VisitHATTIESBURG

What VisitHATTIESBURG does

VisitHattiesburg, formally the Hattiesburg Tourism Commission (doing business as VisitHATTIESBURG), is the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for the City of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Established in 1990 and headquartered in Hattiesburg, MS, the organization operates with a lean team of four full-time staff overseen by a seven-member volunteer commission representing local accommodations, economic development, and the University of Southern Mississippi. Its core mission is to drive overnight visitation to the city through coordinated destination marketing, convention and sports tourism sales, and signature experiential programs including the HBURG Public Art Trail, Hattiesburger Trail, Hattiesburg GeoTour, and the 1964 Freedom Summer Trail.

The organization's primary product is its tourism marketing website (visithburg.org), which serves as a self-serve visitor information hub featuring Google Maps-powered interactive directories, event listings, and trip-planning tools covering approximately 200 local dining options and 30+ hotels. The technology stack is intentionally commoditized — JotForm for partner and media forms, Square for the online merchandise store, and Emma for email marketing — with no proprietary AI/ML systems. Beyond the website, the organization delivers field-based direct sales targeting convention and meeting planners, sports tournament organizers, and group tour operators, supported by earned-media and social channels across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest.

VisitHattiesburg is a public governmental body, not a traditional commercial enterprise, and does not earn revenue in the conventional sense. It is funded through a mix of municipal resources, tourism-related revenue streams, and federal and state grants — having secured more than $4 million in such grants since 2020. The organization measures success via visitor-spending proxies rather than P&L: visitors spent $582 million in Hattiesburg's economy in 2024, generating an $881 million total economic impact, and Hattiesburg is currently the third most visited city in Mississippi.

Name

VisitHATTIESBURG

Legal name

VISITHATTIESBURG™

Website

https://visithburg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VisitHattiesburg is the official Destination Marketing Organization for Hattiesburg, Mississippi, operating the tourism marketing website, signature trail programs, and direct sales efforts targeting convention, sports, and leisure visitors to the city.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Destination Management (Ground Handling & Onsite Operations) (THAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Events-Integrated Corporate Travel (TMCs with Meetings/Groups) (THACAAAH)

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Tourism promotion
• Convention sales
• Visitor services
• Sports tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Hattiesburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tourism Economic Impact: The organization drives visitor spending in the local economy. In 2024, visitors spent $582 million in Hattiesburg's economy, with an $881 million total economic impact. The organization's mission is to increase overnight bookings to grow this economic impact.
2. Tourism Promotion Services: Marketing and promotional services for local hotels, restaurants, attractions, and businesses to attract visitors to Hattiesburg
3. Tourism Grant Program: Competitive grant program that backs programs designed to attract overnight visitors to the area, funded through federal and state grants

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

VisitHATTIESBURG is the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for the City of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, operating as a publicly funded entity under the Hattiesburg Tourism Commission. The organization promotes Hattiesburg as a leisure, meeting, sports, and group travel destination through a comprehensive tourism marketing website, themed trails and programs, convention and sports tourism sales, and visitor information services.

Product overview

VisitHATTIESBURG operates as a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Its primary offering is a comprehensive tourism marketing website that promotes the city as a leisure and corporate travel destination. The organization manages several interconnected programs including themed trails (Public Art Trail, Hattiesburger Trail, Freedom Summer Trail, GeoTour), hospitality initiatives (Mississippi Miss Hospitality Program), public art programs (HAPA), and visitor services (meeting planning, sports tourism, visitor guides). The website serves as the central hub providing interactive maps, business directories, event listings, and trip planning resources for approximately 200 local dining options, 30+ hotels, attractions, and outdoor activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art (HAPA): Umbrella organization under VisitHATTIESBURG focused on making art available to all and promoting public art in the community
• Hattiesburger Trail
• HBURG Public Art Trail
• Hattiesburg GeoTour
• 1964 Freedom Summer Trail

Products and services

• VisitHATTIESBURG Tourism Website Official tourism marketing website for Hattiesburg, Mississippi, providing comprehensive visitor information including attractions, dining, lodging, events, and trip planning tools with interactive maps and business directories.
• HBURG Public Art Trail A self-guided walking, biking, and driving trail featuring over 55 murals, sculptures, and painted utility boxes celebrating local culture, history, and creativity throughout Hattiesburg.
• Hattiesburger Trail A culinary trail featuring over 30 local burger restaurants, allowing visitors to explore the diverse food scene and identify participating locations by Hattiesburger Trail markers.
• Hattiesburg GeoTour

