Things to Do Places to Stay Restaurants Events
E-News

About Us

Welcome to the Port Aransas Tourism Bureau & Chamber of Commerce!

The Port Aransas Tourism Bureau & Chamber of Commerce is a destination marketing and management organization representing the Port Aransas and Mustang Island area along with the rest of the Texas Gulf Coast. Founded in 1974 primarily as a chamber of commerce, this organization has since transitioned into the Port Aransas Tourism Bureau & Chamber of Commerce. Port Aransas and Mustang Island anchors a magnificent section of the Texas barrier islands on the Gulf of Mexico coast. The area celebrates 18 miles of continuous beach and shoreline that deliver amazing beach, surfing, birding, fishing, and an amazing culinary scene. 

PURPOSE

We work to enhance the community’s quality of life by attracting visitors that share our love of the Texas Gulf Coast.

VISION

Port Aransas will be known as the premier family beach destination in Texas

MISSION

We work to enhance the community’s quality of life by attracting visitors who share our love of the Texas Gulf Coast and contribute to our regenerative tourism economy.

OUR VALUES

COMMUNITY

Even though Port Aransas attracts a million-plus visitors a year to its wide-open beaches, it’s also a place where real people live and make their homes. Local life revolves around the schools. People who don’t even have kids go to the games and attend education fundraisers for the good of local education. Port Aransas is a place that’s real, where not everything is picture-perfect, and it’s filled with genuine people ready to share a friendly exchange. Anyone who shares this spirit can feel at home.

TRADITION

Port Aransas is a place with a past. As the “Fishing Capital of Texas,” it attracts major celebrities, remains home to a boatworks that innovated the fastest fishing boat of its time, and still hosts the Gulf Coast’s longest-running fishing event. It’s also where many come to make new memories. Port Aransas is one of those places that families have visited for generations, often because they want their kids to enjoy the simple pleasures they did growing up. Locals say they hear that all the time. It’s part of why not changing Port Aransas too much is important to many people.

QUALITY OF LIFE

It takes grit to make a life in Port Aransas. Living in this community requires an ability to withstand ebbs and flows in the local economy, times when the town is packed with visitors, and the seasonal potential hurricanes. But the rewards are many for those who want to live in a laid-back small town where they can also fish, surf, and go to the beach. For many, it’s a top priority to give more people a chance to make a home or keep their homes in this island paradise.

FUN

Port Aransas is a place with a carefree vibe, where socks are optional, bathing suits are acceptable attire, and business owners might close their stores to surf or fish. The opportunities for enjoyment are abundant, and much of it either doesn’t carry a price tag or is light on the wallet. An annual beach pass is just $12, and you can even pitch a tent on the sand. If you’re bored, says one resident, it’s because you want to be. Having fun is a way of life in Port Aransas — as long as your fun doesn’t come at the expense of someone else’s.

RESPECT

When people head into the Gulf on a Port Aransas fishing boat or cruise, they know they’re on the water with someone who knows what they’re doing. There’s a respect there, and it’s part of why people choose Port Aransas as their vacation spot. Respect is also the theme of the stewardship campaign the community began sharing in 2022, asking visitors to “Respect Our Island Home.” Anyone who comes to Port Aransas is welcome. All that’s asked in return is respect for the local way of life and the marine environment that makes this place so special.

Travel Industry Certifications: 

  • Destination Marketing Accreditation Program Certified (2023)
  • Professional in Destination Management (PDM)- All staff are certified and have a deeper understanding of the tourism industry and our role as an organization to enhance the quality of life in the community.
  • Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME)- Brett ‘Candidate’
  • Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)- Cameron
  • TACVB- Tourism College- Lisa, Mindy, Cameron & Kyra

Awards:

  • 2024 TACVB Destination Excellence Award- Leisure Tourism Marketing Campaign
  • 2024 TACVB  3rd Place People's Choice Award- Video, Storytelling, & Podcast 
  • 2024 TACVB  2nd Place People's Choice Award- Website Design & Effectiveness
  • 2024 Tourism Friendly Texas Certified - https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-launches-new-tourism-friendly-texas-community-program
  • 2024 Destination Think 100 Travel Innovations-  Port Aransas has become the only chosen sponsor in Texas to be a part of Destination Think 100 Travel Innovations. This collection represents six continents and more than 35 countries.  In this designation, “We believe that travel can make the world a better place, but it must do so without environmental, economic and social harm.”  
  • Travel Innovations (destinationthink.com)
  • 2024 Platinum MarCom Award -  “Message in a Bottle”  
  • 2023 Fired Up! Culture Achievement Award- Best in Class Workplace Culture
  • 2023 TACVB Destination Excellence Award- video, Storytelling, and Podcast Series
  • 2022 TACVB Destination Excellence Award- Community/Local Engagement
  • 2022 Finalist for US Travel’s ESTO Destiny Awards: Destination Visitor Guides (Print) 

Tourism Professional Organizations memberships:  

  • Destinations International
  • Texas Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau
  • Texas Travel Alliance
  • US Travel/ESTO