Celebrating the addition of three new destinations, The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) and destination marketing organizations (DMO) representing all cities of the Big Ten have partnered to launch a new initiative designed to encourage visitation beyond attendance at athletic events.
“Collegiate athletics binds our communities,” said Happy Valley Adventure Bureau Vice President of Sales & Marketing Dave Gerdes. “This common thread served as a perfect conversation starter about exploring ways to foster visitation by collectively promoting the unique attributes of our respective destinations.”
Working with destination experience technology company Bandwango, the group developed a digital passport featuring the top 10 attractions for each of the 17 Big Ten cities representing 18 schools. The free passport is easily accessible from a mobile device, providing instant access to the most popular things to see and do in each location.
“The trail features a dynamic mix of places to visit and explore,” he said. “We hope sports fans traveling to support their team, or anyone interested in new travel adventures, will access the passport and start getting better acquainted with the cities of the Big Ten.”
Gerdes applauded the willingness of Happy Valley’s Big Ten counterparts, including the incoming West Coast additions to the conference, to participate in the initiative.
“Sports rivalries are fun, but tourism is about providing a positive experience and creating lasting memories,” he said. “We look forward to welcoming even more Big Ten visitors and showing them what Happy Valley hospitality is all about."
Happy Valley, PA’s top 10 list includes:
- Columbus Chapel & Boal Mansion Museum
- Penn’s Cave & Wildlife Park
- Palmer Museum of Art
- American Philatelic Society
- Bellefonte Art Museum
- Penn State All-Sports Museum
- Pennsylvania Military Museum
- Tussey Mountain Ski & Recreation
- Central PA Tasting Trail
- Happy Valley, PA GeoTour
The Cities of the Big Ten trail is a partnership of The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, Visit Bloomington, Central Jersey Convention & Visitors Bureau, Destination Ann Arbor, Destination Madison, Discover Los Angeles, Experience Champagne/Urbana, Experience Columbus, Experience Prince Georges County, Choose Lansing, Chicago’s North Shore, Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau, Meet Minneapolis, Think Iowa City, Travel Lane County (Oregon), Visit Lafayette/West Lafayette, and Visit Seattle.
The Cities of the Big Ten passport can be accessed here.
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