We are the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau, located in Buchanan County, Missouri. Administrative offices are at 911 Frederick Ave in St. Joseph | 9am-5pm Monday – Friday.
The St. Joseph Visitors Center is located at 502 North Woodbine in St. Joseph.
St. Joseph Visitors Center
The Buchanan County Tourism Board (St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau or CVB) is an organization that develops and implements marketing programs designed to maximize the economic impact of visitor dollars to Buchanan County. The St. Joseph CVB was established by Buchanan County voters in the spring of 1993 with the purpose of advertising and promoting tourism in Buchanan County, Missouri. The CVB is governed by a board of seven members and is a political subdivision of the Buchanan County Commission. In 2023 the Bureau celebrated the 30th year of operation in St. Joseph.
Tourism marketing includes a combination of advertising, public relations and social media efforts that aim to attract tourists to a city or destination. The Bureau utilizes various media resources to market to the general leisure traveler, as well as convention, sports and group tour marketing. As reported by the Missouri Department of Revenue, the direct economic impact of tourism related expenditures in Buchanan County in 2022 was $216 Million Dollars.
Additional marketing programs managed by the St. Joseph CVB include a county-wide Cooperative Marketing Grant program, the Show-Me St. Jo! Experience, the creation of an annual Visitor Guide, the continued management of a website, and various social media sites. The Bureau also manages the operation of two Visitor Information Centers, and is directly involved in the support of the Museums Association of St. Joseph, as well as several other niche committees and tourism-related organizations.
Another key objective of the Tourism Bureau is to foster positive relationships with key stakeholders. Stakeholders include the local Buchanan County tourism industry, the Bureau’s Board of Directors, Buchanan County and the City of St. Joseph, local, regional and state associations and business groups, the community at large and the local media.
The St. Joseph CVB is very committed to continually improving St. Joseph and Buchanan County’s image and visitor amenities to ensure long-term success as a convention and visitor destination. The CVB delivers on this commitment through product development advocacy such as leading efforts to market the Kansas City Chief Training Camp and support the development of new attractions.
Current Board of Directors of the Buchanan County Tourism Board: (Updated February 2024)
- Ryan Dowell, President
- Cindy Daffron, Vice President
- Judge Ron Taylor, Treasurer/Secretary
- Ron Bell
- Marshall White
- Bob Ford
- John Josendale
- Ron Hook (County Commissioner- AD HOC, NON-Voting Member)
The Buchanan County Tourism Board meets the fourth Wednesday of each month at 3pm (unless otherwise posted) at 911 Frederick Ave. Times and locations are subject to change. Please call 816-233-6688 to confirm.