Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers

Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers is Part 11 of our 14 Part Series

 

Traveling can be a fun and rewarding way to visit new places and meet new people and tremendous opportunities exist to Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

But the downside is that when someone visits a new location, they don’t know the area or what to do. They can buy an area guidebook, but those don’t give them much information other than places of interest.

Sites that are unique and Airbnb Experiences that could enrich their travel are not found in visitor guidebooks.

 

What Are AirBnB Experiences and How do I Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers

There is a way that travelers can enrich their vacation and have the time of their lives by using a unique service provided by Airbnb.

You may already be familiar with the company that helps people find sleeping arrangements with hosts in a variety of different locations. Now, Airbnb is offering something exciting to guests – a way where they can find a host to stay with during their travels but also engage in fun things known as Airbnb Experiences.

An experience is an activity or a trip that’s created by an Airbnb host. Some of these hosts offer accommodations in addition to Experiences. But some just offer an Experience by itself.

The type of experience can differ. You might offer one that’s just a couple of hours, one that’s all day or one that’s several days long.

Airbnb Experience Packages are Limitless

These Experiences follow a schedule and what the participant will be doing will depend on what the host is offering. With one host, the guests might find themselves taking a class or workshop on something that interests them.

With another, they might find themselves hiking into a gorgeous off the beaten path area that the host is familiar with. Guests can learn new things and enjoy the area in a way they wouldn’t be able to without the host’s Experience event.

Travelers get to choose what it is that they want to do that’s available in that area. Not every city or foreign country has an Airbnb Experience Program available yet, but the program is expanding as more hosts sign up.

Benefits of the Airbnb Experiences Program

An Airbnb Experience is more than just a walking tour of the city where the traveler is staying. Although you can sign up as a host to take people on tours, there are things that can include hiking, providing a class and teaching a new skill, or a night of enjoyment in the arts.

The cost of these Experiences vary but you can expect that you’ll charge between $150 to $250 for it. When the guest decides to sign up for an Experience package, they’ll be verified along with the host.

They’ll also have to determine if they’re going to be booking accommodations in addition to the Experience event. These events are as varied as the hosts that offer them.

You might see travelers head to one city for a behind the scenes comedy Experience or to enjoy learning about music and what goes into putting on a live performance. Or they might visit places that show them how to impact lives – such as helping an impoverished area.

Community Service on your Vacation?

Some Airbnb Experiences that offer the chance to get involved in a local community non profit event are high on the list of things that travelers want to do.

An Experience is what can take a traveler beyond a simple trip to a new place and immerses them in the area and its culture and helps them interact and mingle with the people. Guests get to a see a side of the place that regular visitors don’t see.

It’s a way for them to travel and come home with a new skill, a new friend or two and a love and appreciation for what they’ve experienced.

 

 

How to Start a Business Providing Airbnb Experiences

You’ve probably heard the saying that anyone can hang a shingle and go into business to Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

While that’s true, that’s not all there is to it when it comes to getting started as an Airbnb Experience host. You can’t just make a decision and then get approved.

You have to go through a process that qualifies you to be able to offer these Experience Packages. To get started, you first have to sign up Airbnb. Once you do that, you can send in your Experience idea (or ideas). After you do that, Airbnb will look over your idea and then determine if it’s something that’s feasible.

There are many different things that factor into the decision on whether or not to accept an Experience idea. The company has to keep in mind the enjoyment of the travelers that use their site as well as the professionalism and skill level of the potential host.

If you get turned down after suggesting an Airbnb Experience, that doesn’t mean that you’re not qualified to host. It means that for some reason that idea wasn’t one that could be engaging to travelers or it had some safety issues or some bugs that needed to be worked out first.

Hosting Options

You can suggest more than one hosting Experience idea, but the ones that have a better chance at getting accepted are the ones that you’re most qualified to handle.

For example, someone who wants to take travelers out on a self run boat day trip, but has no boating skills and hasn’t even lived in the area long would probably not be accepted.

Whatever it is that you send to Airbnb will be thoroughly checked out. Some potential hosts think that it’s easy jump right in and give an Airbnb Experience.

