Your Guide to Creating Unforgettable AirBnB Experiences
Getting Started on AirBnB Experiences
Are you a vacation rental host looking for unique and interesting ways to boost your bookings and earn more revenue? AirBnB Experiences are created and led by hosts in order to provide guests with a taste of the local flavor that may not be available on most tours.
If you’re hoping to increase your bookings and earn more revenue by providing unforgettable activities to your guests, we’ve created a guide that will help you get started with the AirBnB Experiences platform.
What Are AirBnB Experiences?
Prior to 2016, AirBnB only provided access to short-term rentals, but that year, they launched the Experiences program to further expand their vacation offerings to guests.
Experiences are host-led activities that are designed to give guests access to unusual and unique activities that would otherwise be inaccessible to the typical tourist, going beyond the conventional tours, workshops, and lectures made available by local tour and travel companies. Through this program, hosts are able to provide their own specific expertise, unique talents, and insider access to locations and communities in their area.
Why Should You Host an AirBnB Experience?
There are a few reasons why we recommend putting together the Experience of a lifetime for guests:
Experiences help you to forge connections with travelers from around the world (even those who may not be staying on your property, as Experiences are available to non-guests as well).
With this program, you can earn additional income during your free time while engaging in activities and pursuits you are already passionate about.
Experiences allow you to help guests create lasting memories while they are visiting your locale, and those who enjoy them enough will want to come back for more.
AirBnB Experience Standards
In order to qualify for the AirBnb Experiences program, hosts have to meet three standards, which we’ve detailed below.
Expertise
The first standard that hosts must meet to craft an unforgettable Experience for guests is expertise. When deciding which type of activities to provide for guests, take a look into your own life. For example, are you an avid wine enthusiast or have a life-long interest in arts?
Insider Knowledge
The goal of the Experiences program is to provide guests with the opportunity to participate in activities they won’t find in typical travel guides. Diving deep into your local community and culture to provide insider knowledge and access to guests is the second standard that these activities must meet to be listed on AirBnB Experiences.
To do this, consider what local knowledge you’ve gleaned while working as an AirBnB host. Do you know of any secret spots that guests would never otherwise have access to?
How about unique and off-the-radar activities that are available in your rental’s area? Use your access as a local to come up with ideas for your Experience, whether that be putting a personal twist on the typical tourist haunts or sharing off-the-wall activities with guests that they wouldn’t normally be invited to participate in.
Connection
The last tenet that Experiences must meet in order to qualify for the platform is connection. To create the ultimate Experience for your guests, these activities have to provide an element of human connection. Think about ways to expand the participatory aspect of your Experience, such as coming up with ways for guests to interact with you as the host or with each other. While you may all enter the Experience as total strangers, the ultimate goal is for everyone to make connections and leave the activity with new friends who all care deeply about one another, all while making memories that will last a lifetime.
What Types of Experiences Should You Offer to Guests?
To come up with ideas for your AirBnB Experience, take some time to research what is currently being offered in your area, both by local tour companies as well as other hosts on the Experiences platform. In addition, consider what your own expertise and insider knowledge can bring to the table to boost your activity to the next level.
There are a wide range of activities available on the Experiences platform, featuring everything from cooking classes to animal encounters to private photoshoots. The most popular Experiences also tend to be those that are the most unique, offering local access to places and activities that would otherwise fly under the radar for most tourists.
Discover More Ways to Increase Your Revenue as a Short-Term Rental Owner
Savvy short-term rental owners are always on the lookout for more ways to increase their bookings and earn more revenue. AirBnB Experiences provide the perfect opportunity to show guests exactly what is so special about the communities and locales where they have decided to stay.
However, not everyone has the time or the inclination to interact personally with guests. If you’re a vacation rental owner who is on the hunt for more ways to increase your revenue, think about implementing strategies to increase your off-season bookings. Or, if pricing has got you down, there are a few myths that might be holding you back from reaching your income potential.
LocalVR can help you to earn more from your vacation rental without having to put in all of the legwork yourself, however. Our dynamic pricing technology, always overseen by our revenue experts, considers a range of market parameters, such as seasonality and comparable property prices, to guarantee that your rental is always set at the optimal market rate. To learn more, visit our Program page to find out how LocalVR’s experts can aid you in maximizing your vacation rental’s revenue.