visitPA, Pennsylvania’s official tourism website, has partnered with Foursquare to encourage travel within the state.

They’ve sponsored three new badges that can be earned by checking in at specific locations:

• PA Shooflyer: Encourages tourists to try Pennsylvania’s unique food finds. Check in three times at recommended dining spots to earn this badge.
• PA Retail Polka: Promotes Pennsylvania’s shopping hotspots, from unique independent shops to shopping malls. Check in at three recommended retail locations to earn the badge.
• PA 4 Score & 7: Earn this badge by checking in at three venues on the list of recommended historic places.

You can find recommended venues in your area by searching Foursquare for “pafood,” “pashop,” and “pahistory” respectively.

As with other Foursquare partnerships, visitPA has added tips to venues around the state that will pop up when their followers check in at those venues or ones nearby. The tips range from recommendations on menu items to interesting facts. You can see some examples on visitPA’s foursquare page. You must be a follower to earn the badges.

The Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau is educating businesses in the state on the benefits of Foursquare. “We would like to see every Pennsylvania restaurant, retail store, historical site, and museum join Foursquare,” Pennsylvania Deputy Secretary of Tourism Mickey Rowley  said. “The best part is that it doesn’t cost anything to add a location, plus it gives businesses a chance to reward customers who are checking in the most.”

Foursquare’s checkin model is ideal for organizations interested in promoting tourism, especially ones looking to hit the young demographic that makes up Foursquare’s core user base. Giving rewards in the form of badges gives Foursquare users an incentive to visit places they might not normally visit.

No related posts.