Turning Scenic Swings Into a Gamified Travel Experience: West Virginia’s SWINGO Pass
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West Virginia Tourism already had a hit on their hands. Their Almost Heaven swings, placed at scenic overlooks across the state, started as a celebration of the state’s birthday and quickly grew into a travel phenomenon. Visitors were road-tripping across West Virginia to find them, take photos, and share the experience.
But as interest grew, so did a key question: how do you capture and build on that momentum?
With strong engagement already driven by the swings, the team saw an opportunity to:
- Track visitation across swing locations
- Encourage travelers to explore more of the state
- Create a more interactive experience than a traditional pass
- Build on the success of existing passes like the Waterfall Trail
Rather than introducing another checklist-style experience, they wanted something that would challenge visitors and keep them coming back. To do it, they leaned into new interactive capabilities from Bandwango to bring a more creative idea to life.
Turning a viral moment into an ongoing experience
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Enter SWINGO.
Built using Bandwango’s newest interactive features, the SWINGO pass transforms swing-hunting into a digital bingo-style experience. Instead of simply visiting locations, travelers download a digital bingo board where each space represents a category tied to different swings across the state. Every user receives a unique board, adding an extra layer of challenge and personalization.
How it works
As visitors explore, they can check in at swings that match each category. Completing five in a row earns them a sticker, while finishing the full board unlocks a bigger prize: aseasonal magnetic photo frame. The result is an experience that encourages continued exploration, not just one-and-done visits.
By turning visitation into a game, SWINGO encourages users to think differently about how and where they explore.
Using new interactive features
Instead of simply checking off locations, SWINGO brings a more interactive layer to the experience, motivating visitors to seek out new places and stay engaged on their journey. With a unique board for each user, travelers are encouraged to discover swings and destinations they might not have otherwise considered. This kind of flexibility is made possible by Bandwango’s evolving platform, giving destinations new ways to design experiences beyond the traditional pass format.
Driving exploration and insight
SWINGO gives the West Virginia team a new way to understand visitor behavior. While not every swing visit can be tracked, the program provides meaningful data on which locations are most popular and how people are moving across the state.
At its core, the goal is simple: get people outside and exploring. From parks and scenic overlooks to nearby small towns and local restaurants, SWINGO creates a reason to go further and experience more of what West Virginia has to offer.
By layering in game mechanics, the experience shifts from passive participation to active exploration:
- Personalized boards create a unique experience for every visitor
- Strategic challenges encourage travel to a wider range of locations
- Reward milestones keep users engaged and progressing
What this means for other destinations
For other destinations, the takeaway is clear. When you pair a strong existing asset with a more interactive, flexible experience layer, you can turn passive interest into active exploration. West Virginia didn’t just launch another pass - they used new tools to rethink what a pass could be.
And soon, you will be able to do the same.
A new era of innovation
With Experience Builder 2.0, this is just the beginning.
Built from client feedback and designed to make it easier than ever to create and manage passes, the new platform opens the door to more creative, flexible experiences like this. It’s a new foundation for innovation - one that allows destinations to move faster, experiment more, and bring ideas like SWINGO to life. As we continue to roll out new features, it’s all part of a broader shift toward giving destinations the tools to build what’s next.
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