Press Release

Chicago Explorer Pass Offers Admission to Chicago's Top Tourist Attractions

June 15, 2007 (Chicago, IL)

Those traveling to the "Windy City" this summer will have a new option for catching Chicago's best attractions from the Sears Tower Skydeck to Navy Pier.

Chicago Explorer Pass is available for sale following the resounding success of the sister product known as the Go Chicago™ Card. The Explorer Pass is the latest addition to a family of attraction passes offered by Smart Destinations, the premier provider of attraction passes in top U.S. travel destinations. This all-access pass grants customers admission to five top Chicago tourist attractions. The pass is valid for up to 30 days once used at each attraction, so locals and visitors alike can benefit from the flexibility. It also includes savings of 15-50% on dining, shopping, and more.

"Chicago Explorer Pass gives travelers another option for their Chicago sightseeing," said Smart Destinations president Cecilia Dahl. "With the flexibility to see their chosen attractions any time over a 30 day period, visitors who plan to see only a few top attractions over a longer period of time now have the option of a pass that features the best and most-popular tourist attractions in the city. Plus, there is no hassle with tear-out coupons or the need to carry cash."

According to Dahl, the Chicago Explorer Pass was designed to appeal to a variety of interests and ages: "Whether you want to explore Shedd Aquarium or the Sears Tower Skydeck, the Chicago Explorer Pass has something for you. You can even skip the line at some of the most visited attractions, which saves you time."

Chicago Explorer Pass customers gain admission to five of the city's most well-known attractions, including: Shedd Aquarium, Sears Tower Skydeck, 2-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour, Shoreline Sightseeing Architectural River Cruise, and Navy Pier Ride Pass (including Navy Pier Ferris Wheel, Musical Carousel, Wave Swinger, 18 Hole Miniature Golf Course, and Light Tower Ride).

The Chicago Explorer Pass sets itself apart from other attraction passes by offering customers 30 days to enjoy the attractions. Smart Destinations also offers the Go Chicago™ Card as another attraction card option. The Go Chicago Card offers unlimited daytime admission to over 25 attractions for the traveler who wants to visit as many attractions as possible during a period of 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 days. In addition to included admissions, Chicago Explorer Pass and Go Chicago Card customers receive discounts at restaurants including the House of Blues Back Porch Restaurant — Marina City, Goose Island Brewery, Haagen Dazs Café, Lalo's Mexican Restaurant, Popcorn Palace, and Lou Malnati's. Additional savings are available at Chicago retailers and attractions.

The Chicago Explorer Pass is available online at www.ExplorerPass.com/chicago, and the Go Chicago Card is available at www.GoChicagoCard.com. Attraction partners appreciate the pass's customer tracking record, the ease in Smart Destinations' advanced paperless technology, with ongoing, detailed reports about usage, and automatic and on-time payment.

Smart Destinations At A Glance:

• Launched Go Boston™ Card in 2003, Go San Francisco™ Card in 2004, followed by 10 additional cities in 2005, 2006 and most recently New York City, Blue Ridge, and Maui in 2007.
• More than 1,000 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, Viator, Orbitz and more.
• Recipient of more than $7.5 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.

Chicago Explorer Pass At A Glance:

• The product is a single, easy-to-carry smart card used as an all-access ticket at five Chicago attractions. The pass eliminates the need for paperwork and coupons.
• Pass is valid for 30 days, so customers do not need to rush from attraction to attraction.
• Adult pass retails for $79; child pass costs $49

About Smart Destinations

Headquartered in Boston, MA with locations throughout North America, Smart Destinations is the premier provider of unlimited admission attraction passes in 15 major North American travel destinations from Oahu to New York City. Smart Destinations' Go Cards and Explorer Passes offer pre-paid access to over 425 museums, attractions, and tours for one fixed price. The combination of savings and convenience has resulted in 94% customer satisfaction as measured by 3rd party research and helped the company rank 78 on the Inc 500 list of fastest growing companies. Distributed through major travel services in 25 countries, corporate HR departments and their vendors, as well as on the Web, Smart Destinations' products are a "trusted companion" for the best a destination has to offer at an unbeatable price point.

Media Contact

Rob Schmults
Smart Destinations
617-830-2495
rschmults@smartdestinations.com

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