WHO WE ARE

Visit Overland Park is a 501c6 Destination Marketing Organization that also serves as the official marketing organization for the city of Overland Park, Kansas. The organization is responsible for promoting the community as a vibrant and inviting place to visit and as a dynamic place to live and work.  Through the impact of visitation, Visit Overland Park strengthens the community’s economic future and provides more opportunities for the people of Overland Park. The organization is primarily funded through transient guest tax of hotels and short-term rentals. 

OUR MISSION  

Improve the quality of life for all Overland Park residents through the economic and community benefits of tourism.    

OUR VISION  

Visit Overland Park will be the destination brand steward of Overland Park and help nurture the community to be an excellent place to visit, live and work.  

We are people with a passion – a passion for the amazing community that is Overland Park. A city of inquisitive minds, inclusive spirits with an energetic and sophisticated vibe. We share Overland Park’s story far and wide. And we welcome others to experience our inviting and beautiful city.

OUR VALUES 

• Passion – We have an intense enthusiasm for the Overland Park community, its history, traditions and its people. 
• Transparency - We proactively share research and insights that impact the promotion and well-being of Overland Park-- and invite stakeholder and public feedback. 
• Collaboration – We work closely with Overland Park stakeholders to produce and create meaningful impact for Overland Park. 
• Innovation – We commit to ensure Overland Park is introduced to and supported with the latest destination promotion methods, ideas, or products. 
• Stewardship – We work to balance economic development, sustainable tourism, and quality of life for the people and businesses of Overland Park.  

WHAT WE DO  

• Grow our local economy through overnight and same-day visitation   
• Share comprehensive, informative, and easy-to-access information with visitors via modern media channels  
• Spearhead, conduct and analyze destination research   
• Act as destination research and data steward for the community  
• Provide expert service and support to qualifying events  
• Lead and collaborate on all place-making initiatives
• Attract sporting events and competitions to the community  

Visit Overland Park is dedicated to creating economic impact through tourism and visitor experiences. The effects of our "invisible industry" benefit everyone living in Overland Park in key areas including jobs, talent attraction and retainment, community services and improved quality of life.   

WHY THE WORK OF VISIT OVERLAND PARK MATTERS

In today’s globalized, networked world, Overland Park must compete with every other community for its share of the world’s visibility—its share of attention and respect. Every community must compete for its share of the world’s tourists, their share of consumers and their share of the available talent. Every community like Overland Park must compete for their share of the world’s businesses and their share of the available capital and investments. Those communities who fail to compete will lose ground. They will be left behind. 

Destination marketing organizations like Visit Overland Park deliver strategies to increase awareness and positive impressions; enhance the destination brand, optimize destination management and communications; promotion, marketing, sales, and visitor engagement. Destination organizations are the experts. They have the tools, knowledge and relationships to provide the solution. And most of all, they have something that no outside person or company will bring to the table, they have the love of their community to see it through. 

Overland Park must compete with every other community for their share of the world’s attention, customers, and investment. To compete, people need to be aware of Overland Park, have a positive impression, and want to visit to experience Overland Park and meet its people. This is achieved through clearly developing, articulating and managing the community’s brand. Consistent and intentional efforts are required to promote, market, sell, and engage potential visitors. And all of this needs to be reinforced again and again. Visit Overland Park is uniquely positioned to do this. Addressing this need for destination promotion is for the benefit and well-being of every person in a community. It is a common good. It is an essential investment to develop opportunities and build quality of life to benefit all the residents of Overland Park. 

Based on 2018 data, 5 million visitors contributed $808 million dollars in total business spending, which supported more than 11,981 full-time equivalent jobs in Overland Park, generating more than $455 million in labor income alone.

In the absence of the state and local taxes generated by tourism, each Overland Park household would need to pay $1,200 to maintain the current level of government services and would not experience the same level of dining, attraction, and shopping options.