In case you missed it, Airbnb quietly relaunched its Experiences feature this fall, opening (back) up a whole new world of opportunities for short-term rental hosts.
While there hasn’t been much of a buzz on the topic, many have been waiting for its return. Experiences offer hosts the chance to diversify their income streams and have fun while doing it, so it’s easy to see why.
If you’re not sure what the feature involves, if would make a good addition to your STR business, and how to get started, you’ll find everything you need to know in our quick guide.
What is an Airbnb Experience?
An Airbnb Experience is an in-person or online activity designed and led by local hosts. It could be anything from a guided tour of popular monuments and off-the-beaten-path gems to a cooking class, yoga session, or even a cultural immersion experience.
Essentially, it’s a chance for you to share your passion and knowledge with your guests — it’s also yet another way to help make your property stand out from the rest.
Is an Airbnb Experience Right for You?
Before you get started, it’s important to figure out whether adding an Experience to your STR offerings makes sense for you. Does it align with your business goals? Consider the following:
- Location: Do you live somewhere that’s rich in history or culture, or boasts a lot of natural beauty?
- Interests: Do you love cooking, hiking, art, or something else you can teach others to do?
- Time: Do you have enough spare time on your hands to commit to hosting an Experience?
Your answers will of course determine if an Experience makes sense for you. For example, if you live in New York City, love to make homemade bagels, and have a spare 5-7 hours per week, you’re in a great position to create a “Learn How to Make Homemade NY Bagels” Experience.
Experience Ideas for STR Hosts
The bagel-making class example above is just one direction you can go in. If you’re stuck on ideas, here are a few to inspire you:
- Guided tours: Share local knowledge and take guests on a walking tour of your city’s historic district, or any other areas of interest.
- Cooking classes: Teach guests how to prepare local dishes or some of your family’s unique specialties.
- Arts and crafts: Many guests would love to learn how to paint, make pottery, or any other type of craft.
- Outdoor adventures: If you live somewhere with good walking paths, hiking trails, or a body of water, you could organize kayaking, surfing, or biking excursions.
- Cultural immersion: Share more about your culture through language lessons or traditional music and dance classes. This would be especially interesting if your guests are from a different country, or if you as the host live somewhere other than your home country.
How to Add an Experience to Your Airbnb Listing
If ultimately you decide you want to offer an Experience, here’s how to add it to your listing so guests can book:
- Log into your Airbnb account and find the “Experiences” section.
- Clearly define your Experience, including the activity, duration, and group size.
- Set the price and your availability calendar.
- Use descriptive language to highlight your Experience’s unique features.
- Add high-quality photos and videos.
- Set any safety guidelines if needed.
- Publish and start accepting reservations!
Once you’ve done your Experience with a few guests, make sure to remind them to leave you a review. This social proof is crucial for attracting future bookings.
Tips for Creating a Successful Airbnb Experience
- Make it engaging: Guests often prefer interactive Experiences. Do your best to make yours exciting, and try to get everyone in the group involved.
- Make it clear: Be sure to describe your Experience as accurately as possible in your description so that guests know exactly what to expect.
- Make it friendly: Hosting an Experience will require you to build rapport with your guests. Don’t underestimate the power of excellent customer service.
- Make it local: Half the appeal of most Experiences is the chance to live like a local. Partner with businesses and organizations in your community to make yours even better.
- Make it safe: Always prioritize your guests’ safety!
- Make it easy to find: You’ll want to promote your Experience across social media and any other marketing channels you use. Just like your STR property, if folks can’t find your listing, they’ll never be able to book.
By offering an Airbnb Experience, you’ll differentiate your STR business, increase your revenue, and create an even more memorable stay for your guests. It’s a win-win-win if you want to advance your business and make your customers happy. And what host doesn’t want that?
This content originally appeared in our twice-monthly Guest Book newsletter.
