How Destination Augusta Built an America 250 Experience That’s Already Seeing Early Success – And Will Last Beyond 2026

“We identified early that this commemorative event was something that we could capitalize on,” said Ansley Guerrero, Destination Augusta’s Project and Operations Manager. “Augusta has such deep roots in the American story, but we also saw that we'll be able to capitalize on a new audience – hopefully with some international visitation – since Atlanta will be hosting a FIFA World Cup match. Instead of just hosting events, though, we saw value in creating an experience that will last beyond the anniversary year.”

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The Goal

The events surrounding the America 250 celebrations are important, and Destination  Augusta developed a robust landing page to feature all of the relevant activities happening in their area to commemorate the nation’s birthday. But the DMO saw an opportunity to do more. They wanted to create a tool that allowed visitors to go deeper into their destination and connect with Augusta’s historical assets. America 250 was the motivation and timely reason for the tool, but they wanted something more robust that expanded beyond just the last 250 years, since their city’s past goes back even further. 

Guerrero said, “We used America 250 as an opportunity to celebrate the fabric of our community, and the individuals whose stories are woven into that fabric. We were intentional about broadening the Augusta story beyond  a single era. We chose to highlight not only our Revolutionary War assets and landmarks, but also the Indigenous trade routes along the Riverwalk and bring it through the Revolution into modern day. Our goal was to tell a more complete and inclusive story of Augusta and ensure the history we share reflects the many people and perspectives that have shaped this community.”

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The Solution 

Sarah Childers, Director of Destination Experience for Destination Augusta, has developed a portfolio of successful trails that includes The James Brown Journey, the Augusta Coffee Trail, and more. Destination Augusta has been a Bandwango partner for three years, and during that time, she’s been the one responsible for building the DMO’s passes within the Experience Builder. “Bandwango makes it easy,” she said. “I love our digital passes.” 

Sarah has done an amazing job with the passes she’s already built for Augusta,” Guerrero said. “It was an easy decision to use Bandwango as the tool to curate and share this new opportunity.”

So, a new trail was born: the America 250 Augusta History Trail. The DMO took their historical sites and created a digital experience to lead visitors on a self-guided tour through the city. “Without Bandwango, we wouldn’t have been able to connect the varied history that we have. We’re using this tool to really tell our story, and visitors can use it to dive as deep as they would like,” said Guerrero. Essentially, the DMO is using this tool as a way to get visitors to come to Augusta, and either stay multiple days, or have a reason to come back again, as they explore the area’s historical assets.

Guerrero shared, “I think it gives our drive market another reason to come see Augusta, and then if they can't accomplish the whole pass  in one weekend, it gives them a reason to want to come back and pair those experiences with our other passes,  nightlife, or other outdoor experiences.”

The America 250 Augusta History Trail won’t go away after this year, though. “It will  evolve into an evergreen history pass,” explained Guerrero. “That makes it an even better asset for us, and it can continue to tell Augusta's story without the America 250 lens. Because it’s digital, it can shift in what it highlights, but right now, it reflects a curated experience for the national commemoration.”

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Marketing the Pass

“Our marketing team is building out a layered strategy designed to drive awareness,” said Guerrero. Their plans include blog content, video storytelling, regional print placements, social media, and paid digital campaigns leading up to Independence Day. A strategic effort by Destination Augusta’s public relations team is important as well. “They're pitching early stories because writers are getting started on their plans early, even before travelers are.”

Guerrero said she’s most excited about the onsite promotion at their visitor experience center – Augusta & Co. “We’ll have Augusta & Co. decked out in patriotic dress during the peak of the celebration, making it a visible signal in the downtown corridor that something special is happening. We’re also hosting unique programming that invites locals and visitors to engage with the celebration, including Red, White, and Brews, a beer tasting with local partners, and America’s Birthday Bash, where the community can stop in, enjoy some live music, and learn more about the 250th in Augusta.”

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Early Measurements of Success 

“Every pass has different KPIs, depending on what we expect it to do, and then those KPIs adjust over time,” shared Childers. This pass is a wayfinding pass, and according to them, the measurement of success goes beyond the data within their Bandwango dashboard. 

“The engagement, the check-ins, and the data that we receive – that's just the tip of the iceberg,” she said. “I really think that we're happy with the product that we've developed, and this connected our history for visitors and locals. It's not just about the amount of signups. I'm happy about the attention that it's brought our organization and our destination, and so that's a win, no matter what.”
The newly launched pass has already seen successful results beyond the metrics. Some of the early wins Destination Augusta has identified include:

They’ve created an asset that shows value to partner organizations. 