This might be possible in some circumstances, but not always.

There might be bugs that have to be worked out. But you’ll learn as you go along what works and doesn’t. To get started, you come up with your idea, then you send it in for consideration.

Your odds of getting approved as an Airbnb Experience host are greatly enhanced if you have a lot of in depth knowledge about what you’re suggesting for the guests.

Do Your Research Before Applying

For example, if a traveler wants to go surfing and you’re a master surf instructor, you’re more than likely going to be approved over the summer lifeguard who has taken a few surfing lessons and now wants to teach others.

Some of the qualifications to become an Airbnb Experience host don’t have anything to do with the kind of skill level that you have. Some of the qualifications have to do with you as a person.

Not everyone has the personality to be an Experience host. If you’re impatient and you’re looking at the travelers as dollar signs and nothing more, then you probably wouldn’t do so well with this endeavor.

An Experience host is someone who not only has to be skilled, but also needs to really like interacting with new people. You should also be someone who wants to make sure travelers have a good time.

The Airbnb Experience idea you consider should be one that’s different from regular run of the mill Experiences. In other words, if it’s an experience that the traveler can get from a tourist guide, then he doesn’t really need you.

Use Cutting Edge Technology to Differentiate Yourself

You need to be able to offer something that the traveler can’t experience by himself. It needs to preferably be something that just won’t work without you. If that’s the case, then you’ve hit on an idea for an Airbnb Experience that would most likely be approved and that guests will love.

Whatever it is that you come up with, you can’t just think that you’re going to stand up in front of the group and teach something. They can listen to someone instruct them online or through a class.

Listening to someone teach or tell them stuff about the area isn’t that thrilling. You need to think about what they can do to get involved. Instead of just teaching a group about what it’s like to create a vase in a pottery class, put them at the wheel.

Airbnb Experiences that require The Guests Involvement are Popular

Let them feel the clay as it spins. Let them get their hands dirty. An Airbnb Experience is something that can’t be enjoyed unless they’re immersed in it, so keep that in mind.

Once you come up with your Experience idea, you need to be able to spell it out. Think about what’s involved, where it will be, when it starts, when it ends, and any pertinent skill level needed by travelers.

If it’s going to be physically demanding, that has to be made clear. Some people are not able to handle the physical demands of certain Airbnb Experiences. You’ll also need to determine what the selling price of your Experience Package.

It’s best to keep your prices average when you’re first starting out. You can raise them as your experience gains in popularity. If you’re competing with other similar Airbnb Experience providers, then you might want to price a bit lower initially to get some momentum.

Creating an Airbnb Experience for Your Area and Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers

 

Getting involved as an Experience host on Airbnb is a great way for you to Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

What you can earn depends on the Experience that you’re offering, how often you offer it and how many people are in the group.

What you want to keep in mind when creating an Experience is that you want the traveler to be able to get what the locals get about the area, but more. That means you’ll want to give them something that they’re not able to just arrive in town and do solo.

When deciding which Airbnb Experience to create in your area, take a second to think about what’s going to make yours stand out from your competition’s Experience Package?

Put Your Personal “Spin” on a Popular Airbnb Experience

For example, if one person is offering an immersion cooking Experience with exotic foods and they’re a popular chef, how can you top that?

Try to put a spin on a typical Airbnb Experience – something that sets you apart a bit. If a lot of people are offering something similar, then you can bet that yours isn’t all that unique.

You want to create an Experience Package that makes people talk. It was so good, so much fun that they just can’t wait to tell everyone they know about it (and leave a wonderful rating for you, too).

When coming up with an Experience for your area, you need to do some thinking before you decide. Take a scouting trip to look around your town or city. Look at what’s already available.

Think about a service or fun thing to do that people may want to participate in, but only with someone leading the way. One key point to remember is to make the Experience Package fit the guest.

Try an Outdoor Airbnb Experience Offer

For example, if a guest is an outdoor enthusiast, you can create an Experience Package that’s based on being in nature – such as going on a wilderness expedition. If your area has a lot of beautiful hiking trails and waterfalls, then this might be a perfect situation for your guests.

