Press Release

Go Seattle ™ Card Launches May 1: Fully Pre-Paid Entry to 30 Top Attractions Plus Shopping and Dining Discounts All at One Low Price
Go Seattle Card Intros at $39, Delivers “Ultimate Destination Experience”

April 25, 2005 (Seattle, WA) – Smart Destinations, the premier provider of smart technology-enabled attraction pass cards in major U.S. travel destinations, today announced the availability of its Go Seattle ™ Card May 1. With unlimited admission to more than 30 top area attractions and tours, the all-inclusive Go Seattle Card delivers something for everyone, including savings of up to 20% on shopping and dining, at the great low introductory price of $39.00 per adult per day, with lower per-day rates with multi-day cards and for children.

“The Go Seattle Card gives visitors the freedom to move among dozens of attractions, making choices based on their unique interests, all with one pre-paid smart card ‘ticket,’” said Cecilia Dahl, president of Smart Destinations. “Exploring marquee names and hidden gems alike is easier and more relaxing, with admission already covered at each stop and the value of the Card easily recouped. Plus, our discounts on services, shopping and dining maximize savings. We truly offer visitors the ultimate destination experience with the Go Card.”

Visitors simply take the Card and free accompanying full-color Guidebook and hit the town, with admission covered to top attractions including: the Space Needle (daylight); The Underground Tour; Experience Music Project; Hop-On, Hop-Off Double Decker Bus; the Gray Line City Sights Tour; the First Hill Mansions Tour; and the Children’s Museum. Have a particular area of interest? The Card includes the Museum of Flight; Science Fiction Museum; Museum of History and Industry; Washington State History Museum; Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum; Nordic Heritage Museum; Wing Luke Asian Museum; Burke Museum (natural history); and the Henry Art Gallery.

Offering something that meets everyone’s interests, water-lovers can take advantage of the Argosy Harbor Cruise and Argosy Lakes Cruise; the Hydroplane Museum; a rowboat ride on Lake Union at the Center for Wooden Boats; and the Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center. Sports fans can tour Safeco Field (home of the Seattle Mariners) and QWEST Field (home of the Seattle Seahawks). Finally, for those seeking to explore the region, the Go Seattle Card includes full-day Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens tours through Gray Line; plus the Tacoma Museum of Glass and the Tacoma Art Museum; and admission to Emerald Downs.

Discounts are offered on additional programs such as the Pike Place Market Walking Tour, as guests visit that famous site and its Heritage Center, on whale-watching and spa services, and on dining and shopping.

“We welcome the Go Seattle Card,” said David Blandford, Director of Public Relations with the Seattle Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Seattle is such an exciting city, with something for all ages and all interests. Our visitors quickly find old favorites worth a repeat visit, and new choices that surprise and delight.”

Visitors can purchase the Go Seattle Card online at www.GoSeattleCard.com or through any of Smart Destinations’ global distribution partners. The card is an included component in a number of hotel packages and weekend getaways and is marketed as a valuable add-on for meeting and convention delegates. Locally, the card is available at the Space Needle and through the concierge at Pacific Place Shopping Center.

Seattle is the third U.S. city to feature the Card. The Go Boston ™ Card debuted in 2003, and the Go San Francisco™ Card launched in 2004. The rapid success of those products attracted the attention of Zon Capital Partners and North Hill Ventures, the venture arm of Capital One, with investments supporting expansion into Seattle, and to Chicago, Orlando and San Diego in coming weeks. Attraction partners appreciate not only the Card’s track record, but the ease in Smart Destinations’ advanced paperless technology, with ongoing, detailed reports about usage and automatic, on-time payment, and its wide global distribution networks in more than 25 countries.

“The Go Boston Card became an important component of our strategic marketing plan to bring more value to Boston visitors and provide ways for them to see the city at an affordable price,” remarked Mimi LaCamera, Director of Visitor Marketing for the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The card is very popular among our visitors, particularly with families who appreciate the opportunity to affordably take advantage of a broad array of the best of what Boston offers.”


Smart Destinations at a glance:

• Launched Go Boston in 2003, Go San Francisco in 2004, six cities rolling out in 2005.

• More than 1000 distribution partners and affiliates in over 25 countries, including Virgin Holidays, American Airlines Vacations, Southwest Vacations, The Mark Travel Corporation, National Leisure Group, and major online tour operators such as Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz and more.

• Recent recipient of more than $4 M investment from North Hill Ventures, the venture investment arm of Capital One and Zon Capital Partners, a private venture capital firm.

• Cecilia Dahl, President and founder, is an industry veteran of the wholesale travel business, formerly with Collette Vacations. Kevin McLaughlin, CEO and founder, is a veteran entrepreneur with experience in marketing and product management for high tech products.

Go Cards at a glance:

• The product is a single, easy-to-carry smart card used as a ticket for unlimited attraction admissions that eliminates paperwork and coupons.

• Accompanying guidebook lists the included FREE attractions, shops and restaurants that offer exclusive value savings, as well as fun tips and detailed maps.

• Unlimited free admission to 20-60 attractions in leading cities from as little as $19.00 per day.

• Exclusive discounts on services and at restaurants and shopping destinations.

• 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7-day Cards available.

• Central voucher redemption locations for those traveling on packages, and key tourist destination points of sale.

About Smart Destinations
Smart Destinations is the premier provider of unlimited admission attraction passes in major U.S. travel destinations. Smart Destinations’ Go Cards offer simplified access to dozens of attractions to individuals, couples and families, for one fixed “per day” price. The Go Guidebook is ready-to-travel and includes fun facts about a destination, access details, and important local numbers. Distributed through major travel services in 25 countries as well as on the Web, Smart Destinations’ Go Cards are the industry’s “trusted companion” for the best a city has to offer at an unbeatable price point. For more information on program participation, the company and its cards, visit www.GoCardUSA.com or call 617-742-5950.

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