2. MISSION
The Nebraska Passport program is a flagship program of the Nebraska Tourism
Commission, designed to encourage and incentivize travel throughout the state of
Nebraska from May 1st to September 30th for both in-state travelers and out of state
travelers. The mission of the program is to highlight the state’s attractions and
tourism opportunities, exposing travelers to sights across the state that they likely
have not experienced or even known about.The Nebraska Passport connects people
to the state, sparking interest and curiosity in our history, culture, scenery, recreation
opportunities, products, businesses, and more.
STRUCTURE
The Nebraska Passport program involves 80 destinations, organized into 10 tours
(themed around interests), and offers promotional prizes for participants who collect
stamps throughout the duration of the program. To participate, travelers get their
Passport booklet or mobile app stamped at each destination they visit.
REQUIREMENTS OF POTENTIAL PASSPORT DESTINATIONS
Nebraska Passport destinations must:
• Be open regular and reasonable hours – including at least one weekend day –
during the 2017 Nebraska Passport season, which runs May 1st to September
30th, 2017, and be staffed by friendly people who can stamp passport booklets.
• Pay a $100 participation fee to cover the cost of custom stamps.
• Claim their destination on visitnebraska.com by December 16, 2016 in order to be
considered.
• Abide by Nebraska state law that prohibits charging participants for admission in
order to receive a stamp. Many tourists will naturally invest money in things they
wish to see, buy, eat, or experience, but our state laws prevent us from forcing
Passport participants to pay for something at each stop.
HOW PASSPORT DESTINATIONS ARE CHOSEN
Many factors go into choosing Nebraska Passport destinations, including:
• Focus on Customer Service. Applicants should be able to identify how they will
support Passport participants throughout the program (e.g. giving tours of their
destination, incentivizing them to return, generally being welcoming, etc.) and be
an advocate for tourism in the region.
• Destination Variety and Geographical Diversity. Passport participants enjoy the
variety of adventures the Passport program offers, including cultural, historical,
recreational, culinary and artistic adventures.
• Themes. The Nebraska Passport is divided into 10 themed tours. Past examples
include FindYour Park, Where ArtThou and How It’s Made. Passport destinations
are assigned to a relevant theme.
• Rotation. Due to the popularity of the Passport program and in the interest of
keeping the Passport program fresh and new for repeat travelers, we strive to
feature new Passport stops each year.
PROGRAM INFORMATION
3. PROGRAM INFORMATION
TOP WAYS THE PASSPORT PROGRAM IMPACTED THE
2016 PASSPORT DESTINATIONS
1. Increases in traffic
2. Increases in publicity opportunities, leading to increased awareness
3. Increases in sales or donations
2016 PARTICIPATION NUMBERS
• 18,000 passport booklets in circulation and 8,440 mobile apps
• 87,492 total stamps collected (up from 26,842 in 2015)
• 1,292 passports submitted for prizes (up from 553 in 2015)
168 completed 80 stops (up from 81 in 2015)
179 completed 40-79 stops, 364 completed 20-39 stops
• Average number of stops = 30
PARTICIPANT INFORMATION
• 28 states represented
• 219 Nebraska communities represented
• 100% would recommend the Nebraska Passport program to others
• 98% would participate in the Nebraska Passport program again
PARTICIPANTS’ TOP 3 ASPECTS OF THE PASSPORT PROGRAM
1. Passport stops offered unique and unexpected adventures/learning experiences
2. Passport stops offered excellent customer service/loved hearing stories
3. Passport stops offered impressive displays/food/buildings
PARTICIPANTS’ TOP MOTIVATIONS FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM
1. Discovering Nebraska’s hidden gems
2. Enjoying Nebraska’s scenery
3. Learning about Nebraska’s history
4. Supporting Nebraska businesses
5. Spending time with friends and family
SECONDARY MOTIVATIONS
1. Enjoying the competition/game aspect of getting Passport stamps
2. Meeting and talking with the people involved in Nebraska tourism
3. Sharing Passport travel stories with others
4. Sharing a fun educational experience with children or grandchildren
5. Enjoying stress-free summer travel - easy planning, less travel time, etc.
6. Saving money on summer travel
4. TOP WAYS THE PARTICIPANTS HELPED MARKET THE PASSPORT
PROGRAM TO THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY
1. Word-of-mouth
2. Social media posts
3. Blog posts
4. Organized a Passport trip for their group, organization or class
5. Made a presentation to their group or organization
6. Received local media coverage about their Passport travels
PARTICIPANTS REPORTED DOING THE FOLLOWING DURING THEIR
PASSPORT TRAVELS:
• 98% made purchases at Passport stops
• 15% had 1 hotel stay, 24% had 2-4 hotel stays, 20% had 5-8 hotel stays,
3% had 9+ hotel stays
• 98% dined at local restaurants
• 94% visited other local attractions not on the Passport
• 83% attended a local event
• 94% made a purchase at a local convenience store
• 41% have returned to one or more of the Passport stops
PARTICIPANT SURVEY
This is one of many groups of Passport fanatics!They enjoyed
their Passport experiences so much that they wrote personal
thank you notes to many of the Passport stops.
6. Calinda’s
Pot Shop
Linda Lacy, Artist/Owner
“The Passport program
increased my summer sales
by 50%+! It was awesome!
I couldn’t keep up creating
new things, I was so busy!”
This was my first time on the Nebraska Passport and I
had a huge amount of traffic because of it. I doubled my
sales and more! I couldn’t make new pottery fast enough.
