Fayetteville Ale Trail honored with Southeast Tourism Society award

Courtesy photo

The Fayetteville Ale Trail, a self-guided tour of the region’s growing list of craft breweries, was awarded the 2015 Shining Example Award for Best Niche Marketing from the Southeast Tourism Society last month.

It was one of 14 honors given at the organization’s annual awards banquet held Sept. 9 in Charleston, WV. The event highlights some of the best work in travel and tourism across the Southeast, and is considered one of the most respected recognitions in the tourism industry.

“It’s a huge honor,” said Jessica Leonard, Communications Manager of the Fayetteville Visitors Bureau, which founded the program over two years ago. “I am very proud of the work that went into making the Fayetteville Ale Trail a big enough of a success to earn such a wonderful designation.”

The program features an Ale Trail passport, which is available for free at participating breweries and at the Fayetteville Visitors Center. Passports are stamped at each brewery along the trail and once completed, can be redeemed for an Ale Trail bottle opener keychain and decal.

Since launching in August 2013, the program has expanded to include nine craft breweries and has proved popular among beer enthusiasts. Leonard estimated that over 32,000 passports have so far been handed out across Northwest Arkansas and at several out-of-state events.

For more information about the Fayetteville Ale Trail, including profiles of each brewery, visit fayettevillealetrail.com.