Passport programs growing in popularity for wining and dining experiences

Having a passport in hand isn’t just for crossing a border or getting on a flight.

Culinary passports have increasingly become a tool for exploration and exposure to help promote cafés, wineries and culinary hot spots.

But, are they worth it?

In yet another tough year for tourist traffic in the Okanagan, there can be pros and cons to culinary passports and not every passport is the same.

Summerland’s Bottleneck Drive offers a passport program at no cost and has now gone paperless. Previously, visitors could pick up a printed passport to collect stamps for a contest entry. While that brought awareness to the area, guests could drop by a member business simply to run in and get a stamp without actually experiencing the winery, brewery or distillery.

As Christine Coletta of Haywire Winery and Garnet Valley Ranch points out, that didn’t always benefit a business.

“It’s disappointing when most visitors leave after a brief thank you, quickly heading to their next free stop without purchasing a bottle or leaving a tip for the server. At the very least, we would greatly appreciate it if coupon holders could take a moment to leave a positive review on Google, provided they enjoyed their experience. We go out of our way to make sure coupon holders are treated well,” she says.

Simply pick up your phone to scan a QR code to enter to win a trip back to Summerland. While you’ve got your phone out, maybe take a few good pics for to post on Instagram.

Café enthusiasts can purchase the Okanagan Café Passport for about $20, or bundle it with another passport for a discount.

A combo of passport and guide, lets you explore coffee spots throughout the Okanagan. Each listing is beautifully displayed with images, a QR code to the online menu if available, perhaps a recommendation and an area for your own rating.

If you take notes on your phone or keep a travel journal, one of these will do nicely.

As plans come together for the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival, watch for its passport experiences to return.

“These are curated with a limited number of elevated experiences per day,” explains festival general manager Kimberly Hundertmark, who brought these into the seasonal Okanagan wine festivals last year.

Purchased by guests with participating wineries earning a fee, Hundertmark says the passports are growing in popularity.

If a passport program appeals to you, explore the options as you plan a late summer or early fall adventure around the Okanagan.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.