dues to access conferences, educational resources, certification programs, and peer networking opportunities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Destinations Texas is a membership-based professional association that provides tourism education, conferences, certification, and industry recognition to destination marketing organizations (DMOs), convention and visitor bureaus, tourism boards, and convention centers across Texas. Its core offering is a membership program that unlocks access to annual conferences, the Destination Management Specialist (DMS) certification, the Texas Tourism Awards and Texas Destination Excellence Awards programs, a Career Center job board, and peer-to-peer collaboration opportunities.

Product overview

Destinations Texas (formerly Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus) is a membership-based organization offering a portfolio of professional development services for the Texas tourism industry. The core offering is its membership program, which provides access to conferences, educational certifications, and industry awards. Key products include the Annual Conference and Women's Leadership Conference for professional development, the Destination Management Specialist (DMS) Educational Certification for career advancement, the Texas Tourism Awards Program and Texas Destination Excellence Awards for industry recognition, and a Career Center for job postings. The organization serves destination marketing organizations by providing training, networking, and resources rather than a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program Membership organization providing access to a network of tourism professionals, training programs, industry insights, and peer-to-peer collaboration opportunities for destination marketing organizations (DMOs) in Texas.
• Annual Conference Annual training and development conference for destination marketing organization professionals, sales teams, and decision-makers in the Texas tourism industry.
• Women's Leadership Conference Annual women's leadership conference providing development and networking opportunities for women in the Texas tourism industry.
• Texas Tourism Awards Program Annual awards program recognizing individuals who have made impressive contributions to the Texas tourism industry, including the Marion Szurek Leadership Award, Texas Tourism Trailblazer Award, and Texas Tourism Hall of Fame.
• Destination Management Specialist (DMS) Educational Certification Educational framework providing hands-on, actionable education for working in the DMO industry, designed for members and future industry leaders, serving as the primary industry certification.
• Career Center Job board platform connecting employers with candidates for Texas destination marketing organization openings.
• Texas Destination Excellence Awards Annual awards program recognizing excellence among Texas destinations, with submissions accepted during a designated window each year.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Madden MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMadden Media is listed as a generous partner/sponsor of Destinations Texas, providing integrated media solutions for the tourism industry.
• CFO By Design, Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCFO By Design, Inc. is listed as a generous partner/sponsor of Destinations Texas, providing financial services.
• Texas Hotel & Lodging AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas Hotel & Lodging Association is a key strategic partner collaborating on hospitality and tourism initiatives in Texas. The partnership provides cross-promotional opportunities and shared resources for industry professionals.
• Simpleview, a Granicus companycoreTechnology or IntegrationSimpleview, a Granicus company, provides destination management technology and solutions. As a partner, they offer technology services that support DMO operations and marketing efforts for Texas destinations.
• AJR Media GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAJR Media Group is listed as a generous partner/sponsor providing integrated media solutions for the tourism industry.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Meeting Professionals International (MPI): Global association for meeting and event professionals. Comparable as a MICE-industry membership body offering conferences, certification (CMP), and education — adjacent to Destinations Texas's destination-marketing focus but oriented toward meeting planners rather than DMOs.
• Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA): Global community for business events and convention management professionals. Comparable in offering large annual conferences and education/certification for the MICE ecosystem, though its primary audience is convention-management professionals rather than Texas DMOs.
• U.S. Travel Association: National umbrella trade association for the entire U.S. travel industry. Comparable in mission (education, advocacy, networking for travel/tourism professionals) but broader in scope than a state-level DMO association like Destinations Texas.

Direct peers

• Destinations International: National trade association for destination marketing organizations (formerly DMAI). Directly comparable to Destinations Texas as a DMO-focused membership body offering education, certification (CDME), and an annual convention serving DMOs — but at the national rather than state level.
• National Tour Association (NTA): Trade association for tour operators and destination suppliers. Comparable as a membership-based association providing education, conferences, and networking for travel-industry professionals, though oriented toward tour operators rather than DMOs.
• Southeast Tourism Society: Regional travel association serving state tourism offices and DMOs across the southeastern U.S. Comparable to Destinations Texas as a multi-state DMO/tourism membership association providing conferences, marketing awards, and educational programming for destination marketers.

Others

• ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership: Meta-association representing the U.S. association-management ecosystem. Comparable not as a competitor but as an industry body that supports association professionals — relevant to Destinations Texas as a peer operator and a potential source of governance, technology, and best-practice guidance.

Emerging players

• Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP): National association for government meeting professionals. Comparable as a niche membership association providing education, certification (CGMP), and networking for a specialized segment of the meetings industry — similar in scale and structure to a state-level DMO association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/destinationstexas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/56581782

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus