What is an Airbnb Experience?
Airbnb Experiences is a platform that allows locals to share their passions, skills, and knowledge with travellers from around the world. It’s a way to go beyond the traditional tourist activities and offer a more authentic and immersive experience. From cooking classes to hiking adventures, Airbnb Experiences covers a wide range of activities that are designed to connect travellers with the local culture in a meaningful way.
The concept is simple: anyone with a unique skill, knowledge, or passion can become an Airbnb Experience host. You don’t need to be a professional tour guide or activity provider. All you need is a genuine desire to share your passion with others. Airbnb Experiences are designed to be unique and immersive. They’re not your typical guided tours. Instead, they’re activities that fully immerse travellers in the local culture. For example, you could host a cooking class, a hiking adventure with a professional guide, or even a tour of a popular tourist attraction with a unique twist.
As a hotelier, adding an Airbnb Experience to your offering can be a great way to make the most of a platform that you’re already familiar with and create a new revenue stream for your business. Below, we’ll take you through how to make it happen.
Who can host an experience on Airbnb?
Becoming an Airbnb Experiences host is a straightforward process. You’ll need to create a unique profile, describe your experience, set your price, and pass a background check. Once approved, you can start accepting bookings and managing your Experience through the Airbnb platform.
Before all that, Airbnb has to approve your Experience based on 3 main pillars: expertise, insider access, and connection. You have to score well on all 3 to get approved.
Expertise
An expert Experience host must have just that: expertise, or credentials, or a unique perspective on the main subject matter of their activity. Here are some examples of how to express this in your submission:
- Bad: “I love painting!”
- Good: “I’ve studied painting for five years and recently started teaching my friends.”
- Amazing: “I teach painting at the local university and I recently opened an exhibition on the subject of parenthood at Esteemed Gallery.”
You don’t have to be a master to host an Experience, but you must highlight what unique expertise you have in your submission. Why you, and not someone else?
Insider access
Experiences aren’t typical tourist activities. Guests should feel that they are invited directly and actively to participate in a Host’s community or culture. They should be experiences that an average traveller wouldn’t discover on their own. Here are some examples:
- Share a special place, like a local’s only watering hole or a hidden neighbourhood garden.
- Introduce guests to people, communities, or activities they wouldn’t otherwise have access to.
- Offer a unique twist or angle on a typical or common tourist activity.
In your submission, make sure to highlight your own connection to these places or communities. Describe how they are special to you, and why your guests would also find them interesting. Sharing a personal and lasting memory that relates to these places is an excellent addition.
Connection
Experiences are about creating meaningful human connections. Guests must feel welcome, recognised and heard as part of the Experience, so make sure that you highlight the ways that you consider these details and ensure that everyone feels safe, engaged and connected through the activity.
Here are some questions to ask yourself as you craft your Experience idea:
- How are guest needs like dietary considerations, accessibility, or safety concerns taken care of?
- What might you do if there are unforeseen circ*mstances, like a change in weather?
- How will you help guests connect and interact with each other on your Experience?
- How will you take into account the comfort levels of a wide spectrum of guests from many different cultures?
How to host an Airbnb Experience
Hosting an Airbnb Experience is a fantastic way to share your passion, meet people from around the world, and earn some extra income. Here are some important steps to developing an Airbnb Experience from finding your expertise and developing a concept, to creating your listing and providing an outstanding experience for your guests.
Find your expertise
The first step to hosting an Airbnb Experience is identifying your unique skills, knowledge, or passion. This could be anything from cooking to painting, hiking, history, or even storytelling. Think about what you love doing, what you’re good at, and what you think others might enjoy learning from you. Your expertise should be something that you’re passionate about and that you feel confident sharing with others.
Develop a concept
Once you’ve identified your expertise, the next step is to develop a concept for your Airbnb Experience. This should be something that is unique, engaging, and offers value to your guests. It should also be something that aligns with the Airbnb Experiences guidelines, which emphasise authenticity, connection, and access. Your concept must offer a unique perspective or access to a local culture, community, or craft that guests wouldn’t be able to find on their own.
List of Airbnb experience ideas
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Cooking class: Share your culinary skills by hosting a cooking class. This could be a traditional dish from your culture, a family recipe, or a unique fusion dish that you’ve created. Don’t be afraid to think outside the plate too: we’ve seen successful Experiences centred on everything from learning to brew beer to making edible art.
- Art workshop: If you’re an artist, you could host a painting, drawing, or pottery workshop. This could be a great way for guests to relax and get creative. It’s also a great chance to share your local area and make a unique experience – painting a local landmark could be an excellent choice, for example.
- Nature walk: If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, consider hosting a nature walk or hike. You could share your knowledge of local flora and fauna, or take guests to hidden spots that only locals know about.
- History tour: If you’re a history buff, consider hosting a tour of historical sites in your area. You could share interesting facts and stories that aren’t commonly known, or focus on a particular aspect of history that people don’t often think about. Ghost walks are an awesome example of this kind of Experience!
- Yoga or meditation session: If you’re a yoga or meditation instructor, consider hosting a session in a beautiful outdoor location that’s unique to your local area. Some unique ideas we’ve seen include yoga on mountaintops, underwater yoga, and even yoga with goats.
- Winery tour: If you’re in a wine region with a multitude of local vineyards, consider developing a wine tour experience that takes guests on a tour. Just make sure to comply with all local liquor laws!
