Why a Paid Pass Is One of the Best Revenue Moves a Destination Can Make
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What a Paid Pass Actually Does
A paid pass bundles a destination's attractions, tastings, restaurants, or events into a single product that visitors buy once and use across multiple stops. It can take a few different forms: a Paid Attractions Pass, a Paid Tasting Pass, a Paid Savings Pass, or Event and Festival Ticketing. Whatever the format, the DMO or tourism board sells the pass, sets the pricing and merchant participation, and Bandwango handles the platform, financial modeling, and support behind it.
The model works because it aligns incentives. Visitors get a simplified way to plan and pay for their trip. Local businesses get exposure to visitors who might not have found them otherwise. The destination gets a new revenue line, real data on visitor behavior, and a stronger, more cohesive brand across its partners.
What Three Destinations Have Built With Their Passes
The clearest case for a paid pass is what current clients are already doing with theirs. Charlotte and Indy run attractions passes, and Sonoma County runs a tasting pass, but the same revenue model applies no matter which pass format fits your destination.
Charlotte: $155K and Growing, With Multi-Channel Expansion Underway
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Since launching its Attractions Pass in 2022, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) has demonstrated what's possible when a destination puts its partners first.
Rather than pursuing revenue for itself, CRVA set out with a clear goal: drive meaningful dollars back into the local attractions that make the region special. With over $155k generated for participating attractions to date, this success didn't happen by accident. Through close collaboration with Bandwango's team on financial model development, grounded in a deep understanding of CRVA's goals and benchmarked against data from markets of similar size, CRVA built a program designed to deliver real value to its attraction partners from day one. Year over year sales have continued to trend upward, and that momentum matters: more pass sales mean more visitor usage, which in turn means more revenue flowing directly to the attractions themselves.
Now, CRVA is building on that momentum by expanding into multi-channel distribution through Bandwango's new Hotel Guest Benefits program, opening new pathways to reach visitors and drive even greater pass sales. CRVA's story is a powerful example of how thoughtful planning and the right partnership can turn a paid pass program into a lasting engine of support for local attractions.
Charlotte's Attractions Pass has created and converted a new market of visitors providing an additional revenue stream that complements our existing admissions.
says Bryan Kowert, Senior Manager, Group Sales, a representative at NASCAR Hall of Fame.
We've also appreciated working alongside the Bandwango Team to build a single platform and process that serves a multitude of unique hotel property requests while improving the guest experience. Manual processes have been replaced with streamlined marketing visibility, access control, and accounting. It's been a win-win for our organization, our hospitality partners, and visitors exploring Charlotte.
Indy: $1.1 Million in Gross Sales Since 2020
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Since launching the Indy Attractions Pass with Bandwango in 2020, Visit Indy has generated more than $1.1 million in gross sales. The program has experienced consistent year-over-year growth through 2025, with 2026 already on pace to surpass last year's performance.
Our goal has always been to increase visitation to our local attractions, and we're proud of how the Indy Attractions Pass has evolved over the years,"
said Jeff Robinson, CDME, Vice President of Marketing & Partnerships at Visit Indy.
"We've been eager to participate in new programs Bandwango develops, and that willingness to experiment has produced tremendous results, not only for our attraction partners but also as a meaningful revenue generator for Visit Indy.
Visit Indy also demonstrates the value of continually expanding your sales strategy. What began as a pass sold exclusively through their website has grown into a multi-channel program with third-party distribution partners, increasing visibility and reach. They've also found success by integrating the pass into marketing campaigns with partners like the Indiana Fever, creating new opportunities to connect with visitors and residents alike.
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Sonoma County: Half a Million in Sales, Customers From 50 States and 20+ Countries
The Sonoma County Tourism Tasting Pass is among Bandwango’s longest-running paid tasting passport programs and continues to grow and expand. Already at more than half a million dollars in sales, the passport is a key driver of visitor foot traffic to the area’s wineries. The passport has attracted customers from all 50 states and more than 20 countries. Sales have remained steady, even increasing year over year in multiple months, after SCT raised the retail pricing of their passes last year.
Even more, the passport has created and strengthened relationships with their local business partners. In just the last two years alone, Sonoma County Tourism has added more than a dozen new partners and the passports now feature 44 wineries.
What's In It for the Destination
- A new revenue stream that funds the organization and its participating partners
- Real data on visitor behavior: what people buy, where they go, and when
- A stronger, more unified destination brand across every participating business
- Longer visitor dwell time, since a pass gives people a reason to add another stop
What's In It for the Local Businesses
- Increased foot traffic from visitors actively looking for things to do
- Exposure to visitors who might never have found them without the pass
- No upfront cost to participate
- Co-marketing and exposure through the destination's own promotions
How the Process Works
Launching a paid pass follows a clear path, built around your team and your merchants at every step:
- Kick-off meeting. We discuss strategy and goals for the pass together.
- Merchant webinar, if applicable. Dedicated time to introduce the initiative and the Bandwango team to potential participants, and answer any questions your merchants may have.
- Onboarding. You provide a merchant list, and your Onboarding Specialist begins collecting participant offers and merchant agreements.
- Financial model development. Your Customer Success Strategist builds a model based on your goals and data from markets of a similar size, then reviews it with you for final approval.
- Configuration and testing. You test the pass to make sure you're happy with it before it goes live.
- Launch. Once your merchant list is received, the build takes 60 to 90 days.
What We Need From You
- Attendance at the kick-off meeting
- A merchant list with business name, address, contact name, contact email, and contact phone number for each participant
- Help setting up the merchant webinar, if applicable
- Pass assets: pass descriptions and a mobile pass header
- Review and approval of the financial model and the configured pass
- Once live, integrating the pass onto your website and promoting it
Relationships are what actually make or break a paid pass. Getting local partners to the table early, hearing what's worked and what hasn't for them, turns a pass into something built with your community rather than handed to it.
Ready to Build Your Own Paid Pass?
If Charlotte, Indy, and Sonoma County's results have you thinking about what a paid pass could do for your destination, let's talk strategy. Book time with our team to walk through goals, timeline, and what a financial model could look like for your market.
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