# DMO Visitor Information Center Study

**Publisher:** Destinations International  
**Published:** n/a  
**Category:** Destinations, NTOs & DMOs  
**Type:** Study  
**Access:** Free PDF  
**Official source:** https://destinationsinternational.org/reports/dmo-visitor-information-center-study  
**Canonical:** https://tourismintel.ai/reports/dmo-visitor-information-center-study-destinations-internation

## At a glance
- 284 US and Canadian DMOs participated in the VIC study, collectively welcoming over 10 million walk-ins in 2012.
- Participating organization budgets ranged from under US$500,000 to over US$10,000,000, enabling budget-specific benchmarking.
- Fewer than one in five destination organizations currently measure visitor information center return on investment.
- The study provides framework guidance for VIC marketing, budgeting, planning and ROI measurement for DMOs.

## What the report covers
Destinations International's DMO Visitor Information Center Study examines budgets, strategies and initiatives deployed by US and Canadian destination organizations to engage visitors through official visitor information centers. The study analysed 284 participating DMOs across multiple budget tiers during 2012, generating benchmarking data on VIC operations. Published in January 2013, the research aims to equip destination organizations with frameworks for VIC planning, marketing allocation and return-on-investment assessment.

## Key findings
The study encompassed 284 destination organizations from the US and Canada, reporting combined walk-in traffic exceeding 10 million visitors to their visitor information centers during 2012, according to the report. Participant operating budgets spanned a wide range, from under US$500,000 to over US$10,000,000 annually, permitting segmented analysis across different organizational scales and funding models.

A significant gap exists in DMO evaluation practices: fewer than one in five destination organizations currently measure visitor information center return on investment, the report indicates. This deficiency prompted the study's development of measurement frameworks and benchmarking guidance to help destinations assess and demonstrate VIC value more systematically.

The study was designed to provide destination organizations with guidance across three operational domains: visitor information center marketing strategies, budget allocation decisions, and strategic planning initiatives. By offering budget-specific benchmarking data, the research enables organizations to compare performance metrics and operational approaches against peer institutions operating at similar financial scales.

## Key numbers
| Metric | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Walk-in visitors to participating DMO visitor information centers | over 10 million | Aggregate figure for 284 participating US and Canadian organizations in 2012 |
| Number of participating organizations | 284 | DMOs from US and Canada included in the study |
| Minimum participant operating budget | under US$500,000 | Annual budget range for participating organizations |
| Maximum participant operating budget | over US$10,000,000 | Annual budget range for participating organizations |
| DMOs measuring VIC return on investment | fewer than one in five | Proportion of destination organizations currently assessing VIC ROI, according to the report |

## Why it matters
**DMOs & destinations** — The study provides peer benchmarking data segmented by budget tier, enabling DMOs to evaluate their visitor information center strategies, spending and outcomes against comparable organizations. With fewer than one in five destinations measuring VIC ROI, the study's measurement frameworks help address this gap and demonstrate centre value to stakeholders and funders.

**Hotels & hospitality** — Understanding how DMOs allocate budgets to visitor information centers and measure their effectiveness helps hospitality operators assess the marketing infrastructure supporting visitor arrival and orientation. VIC traffic data and benchmarks inform partnership strategies with destination organizations and expectations around visitor support services.

**Travel tech & distribution** — The study documents how 284 major DMOs operate visitor information centers and measure their performance, providing technology vendors and distribution platforms with insights into destination infrastructure gaps and measurement needs. This benchmarking data helps tech providers develop solutions addressing VIC ROI tracking and visitor engagement challenges.

## Methodology and limits
Destinations International surveyed 284 destination organizations from the US and Canada, collecting data on visitor information center budgets, strategies and initiatives during 2012. Organizations reported annual operating budgets ranging from under US$500,000 to over US$10,000,000, enabling budget-specific analysis. The study combines observed operational data (walk-in traffic volumes) with strategic information about VIC planning and marketing. This brief is based on the publicly available summary; detailed findings are contained in downloadable consolidated and full reports.

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© Destinations International for the original report. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel (https://tourismintel.ai). Read the original: https://destinationsinternational.org/reports/dmo-visitor-information-center-study