- Adventure sports: If you’re a daredevil and keen to bring people into the experience, you can develop an offering around bungee jumping, snowboarding, mountain biking, or any other adventure sport you love.
Can I host multiple Experiences on Airbnb?
Yes, you can host multiple Experiences on Airbnb – but it’s better to offer one really excellent Experience that people will remember forever than a dozen less impressive options.
Create Airbnb Experience listing
Once you’ve developed your concept, the next step is to create your Airbnb Experience listing. This involves providing a detailed description of your experience, setting a price, and uploading high-quality photos. Be sure to highlight what makes your experience unique and why guests should choose it. Also, be clear about what guests can expect, including the itinerary, what’s included, and any requirements or restrictions.
Plan your Airbnb activities
Planning your activities is crucial to providing a smooth and enjoyable experience for your guests. This involves creating a detailed itinerary, preparing any necessary materials or equipment, and planning for any potential challenges or risks. It’s also a good idea to do a trial run of your experience to ensure everything goes smoothly, particularly if members of your hotel staff are involved.
Provide an outstanding experience
The key to a successful Airbnb Experience is providing an outstanding experience for your guests. This means being friendly and welcoming, sharing your knowledge and passion, and going above and beyond to meet your guests’ needs. Remember, the goal is not just to provide an activity, but to create a memorable and meaningful experience that your guests will remember long after they’ve left.
Collect reviews
Finally, after your experience, encourage your guests to leave a review. Reviews are crucial for building your reputation on Airbnb and attracting more guests. Be sure to respond to all reviews, thanking your guests for their feedback and addressing any issues or concerns. Remember, even negative feedback can be an opportunity to learn and improve your experience.
Tips for a successful Airbnb Experience
A successful Airbnb Experience hinges on a unique and fun activity for guests, but when you’re running a small hotel at the same time, it must also be efficient. Here’s how to make that happen:
1. Train your staff (even those not directly involved)
Staff management is key to providing a smooth and enjoyable Airbnb Experience. Make sure your staff are well-trained and knowledgeable about the experience. They should be able to answer guests’ questions, provide assistance, and ensure the experience runs smoothly. Consider assigning a dedicated staff member or team to manage the Airbnb Experience. Front desk staff should also be able to book people in for the Experience as well as accommodation.
2. Integrate your Experience into your operations
Scheduling and coordination are crucial to managing both your accommodation and experience offerings. Make sure to schedule your Airbnb Experiences at times that don’t conflict with other hotel activities or services. Use a shared calendar or scheduling tool to keep track of all bookings and ensure there are no double bookings or scheduling conflicts.
3. Take all feedback into account
The ultimate goal of offering an Airbnb Experience is to enhance guest satisfaction. This means providing a unique, enjoyable, and memorable experience that adds value to their stay. Ask for feedback from your guests and use it to continuously improve your experience. Remember, a happy guest is more likely to leave a positive review, recommend your hotel to others, and return for future stays.
4. Go for quality over quantity
When it comes to Airbnb Experiences, quality is more important than quantity. Rather than offering a wide range of experiences, focus on a few that you can do really well. This will ensure your guests have a high-quality experience and leave with positive memories. It also means less administrative work and less required training for staff.
5. Communicate early, communicate clearly
Clear and timely communication is crucial to a successful Airbnb Experience. Make sure to provide guests with all the information they need about the experience, including what to expect, what to bring, and any safety or health precautions. Use your hotel communication tool to automate key messages so nothing important gets missed. Also, be responsive to any questions or concerns guests may have.
6. Stay flexible
Finally, be flexible and adaptable – and we’re not just talking to those hosting yoga Experiences here! Things don’t always go as planned, and being able to adapt and make changes as needed is key to providing a great guest experience. Whether it’s adjusting the schedule due to weather, accommodating a guest’s special request, or dealing with an unexpected issue, being flexible and adaptable will ensure your guests have a positive experience.
Stay on top of Airbnb bookings with Little Hotelier
Once you’ve developed and launched an Airbnb Experience as a new source of income for your hotel, your booking management doesn’t disappear! We’ve developed a bespoke hotel management platform to help you take back your time and eliminate the day-to-day admin of running your hotel so you can spend more time growing your revenue and less time sending emails and managing listings.
By using Little Hotelier, businesses can enhance their guest experience and revenue, with potential increases of up to 46% in bookings and an ROI of 63x!
Here’s how Little Hotelier helps Airbnb hosts seamlessly manage their hotel operations in one centralised system:
- Instant, comprehensive updates: Block dates, change prices and edit details across all listings instantly. And when you receive a new booking, Little Hotelier updates availability across the board – goodbye double bookings!
- Seamlessly connect to 450+ OTAs: A market-leading 450+ OTA integrations means that you can be confident Little Hotelier will connect with the booking channels you need it to.
- Grow your direct bookings. Little Hotelier provides you with a powerful booking engine to drive more direct bookings, cutting out the middleman and securing more revenue.
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By Dean Elphick
Dean is the Senior Content Marketing Specialist of Little Hotelier, the all-in-one software solution purpose-built to make the lives of small accommodation providers easier. Dean has made writing and creating content his passion for the entirety of his professional life, which includes more than six years at Little Hotelier. Through content, Dean aims to provide education, inspiration, assistance, and, ultimately, value for small accommodation businesses looking to improve the way they run their operations (and live their life).
