The Visitor International Story: Five Decades of Guiding Visitors to Great Experiences
From brochure pioneers to a worldwide network of visitor information providers
Visitor International – The International Association of Visitor Information Providers traces its origins to 1975, when six pioneering brochure distribution companies in the USA came together to form The Association of Professional Brochure Distributors. Its founders were Terry McDonough of Florida Folder Service (now Brochure Displays, Inc.), the late Bill Miller of FPIS, Inc., Art Miller of Florida Timetable Service, Harper Thaw of Southern Folder Distribution Co., and Bob Price and Jim Howell of Southern Travel Information Service. They recognized the value of working together, sharing referrals, and promoting high professional standards.
From those beginnings, the association grew steadily. The North American network expanded to Ireland when Glance Visitor Media joined in 1999, and members from across Europe, Africa, and Australia followed, making the association truly international. Today, member companies are based in more than a dozen countries. They help their clients reach visitors and guide them to destinations, attractions, activities, dining, retail, transport services, and more.
In 2016, the association became Visitor International – The International Association of Visitor Information Providers, a name that reflects the full range of services across the membership. Every member specializes in visitor brochure distribution. Many also provide maps and guides, mini-cards, digital kiosks, websites, and discovery screens. Together, the network represents visitor information in its broadest and most effective forms.
The association was founded sixteen years before the World Wide Web. It has helped members put the lasting strength of print to work alongside new technology, so that each format extends the reach of the other. Throughout its history it has also been a source of mutual support, never more so than during COVID-19, when collaboration and adaptability across the network proved their value.
Equipping Members to Guide Visitors and Win Business
Visitor International exists to help its member companies and their clients succeed. It equips them with research, insights, and resources to guide visitors effectively and profitably, including exclusive consumer and trade research, shared messaging tools, and opportunities to learn from fellow members.
Each year, members gather for the association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), hosted in a different country by one of the member companies. The AGM is both a working event and a celebration of the network. Each year a President is elected from within the membership to serve and represent the association. The listing below shows past AGM locations, host members, and association presidents, and reflects the network’s global reach and spirit of shared leadership.
Five decades on, Visitor International continues to champion quality visitor information and the shared value of working together as a global network.
Visitor International AGMs: 1975–2026
Meet Our Members Around the World
Visitor International is a global network of specialist visitor information providers—helping travelers discover great experiences through brochures, maps, guides, and increasingly digital solutions. Explore our members and the regions they serve.
Whether you’re a tourism business, a potential display host, or curious about how visitor information drives engagement, this is where connection begins.