How Destinations Are Marketed: DMO, CVB, and Tourism Board Structures

How Destinations Are Marketed: DMO, CVB, and Tourism Board Structures

Destination marketing is the organized effort to attract visitors—leisure travelers, business travelers, and meeting planners—to a specific place. Several types of organizations carry out this work, each with a distinct structure, funding model, and set of responsibilities. Understanding these organizations is essential content for both the CMP exam and the Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) credential.

What Is a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO)?

A destination marketing organization (DMO) is the umbrella term for any entity whose primary mission is to promote a destination and support the visitor economy. DMOs operate at every geographic scale: city, county, region, state, and nation. The term is broad by design—it captures convention and visitors bureaus, tourism boards, travel authorities, and similar bodies under one roof.

DMOs typically perform four core functions:

1. Marketing and promotion – advertising, social media, content creation, travel trade outreach

2. Sales – soliciting meetings, conventions, sporting events, and group tours

3. Visitor services – welcome centers, concierge referrals, printed and digital guides

4. Research and advocacy – tracking visitor spending, occupancy rates, and the economic impact of tourism; lobbying for policies that support the visitor economy

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs)

A convention and visitors bureau (CVB) is the most common type of local or regional DMO in the United States. CVBs serve as the official marketing body for a city or metropolitan area. Their dual mandate—conventions and visitors—reflects two distinct target markets:

• Meetings and conventions market: CVBs work with meeting planners to attract conferences, trade shows, and association meetings. Staff called convention services managers help planners navigate local venues, hotel room blocks, and supplier networks.
• Leisure travel market: CVBs promote the destination to individual travelers, families, and tour operators through consumer advertising, travel shows, and partnerships with hotels and attractions.

CVBs are most commonly organized as nonprofit 501(c)(6) trade associations, meaning they exist to promote the economic interests of their members (hotels, venues, restaurants, attractions). Membership dues from these businesses form one major revenue stream. A second major stream is the hotel occupancy tax (HOT), also called the transient occupancy tax or bed tax—a percentage added to hotel room bills that local or state government allocates, in whole or in part, to the CVB. Some CVBs also receive municipal general-fund allocations or state tourism grants.

State Tourism Offices

Every U.S. state operates a state tourism office (sometimes called a state travel office or division of tourism). These offices sit within a state agency—often the Department of Commerce or Economic Development—and are funded primarily through state appropriations (tax dollars allocated by the legislature). Their mission is to market the entire state to domestic and international travelers, support regional DMOs, and track statewide tourism data. State tourism offices frequently collaborate with regional CVBs on cooperative advertising campaigns.

National Tourism Boards

At the national level, countries establish national tourism organizations (NTOs) or national tourism boards. In the United States, Brand USA is the public-private partnership that promotes the country internationally, funded through a combination of federal funds (linked to visa fees) and private-sector contributions. Other countries operate government ministries or crown corporations that serve the same role—marketing the nation to global travelers and travel trade buyers.

Key differences between a CVB and a national tourism board:

• Geographic scope: city or region vs. entire nation
• Primary funding: bed tax and membership dues vs. government appropriations and/or visa-related fees
• Target audience: meeting planners and regional leisure visitors vs. international travelers and global travel trade

Governance and Accountability

Most DMOs are governed by a board of directors drawn from the hospitality and business community. This structure keeps the organization accountable to its members and funding partners. Staff leadership typically includes a President/CEO, a VP of Sales (conventions), a VP of Marketing, and a Director of Tourism (leisure travel).

Because DMOs spend public tax dollars (bed tax), they are subject to transparency requirements. Meeting planners and CTA candidates should understand that DMO services to planners—site inspection assistance, housing bureau services, referrals—are generally provided at no charge to the planner; the organization is funded by its members and tax allocations, not by fees charged to meeting clients.

Relevance to the CMP and CTA Exams

The CMP International Standards (APEX/ANSI domains) include strategic planning and stakeholder management content that requires candidates to understand how DMOs function as partners in event planning. The CTA candidate handbook places DMO structure at the center of its content on destination knowledge and visitor services. Both credentials expect you to distinguish DMO types, identify funding sources, and describe how each organization serves different stakeholders.

A Note on Safe Professional Practice

While destination marketing is not a high-hazard trade in the same way construction or chemical handling is, professionals in this field work with large public gatherings, outdoor events, and water-based tourism (relevant to the PADI Divemaster credential in this program). Always apply appropriate risk management: verify venue safety certifications, confirm emergency action plans for events, and follow local health and fire code requirements when coordinating site visits or familiarization (FAM) tours. When leading or supporting dive tourism experiences, PADI standards and all applicable water-safety protocols take precedence over any marketing objective.