Updated: July 9, 2024
Hosting an Airbnb Experience allows hosts to add a cherry on the cake for their guests with unique access to the host’s cities, communities, and diverse world. These experiences, curated by local hosts, allow travelers to dive deep into a destination’s culture, history, and lifestyle. From cooking classes with local chefs and guided nature hikes to art workshops and historical tours, Airbnb Experiences provides a personalized way to explore and connect with new places. This article will guide you through the diverse world of Airbnb Experiences, highlighting how they enhance travel, support local communities, and create unforgettable memories. Whether planning your next trip or looking for a unique activity in your city, Airbnb Experiences offers something special for every traveler.
What Is Airbnb Experiences?
Airbnb Experiences are unique, personalized virtual or physical activities designed by hosts to provide guests with a unique, memorable, and personalized experience. The list goes on, from dining experiences to art workshops and cooking classes.
Guests dive into the local culture, learn new things via personalized workshops, create memorable memories, and build new connections. That’s how Airbnb Experiences stand out from the local tourist offerings.
For example, in Paris, you can join Oliver at her Macaron-Making Class in her apartment by the Eiffel Tower, where she’ll teach you all the tricks to making one of the greatest French treats: macarons.
Why Must Hosts Consider Hosting An Airbnb Experience?
Airbnb experiences provide a multitude of opportunities for hosts. Here’s how:
- Create unique experiences for guests: Airbnb experiences connect travelers with unique experiences led by hosts. For example, Gypsy Flamenco Fiesta & Dance Lesson is a beginner’s class hosted by Kati Maria Mahsa that helps you learn flamenco from natives!
- Anyone can host: Anyone can create Airbnb experiences; it would be helpful if you are an expert in that topic. You can be a chef, destination expert, tour guide, or anything else and create memorable experiences.
- Reach a wider audience: Airbnb experiences help you reach a wider audience than just people who want to stay in your property. Let’s say someone just moved to the city and is looking to connect with locals – they can opt for Airbnb experiences and learn more about the city they now call home.
- Connect with like-minded people: With Airbnb experiences, you can connect and help others connect with people who have similar interests.
- You can conduct virtual experiences: With virtual experiences, you can create a larger community around your property; if they ever want to travel to your location, there’s a higher chance of them choosing your property.
Examples of Authentic Airbnb Experience Listings
Here are a few examples of Airbnb Experiences to give you an idea of the categories of experiences to host:
Secret Food Tours in Rome
This tour offers a glimpse into Rome’s unexplored culinary scene, led by an expert guide/host. Guests indulge in off-the-beaten-path delicacies to foster a sense of rich food culture.
Traditional Tea Ceremony and Kimono Dressing in Kyoto
This program offers guests valuable insights into Japanese culture through interactive activities like tea ceremonies and kimono dressing.
Family Vineyard Experience in Frascati, Italy
Hosts welcome guests to a history-walking vineyard tour to a wine cellar for a unique wine-tasting experience.
Who Can Host An Airbnb Experience?
Anyone with a unique passion, talent, skill, or local expertise can host an Airbnb Experience program. The platform encourages a diverse range of hosts, from local enthusiasts and chefs to artists and hobbyists.
Airbnb’s quality standards require meaningful, unique, and engaging experiences that guests can’t find anywhere else, adhering to local laws and regulations. Airbnb approves your Experience based on 3 pillars:
- Expertise: Hosts must have a unique perspective, expertise, or credentials on the subject matter of their activity/workshop/tour. Highlight your unique expertise that answers, ‘Why should guests choose you over someone else?’
- Insider Access: Invite guests directly to participate in your community/culture. Offer a unique angle or a twist, like introducing them to activities they wouldn’t have access to otherwise. Highlight your connection to such activities/workshops/classes by sharing a memorable experience. Hosts must convey, ‘Why guests will find your experience interesting?’
- Connection: With Airbnb Experiences, hosts create meaningful connections. Ensure your guests feel welcome, safe, recognized, heard, and valued in the Experience program. Highlight all the ways you consider such details in your program.
Ask yourself:
- How will you take care of the comfort levels of a wide range of guests from different cultures?
- What will you do in case of unforeseen situations or changes in weather?
- How will you help guests connect?
- Are there any safety concerns in your area? How do you take care of them?
Here’s How To Get Started As An Airbnb Experience Host
Identify Your Strengths To Create A Profile
You must be an expert in the experience you are hosting for your guests. The first step to this is to find your niche. Play to your strengths and find something you are passionate about and also good at to ensure that you set yourself apart in Airbnb.
For instance, Chef Hasan from Marrakesh uses his culinary skills to host a top-notch ‘Traditional Moroccan Cooking Class’, where guests learn more about Moroccan cuisine and culture.
Create An Engaging Experience
Once you know the experience you want to create, you should then make it into an engaging experience. If you are a chef and want to host a cooking class, identify the cuisine and craft a course around it. Answer the question: What will a person learn from this experience? What is the result expected? Once you have an answer to this question, you can craft an engaging experience that leads to positive reviews.
Plan Your Program To Provide a Memorable Experience To Guests
For a smooth, memorable, and enjoyable experience for the guest, create a detailed itinerary with the necessary tools, materials, and equipment required in case of any potential risks. Executing a trial run of your planned experience program is the best idea. Plan a welcoming program that’s comfortable, informed, and memorable. This will lead to positive reviews, which can attract future bookings.
Create a Listing and Get Approved by Airbnb
To start hosting Airbnb Experience, you should get your experience listing approved by Airbnb per the set standards and requirements. For this, you need to create an experience listing with submission with the following things included:
- Location
- A title and description
- 7 pictures of experiences
- Details on what hosts will provide and what guests need to bring
- Level of guest activity and skills required
- Maximum group size
- Price per guest
- Duration of the experience
Note: In the case of online Airbnb Experience, hosts must include a short video demonstration along with the listing.
Set Duration & Pricing
You should then decide the duration of the course. How long will the tour take if it is a guide to your city’s historical monuments? You should answer this. If it is an online experience, you should also decide how long the meeting will be. You should then decide the pricing for the experiences you’re creating. Consider all costs associated with hosting the experience and the 20% commission that Airbnb charges.
Encourage Guests To Leave Reviews
As with your property, getting positive reviews from past customers is important. Remember to ask for reviews, respond to them, express gratitude for their feedback, and address their issues and concerns.
Key Takeaways
By integrating Airbnb Experiences into your hosting profile, you can:
- Create a memorable experience for your guests by offering unique and engaging activities/workshops/classes.
- Showcase your local culture, expertise, and passion to help guests connect more deeply with you for an enriching experience.
- Strengthens your profile as a host on Airbnb because of your local expertise, skills, passion, and the unique experience you deliver, ultimately leading to the property’s attractiveness.
- Memorable experiences motivate guests to leave positive reviews, which ultimately enhances your reputation and helps you attract more bookings.
About PriceLabs
PriceLabs is a revenue management solution for the short-term rental and hospitality industry, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Chicago, IL. Our platform helps individual hosts and hospitality professionals optimize pricing and revenue management, adapting to changing market trends and occupancy levels.
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