Oneida County Tourism Launches Refreshed Heart of New York Beverage Trail

Oneida County Tourism Launches Refreshed Heart of New York Beverage Trail

With New Mobile Passport

Oneida County Tourism, the official tourism promotion agency for Oneida County, NY, has announced the launch of a refreshed, digital version of the Heart of NY Beverage Trail, which highlights local wineries and breweries.

The mobile, interactive trail – which can be accessed on the Oneida County Tourism website – features 10 partners throughout the county. Those taking part in the year-long promotion are encouraged to responsibly visit participating locations to win an array of prizes, including a sticker, hat, T-shirt, and hoodie.

The updated Heart of New York Beverage Trail launched on December 19, 2023. Beverage lovers can sign up on the Oneida County Tourism website and follow the prompts to enter their phone number and email address.

The trail is a free, mobile-optimized web application. It is not an app, which would take up phone storage. It is delivered to participants via SMS and email. Participants will check into trail locations on their phone using GPS technology and earn points for each check-in. Then, they can redeem those accumulated points for beverage trail themed prizes.

“This new way to experience the beverage trail is easy and user-friendly,” said Sarah Foster Calero, president of Oneida County Tourism (OCT). “Users can sort through locations by category and see coupons. Earning prizes is now more attainable for visitors, too. In the past, you had to visit every location to receive a T-shirt. Ultimately, a major goal of OCT is to bring visitors here. If people are in town for a visit or to attend an event, it’s still possible to visit a couple spots and earn some type of prize.”

The pass is designed and executed by a well-known technology company in the travel space, Bandwango. Bandwango technology is designed to support free and paid experiences created by destinations and marketed to visitors and locals.

“We’re excited to switch to Bandwango! It’s an easier and more interactive way to explore the trail and collect points. My favorite part is that there are different prizes to choose from and rewards for weekend travelers who may only be able to hit up a few spots, but bigger rewards for those who check out all of the breweries and wineries across months or a year! A big plus is the discounts that many of members are offering,” said Keith Redhead, owner and brewer of Woodland Farm Brewery.

“We are so excited for the launch of the beverage trail on Bandwango! The process is so much easier for the customers to check in, and for all trail partners to be able add discounts. Plus, there are great deals and multiple prizes! We can’t wait to see many new and existing customers come into the winery and bistro,” said Amy Rizzuto, owner of Villa Verona Vineyard.

Once the participants are ready to redeem their pass, they simply use the web application. Prizes will be sent through a third-party company so participants never have to worry about redeeming in-person or being in the area to get their prize.