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By LNN Staff

Tourism Lethbridge

New “Sip, Taste, Explore” experience kicks off new era of digital tourism engagement

Jun 9, 2025 | 12:38 PM

Tourism Lethbridge has officially launched its new Explore Lethbridge web app, described as a user-friendly platform that puts the city’s diverse tourism offerings into the hands of locals and visitors alike with no downloads required.

Accessible at explorelethbridge.app, officials note the app debuts with a curated experience called Sip, Taste, Explore, inviting users to discover a mix of culinary hotspots, local attractions, retail shops, and outdoor spaces throughout the city.

According to officials with Tourism Lethbridge, the web-based app was developed in collaboration with Dr. Sidney Shapiro, Assistant Professor at the University of Lethbridge, through funding and student support provided by Mitacs, a national organization that fosters innovation through academic-industry partnerships.

The decision to develop a custom solution came after Tourism Lethbridge explored several existing digital platforms that ultimately failed to meet the organization’s evolving needs.

“We’ve used a number of third-party tools over the years, but none gave us the flexibility or insights we needed,” said Dominika Wojcik, Senior Director of Communications at Tourism Lethbridge, in a press release. “We realized we needed a tool that was ours, something we could build around Lethbridge’s unique offerings, update as we grow, and use to better engage visitors in real time.”

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With a focus on user engagement, Explore Lethbridge allows app users to check in at participating locations to earn points. Those points can then be redeemed at the Visitor Information Centre for a range of exclusive prizes. Officials say the app’s interface is designed for mobile use and can be pinned directly to a user’s home screen, bypassing the need for app store downloads.

Beyond the user experience, the app also provides a valuable back-end benefit for Tourism Lethbridge: data collection and analysis. Officials say check-in data will help identify visitor interests, geographic trends, and movement patterns. The organization says that information will be used to inform future marketing campaigns and guide strategic planning.

“The Explore Lethbridge project has been a powerful way to connect students with real-world tourism innovation,” said Dr. Sidney Shapiro. “It’s exciting to see something developed locally start to deliver real results for both visitors and the tourism community.”

Mitacs CEO Dr. Stephen Lucas echoed that sentiment: “This app showcases the impact of collaboration between community organizations and post-secondary institutions. By supporting talent development through projects like this, we’re helping to turn ideas into sustainable, locally driven solutions.”

Tourism Lethbridge says it plans to roll out additional experiences and reward opportunities on an ongoing basis, keeping the platform fresh and relevant year-round.

For more information or to start exploring, visit explorelethbridge.app.