Quantifiable outcome

• Visitors spent $582 million in Hattiesburg's economy in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art (HAPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990An umbrella organization under VisitHATTIESBURG founded in 2014 to advance promotion of the arts in the community. HAPA is passionate about making art available to all and believes in the power of art to vitalize the community. Programs include the HBURG Public Art Trail with 55+ murals and the Utility Box Trail Edition with 44 painted boxes.
• Mississippi Tourism AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level tourism industry association where VisitHATTIESBURG's CEO serves as Past President and active board member. The organization participates in annual Governor's Conference on Tourism and collaborates on statewide tourism promotion initiatives.
• Mississippi Main Street AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState association for downtown development where VisitHATTIESBURG's CEO served as Past President. Collaboration on placemaking initiatives, downtown revitalization, and local economic development programs.
• Destinations InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal trade association for destination organizations where VisitHATTIESBURG's CEO serves on the Advocacy Committee. Access to industry best practices, research, and international tourism networks.
• Southeast Tourism SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism association covering the southeastern United States where VisitHATTIESBURG's CEO serves on the Board of Directors. Collaborates on regional tourism marketing and event promotion.
• Downtown Hattiesburg AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organization focused on downtown development where VisitHATTIESBURG's CEO serves on the Executive Board. Joint initiatives on downtown events, placemaking, and economic vitality including Live at Five concert series.
• Hattiesburg Concert AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal arts organization where VisitHATTIESBURG's CEO serves on the board, supporting music and performing arts events in Hattiesburg.
• Mississippi Destination Marketing OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide network of DMOs where VisitHATTIESBURG's CEO is a Founding Member and Advocacy Chair. Coordinates statewide tourism marketing and advocacy efforts.
• Visit MississippicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial state tourism organization partnered with VisitHATTIESBURG for statewide tourism promotion and marketing initiatives.
• Area Development Partnership (Leadership Pinebelt)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal economic development organization. VisitHATTIESBURG team members participate in Leadership Pinebelt program for professional development and community engagement.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Visit Birmingham: Regional DMO for the Birmingham, Alabama market, comparable in structure (commission-based, public funding) and focus on conventions, sports tourism, and arts-driven destination marketing in the broader Southeast.
• Visit Mobile: City-level DMO for Mobile, Alabama, a direct Gulf South peer competing for similar leisure, convention, and sports tourism demand in adjacent geography.
• Visit Pensacola: DMO for the Pensacola, Florida area — a comparable Gulf South destination marketing organization competing in the same regional tourism market with sports, beach, and heritage tourism.
• Visit Mississippi Gulf Coast: Regional DMO for the Mississippi Gulf Coast, operating with a similar destination marketing mandate, sports tourism push, convention sales team, and public-art/trail programs in the same state.
• Visit Tupelo: City-level DMO for Tupelo, Mississippi — a peer Mississippi destination marketing organization with similar size, scope, and tourism promotion model including sports and convention sales.
• Visit Jackson (Mississippi): City-level DMO for Jackson, Mississippi, with the same nonprofit/government commission structure, marketing channels, and event-driven tourism strategy as VisitHATTIESBURG.
• Visit Mississippi: The official state-level Destination Marketing Organization for Mississippi, directly comparable as a public DMO promoting tourism with comparable marketing, grants, and convention/sports sales functions — and an explicit partner of VisitHATTIESBURG.

Others

• Destinations International: Global trade association for destination marketing organizations — a peer/ecosystem body that VisitHATTIESBURG's CEO is actively involved with and that sets DMO industry standards.
• Simpleview: Leading CRM, website, and digital marketing platform provider purpose-built for DMOs; comparable to VisitHATTIESBURG as a B2B enabler in the destination marketing ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Visit The USA (Brand USA): National destination marketing organization for the United States, comparable in mandate to drive inbound tourism through marketing partnerships and grants, but operating at national rather than city scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VisitHburg
• Instagraminstagram.com/visit_hburg
• TikToktiktok.com/@visithburg
• Pinterestpinterest.com/visithburg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/visithattiesburg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 VisitHATTIESBURG