I loved visiting with everyone. It was so fun! I offered
all the Passport travelers the opportunity to experience
throwing a pot on the wheel. I showed them my kilns and
wheels and told them about my handmade pottery and
paintings, as well as the many workshops I have avail-
able. I also told them about my unique building - an old
50’s cafe turned pottery shop - and about my ancestry,
which is why I do what I do. I offered Passport travelers a
10% discount on their purchases.
The Passport program benefited my destination greatly
through advertising. I heard over and over, “I didn’t know
such a place was here!” Additionally, the Passport pro-
gram helped me make contact with officials to receive
financial assistance upgrading my shop architecturally. I
am so excited about our future!
Nebraska Tourism did a fantastic job of marketing the
Passport program. I was given opportunities for an NTV
live interview in Kearney, an NPR radio interview, Omaha
World Herald article, and several news releases that went
to many smaller newspapers. I also was mentioned in the
Nebraska Life Magazine. It was truly wonderful.Travelers
and locals would bring the newspapers in or contact me
on my Facebook page and tell me they saw or read about
my shop in their paper. It was amazing.
ABOUT: Calinda’s Pot Shop is an art gallery and shop
featuring original artwork by Linda Lacy, including
pottery, paintings and drawings.
Linda and a Passport Traveler
Linda’s NTV Passport Interview
7. Happy Jack
Chalk Mine
Betty Carlson, Co-Manager
“The Passport program
tripled our number of paid
tours, creating a wonderfully
busy summer.”
Due to the Passport program, our number of paid tours
tripled! Many people said advertisements created by
Nebraska Tourism featuring pictures of Happy Jack’s
were what initially sparked their interest in the Passport
program.
In addition to tours of the mine, my staff and I told every
Passport traveler about the history of the area and pro-
moted Happy Jack’s annual events. We also encouraged
everyone to enjoy the hiking trails and picnic area. Our
goal was to make sure everyone had a good experience.
Additionally, due to the Passport program, more people
are aware of the hidden treasures along the Loup Rivers
Scenic byway.
ABOUT: The Happy Jack Chalk Mine is one of the most
unusual sites of geological interest on the Great Plains.
It is one of only two underground diatomic mines known
to have existed in the United States, and the only one
that is open to the public. Visitors get to explore mine
caverns, examine fossils of ancient sea creatures, and
meet the creatures who call the mine home.
“The Passport program allowed us to reach a
wide section of Nebraskans, and as the
official site of the state’s art collection, that
is important. Most Passport travelers took
time to view our exhibits, increasing their
awareness of the art & artists of Nebraska.”
- Gina Garden, Marketing Coordinator
Museum of Nebraska Art
8. BoysTown Hall of
History
Benjamin Clark, Manager
“The Passport program gave our volunteers
a vehicle to drive conversations with visitors.
They loved giving out the Passports.”
John Philip Falter Museum
“Our participation in the Passport program
prompted our downtown businesses to join
together to promote local shopping and
dining.”
- Dobey Falter Haws, Curator
The main way the Passport program benefited the Hall of
History was increased visibility. We aim to get fewer “I never
knew this was here” and more “I’ve always wanted to come!”
and the Passport program certainly helped that! Additionally,
at least half of all Passport travelers stopped by our gift shop.
Other Omaha Passport stops were happy to point their Pass-
port visitors to us, and we to them as well.
ABOUT: The Hall of History museum presents the unique
history of BoysTown through permanent exhibits that use au-
dio and video presentations.
Missouri River Basin
Lewis & Clark Center
Doug Friedli, Executive Director
“We successfully cross marketed with the
other two Passport stops in our area.”
Being part of the Passport program resulted in increased
admission sales, increased gift shop sales and increased
awareness of our Center, with many of the Passport travelers
promising to return.
ABOUT: The Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center sits on a
scenic bluff overlooking the Missouri River. The flora,
fauna and scientific discoveries recorded by the Lewis & Clark
Expedition are the focus of the Center.
9. Saunders County
Museum
Erin Hauser, Curator
“We averaged about 100 more people during
the Passport months than we did last year.”
Harold Lloyd Home
“Not only did the Passport program increase
our traffic and sales, but we also got to let
travelers know about other things to do in our
county.”
- Marcia Borcher,
President of Pawnee County Promotions
The Passport program brought people into the museum
who would have never stopped in otherwise.There were
also people from the area who hadn’t been to the mu-
seum before that came because of the program. Due to
being a Passport stop, we had articles in the local paper,
and we used the fact that we were a Passport stop in our
newsletters and advertising.
ABOUT: The Saunders County Museum is a tribute to
the pioneers who sought a better life on the prairie.
Museum of Nebraska
Major League Baseball
Carolyn C. Scarborough, Executive Director
“The significant amount of Passport traffic we
brought to our town had to increase sales at the
local businesses.”
Due to the Passport program, our traffic tripled over last
year. We do not charge admission, but we did have an
increase in donations. Additionally, being a Passport stop
brought more visitors to our area; visitors who shopped at
our local stores and ate at our eating establishments.
ABOUT: The Museum of Nebraska Major League
Baseball is dedicated to illustrating the careers of over 160
men with Nebraska ties who have made it to the Major
Leagues of American Baseball.
10. NEBRASKAPASSPORT.COM
Become a 2017 Nebraska Passport destination!
Complete an application by Friday, December 16, 2016.
Applications can be found at:
If selected, you will be notified in
early 2017 and will receive further
details, including an invitation to
Passport destination training.