Back-to-School, Back-to-Town: 5 Ways Destinations Can Drive Pass Redemptions During the Slow Season

With the right strategy, destinations can turn the slower season into a chance to increase foot traffic, support local businesses, and keep engagement going between peak travel periods.

Here are five ways to encourage pass redemptions when the school year begins.

1. Create Quick Experiences That Fit Into Busy Schedules

Once school starts, visitors and locals alike are more likely to look for activities they can do in an afternoon, over a weekend, or between existing plans.

The easier an experience feels, the more likely people are to participate.

A digital pass can help package short, approachable experiences like:

• Coffee and bakery crawls
• Lunch spot trails
• Downtown shopping challenges
• Family-friendly after-school activities
• Weekend entertainment guides

These smaller experiences feel manageable—and they help drive visits without asking people to commit to a full day.

Sometimes the best way to increase redemptions is simply making participation feel easy.

2. Give Locals a Reason to Reconnect With Their Community

Back-to-school season often brings residents back into familiar routines.

A pass can help break up the routine by encouraging people to visit places they haven’t been in a while—or discover something new close to home.

Great local-focused campaign ideas include:

• “Rediscover Downtown” passes
• Local restaurant week passports
• Neighborhood shopping trails
• Community event check-in challenges
• Seasonal savings passes

These campaigns help businesses stay visible and encourage spending within the community, even when tourism traffic naturally slows.

It’s also a great way to keep your destination top of mind year-round.

3. Offer Incentives That Encourage Redemption

A small incentive can go a long way during a slower season.

When schedules feel busy, a reward gives people one more reason to take action.

Bandwango makes it easy to encourage participation with incentives like:

• Exclusive discounts
• Limited-time offers
• Prize drawings
• Milestone rewards after multiple check-ins
• Seasonal giveaways

For destinations, incentives can help increase urgency and motivate visitors to redeem sooner rather than later.

For businesses, they create another opportunity to bring customers through the door.

4. Activate Weekdays, Not Just Weekends

Back-to-school season often shifts traffic patterns—and weekdays can become especially valuable.

A digital pass can help create intentional reasons for people to visit throughout the week.

Ideas include:

• Tuesday or Wednesday dining offers
• Midweek shopping promotions
• Lunch-hour passport experiences
• Student and teacher appreciation offers
• Check-ins tied to community events

Spreading redemptions throughout the week helps businesses maintain consistent traffic and gives your campaign more opportunities to stay active.

It also helps support businesses during traditionally quieter windows.

5. Build Momentum for Fall Events Ahead

Back-to-school season is the perfect bridge into fall.

A September campaign can drive redemptions now while building excitement for what’s next.

Use a pass to connect visitors with:

• Upcoming festivals
• Harvest events
• Football weekends
• Arts and culture programming
• Holiday previews

This creates a reason to redeem today while giving people another reason to return later.

That repeat engagement helps extend visitation and keeps your destination connected with your audience throughout the season.

Keep the Momentum Going

The transition from summer to school season doesn’t have to mean slower engagement.

With the right digital pass, destinations can create easy ways for people to explore, support businesses during quieter periods, and keep momentum building into fall.

Whether you’re encouraging locals to rediscover downtown, activating weekday traffic, or promoting seasonal events ahead, Bandwango helps make every check-in and redemption count.

Because even during the slower season, a well-timed experience can keep your destination moving.