The Nebraska Passport initiative offers dual advantages: it not only enriches travelers with memorable experiences by unveiling Nebraska’s lesser-known attractions but also boosts economic activity for the 70 selected destinations by driving visitor engagement, augmenting sales, and enhancing brand awareness.
LINCOLN, NEB. – Nebraska Tourism’s Passport program is now accepting applications for 2024. Any destination in the state is welcome to apply to become a Passport stop. Past stops have included restaurants, museums, outdoor adventures, retail stores, wineries, breweries, arts destinations and more.
“2023 has provided another strong year for the Nebraska Passport program, and we are excited to continue the momentum into 2024 and beyond,” said John Ricks, Nebraska Tourism Commission executive director. “The program is a win-win: Travelers experience the state’s hidden gems, and communities see increased visitation and economic impact.”
The Nebraska Passport program benefits travelers by helping them create lifelong memories through discovering Nebraska’s hidden gems. It also greatly benefits the 70 chosen Passport stops through increased visitor traffic, sales and awareness.
Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue, a stop on the 2023 Passport, is one of many attractions seeing the benefits of the program.
“Since the launch of the Nebraska Passport in May, nearly 1,000 Nebraska Passport participants made the trip to Fontenelle Forest just to see what we are all about and get their passports stamped in person,” said Dana Meyer, manager of marketing and events at Fontenelle Forest. “Almost 25% of those individuals purchased daily admission to explore the Forest and 15% signed up for our monthly newsletter.”
“We are grateful to have been chosen as a 2023 stop and highly recommend it to other organizations who are considering applying for 2024,” Meyer added.
Some of the requirements for Nebraska Passport stops are:
- Offer an exceptional and unique visitor experience.
- Be open regular, reasonable, consistent hours (including at least one weekend day) during the Nebraska Passport season (May 1 to September 30).
- Keep the same hours of operation throughout the Passport season.
- Display excellent customer service.
- Be a good tourism ambassador for your region. Talk to travelers about other tourism destinations, restaurants, retail stores, etc. in your area that they may be interested in visiting.
The 2024 program will run from May 1-September 30. The application deadline is November 30, 2023. Applicants will be notified in February 2024, and the 2024 Passport stops will be announced in March. There is no fee to apply or participate.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
