The Ice Cream Ale Trail Passport
Overview
The Alberta Ale Trail partnered with Tourismo to launch the Ice Cream Ale Trail Passport in Southern Alberta — a curated digital itinerary and gamified in-app experience designed to drive visitors to breweries and local ice cream shops. By pairing craft beer with ice cream, the campaign engaged both locals and visitors with a playful, seasonal activity that supported small businesses and showcased the region.
Challenge
The goal was to create a campaign that would:
Increase visitor dispersion across Southern Alberta
Encourage exploration of multiple local businesses
Deliver measurable results for partners
Offer an engaging activity that stood out during the summer season
Solution
Tourismo delivered a fully managed passport campaign, from partner outreach to creative asset design and in-app challenge setup.
Key elements included:
Curated Itinerary – A gamified route encouraging participants to visit breweries and ice cream shops across the region
In-App Challenges – Visitors earned rewards for completing check-ins and activities at participating businesses
Creative Assets – Campaign graphics, QR codes, and promotional materials designed for consistency across digital and physical touchpoints
Partner Engagement – Breweries and ice cream shops were spotlighted in the passport, giving them valuable exposure to new customers
Performance Reporting – Post-campaign analytics delivered clear insights into engagement, visits, and partner impact
The Ice Cream Ale Trail Passport
A curated digital itinerary that blends Alberta Ale Trail breweries with local ice cream shops. This app-based passport guided participants through Southern Alberta, encouraging exploration one pint and one scoop at a time.
Curated Routes and Local Spotlights
Within the passport, visitors discovered a mapped route highlighting participating partners. Each stop included location details, photos, and check-in functionality, making it simple to navigate and giving breweries and ice cream shops valuable visibility.
Gamified Challenges in Action
Participants checked in at stops directly through the app, unlocking rewards while engaging with local businesses. These interactive challenges turned exploration into a fun, goal-driven experience that boosted partner foot traffic.
Impact
The Ice Cream Ale Trail Passport successfully drove foot traffic to partner businesses, boosted regional awareness, and reinforced the Ale Trail brand as a fun, community-driven initiative. Visitors had a new incentive to explore, local businesses gained exposure, and the destination saw measurable increases in participation.
For visitors: A fun excuse to discover new breweries and ice cream shops
For businesses: Increased exposure and foot traffic from engaged audiences
For the destination: Tangible results from a creative campaign that dispersed visitors across multiple locations