“Although we track engagement, success for us began earlier than the engagement in the pass,” Guerrero shared. “And an early win was just building on our relationship with our cultural partners. While we know we are constantly working to promote them, they don’t see everything that we do. So I believe this project brought us closer with them and it really brought awareness to the value we, as a DMO, provide them everyday.”

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The new product gave them something to pitch to groups. 

The trail has become an asset that is woven into all of the DMO’s touchpoints. There is information about it in the destination’s experience center and on their website, but they are also pitching the trail to motor coach groups that are coming into town. “The leisure travel, meeting, and group audiences are all receiving information about it, and they are excited about the value it can add to their visit,” shared Childers. 

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The America 250 Augusta History Trail is getting statewide attention.  

“Another early win was recognition from our state tourism office,” shared Guerrero. She spoke on a panel at the Georgia Governor’s Conference on Tourism about Destination  Augusta’s America 250 efforts. “They see the value in what we're building, and they are identifying ways to incorporate it into broader regional storytelling. So that shows that we're creating relevance beyond our immediate market, and that is something we really appreciate.” Explore Georgia is promoting the pass on their website as well. 

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Destination Augusta’s Tips for Creating an America 250 Pass 

The hardworking team at Destination Augusta has created an America 250 initiative that is helping them win big in 2026. But this new tool will actually live on for much longer and show ROI for years to come. Here are their personal tips for helping create your own successful America 250 pass. 

Just Do It.

Guerrero said, “This is something DMOs can realistically accomplish within the time we have before the 250th celebration reaches its peak. The great thing is that it doesn’t have to be temporary. With a little tweaking, it can continue to serve visitors long after the commemoration ends. If a destination has the assets and the partners to support something like this, it’s definitely an opportunity worth taking advantage of.”

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Get Other Experts Involved in Helping Fact-Check the Story You’re Telling.

The Destination Augusta team connected with a variety of experts to make sure they were telling an inclusive story through their trail. Guerrero consulted with representatives from Meadow Garden – the Home of George Walton – and the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History. “I shared the full list of stops with them,” Guerrero said, “because we wanted to make sure the experience truly reflected the full story of our community and felt relevant to everyone who visits.” Childers said she also consulted a professor at Augusta University. “He was really happy that we were telling a more encompassing story and was really excited about the longevity of it as a history trail.” 

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Pay Attention to the Pass.
“Just because you launched the trail and put it out there doesn't mean that your work is done,” said Childers. “You have to pay attention to its metrics and react, otherwise it just kind of sits there.” With Bandwango’s Experience Builder, you can easily make changes on the pass at any time. Of course, marketing is key to helping it see continued engagement as well. 

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Visit the Stops, and Take Along Your Marketing Team. 

“We visited all of the stops on the trail ourselves and invited our marketing team out  with us to gather content,” said Guerrero. "It helped us both evaluate the user experience of the pass and gave us great assets to use for the campaign, brochures, and social media content.”

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Make it Family-Friendly.

Guerrero said, “It’s a very family friendly experience. We’ve been making sure this experience is not only geared to historians. A lot of the stops include museums and interactive displays, which are great for kids because they can get hands on and actually learn something while they’re there. Our marketing materials show families exploring the sites together, and that really reflects how we see people experiencing it. For me, this is exactly the kind of experience my family would enjoy on a road trip. You have fun, you learn something, and you feel like you’re getting real value out of your trip.”

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Stay Consistent and Have One-on-One Conversations. 

“Stay consistent to the point you're feeling like you're being annoying,” shared Guerrero. “Your partners have competing priorities, and that early and steady communication builds the trust you're going to need to actually come up with something together.” Childers added, “I'm asking my team to go in person and have a one-on-one conversation with partners. You can send a really well-written, detailed email about what a Bandwango trail is, but a typical reader of that email is just not going to be able to understand the scope in the way that having that conversation will.”

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Conclusion

Destination Augusta expects the America 250 Augusta History Trail to evolve over time and be a visitor experience that lasts beyond 2026. Guerrero said, “We’ve built something sustainable rather than something that’s just flash in the pan. And while this is tied to an event-based push, it will absolutely outlive that moment. It is a cultural asset that can evolve and strengthen our destination beyond this moment.” 

America 250 is a year-long celebration of the country’s history. However, Destination Augusta has proven there are ways to turn this national milestone into long-term destination impact. A pass commemorating America’s birthday can be a long-term asset that creates short-term wins, as well as ongoing ROI.

Destination Augusta has 13 employees and a budget under $5 million. “I know we're not the smallest DMO, but we are a smaller DMO,” said Childers. “For people who might be overwhelmed by the process, figure out a way to make it work for you. Think about how the story can align with what your mission is. How can telling the story and having this pass help you meet longer goals?” 

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If you’re interested in learning more about highlighting the unique aspects of your destination’s history, set up a free consultation with Bandwango’s team.