This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau recently announced the launch of a new travel passport aimed at enhancing tourism from athletic events.
Cities of the Big Ten is a mobile passport with the top 10 things to do in each city of a Big Ten team.
“The Cities of the Big Ten are excited to welcome our new members from the west coast and now have 17 dynamic destinations that offer even more reasons to visit than just for outstanding athletic competition,” the Cities of the Big Ten website shared.
Each top 10 spot in the Big Ten city can be checked into via location services on a smart phone .
The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau helped develop the stops for Penn State football fans.
“Collegiate athletics binds our communities,” Dave Gerdes, HAVB vice president of sales and marketing, said in a statement. “This common thread served as a perfect conversation starter about exploring ways to foster visitation by collectively promoting the unique attributes of our respective destinations.”
The top 10 Happy Valley spots are Columbus Chapel and the Boal Mansion Museum, Penn’s Cave and Wildlife Park, the Palmer Museum of Art, the American Philatelic Society, the Bellefonte Art Museum, the Penn State All-Sports Museum, the Pennsylvania Military Museum, Tussey Mountain Ski and Recreation, the Central PA Tasting Trail and Happy Valley and PA GeoTour.
“The trail features a dynamic mix of places to visit and explore,” Gerdes said. “We hope sports fans traveling to support their team, or anyone interested in new travel adventures, will access the passport and start getting better acquainted with the cities of the Big Ten.”
The new passport will provide a bridge between sports and tourism within Happy Valley.
“Sports rivalries are fun, but tourism is about providing a positive experience and creating lasting memories,” Gerdes noted. “We look forward to welcoming even more Big Ten visitors and showing them what Happy Valley hospitality is all about.”
Download the passport at citiesofthebigten.com.