If your area is host to several music festivals, and you can secure behind the scenes meet and greets with musicians, that might be a perk.

Other music topics work well, too – such as teaching someone to play an instrument or time spent learning the ins and outs of a recording studio including recording a demo.

You can find some recording studios that charge a reasonable hourly rate and you figure that cost in when you’re creating the Airbnb Experience. It’s that “behind the scenes” stuff that really connects with some travelers.

Just Like a Backstage Pass

It’s a few hours or a few days out of the ordinary and allows them to experience things that are special and give them lasting memories they otherwise couldn’t create on their own.

Develop your Airbnb Experience based on whether it’s a one day or multi-day event. Create an Experience Package alone or with someone else. Involve people who are doing things for the community around your area that guests on a regular traveling visit don’t get access to.

That would mean that you have to reach out and create a network. But you can get involved in worthy causes like biking for a nonprofit or events that raise money for certain reasons.

City Airbnb Experiences are Very Popular

If you live in a city that has something that’s unique, involve your guests in an Experience designed around this unique opportunity. For example, if you live somewhere that has a chocolate making factory, you can set up a tour of the facility as well as a hands on experience where the travelers get to make their own special candy.

Don’t be afraid to make arrangement with other parties to help your guests get something above and beyond what the general public can partake in.

If you know how to hang glide and you have a high instructor skill level with that, then offer travelers the chance to go hang gliding. You don’t have to create an Airbnb Experience that’s action packed, either.

It can be whatever it is that you know how to do that guests would find fun or interesting – or even relaxing.

Specialty Airbnb Experiences

If you know specialty subjects like how to grow difficult plants or flowers in gardens or you’re involved in something like animal husbandry or beekeeping, then you can give your guests a hands on experience in those areas.

Airbnb Experiences that center around food are always very popular. The key to making it something that fits your area is to design the Experience that focuses on a specialty local cuisine.

This would be something that guests can’t find in other states or in other foreign locations such as Tex-Mex in Texas. You can also host things like a wine tasting in wine (grape) country or an Experience where the guests get to go and create their own wine.

Individuals, Couples or Groups – You Decide!

These Airbnb Experiences are created for an individual, a couple, for small groups or large groups. With detailed planning, you can make your Experience Package such a one of a kind event that you’ll be booked solid and make plenty of money helping people enjoy themselves.

To prevent any problems, if you’re going to be hosting your Experience at a venue, you need to make sure the location is easily accessible for everyone. For outdoor Airbnb Experiences, you do need to make sure that your listing has an alternative plan if the weather turns bad.

Or make it clear that it’s on whether or not the weather holds. If you’re going to be within a structure and you’re hosting a large group, you have to be aware of any restrictions on the number of people so that you don’t violate any local codes.

How Much Money Can I Make Hosting Airbnb Experiences?

 

Wanting to know how much you can Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers is a reasonable question. There are many things out there that promise you can earn cash but don’t actually pan out.

Hosting an Airbnb Experience isn’t one of them. To accurately figure what you can earn, complete a total cost versus income ratio when you decide on an Experience.

You want to make sure that your profit margin is a good one. Some potential hosts figure in the cost of supplies, but then neglect to look at the amount of preparation time they’re putting in.

Your Time is Valuable

Those hours can add up. If you’re working for two hours to prepare for an Experience, you need to factor that in when you figure up what the total price of the Experience is worth. It is important to understand your costs (including your time) to ensure you optimize your ability to Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

Understand that not every Experience is going to rate high right off the bat. The greater the reputation and the more guests that you have talking positively about the Experience, the greater chance you have of making the most earnings.

Decide the amount of time you’re going to dedicate to the Experience. How you structure it can also allow you to make more money. For example, you can host a day Experience and what you’ll make will be determined by the number of people in that group.

Airbnb Experiences can be Lucrative

So if you have five people in the group and they’re each paying $200, then you make $1,000 for that day. But if you do experiences that are a couple of hours, then you could schedule three to four Experiences in a day. When you begin to Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers, you know you are doing something right.

If you have five people in each group and they’re each paying $200, then your take would be $3,000 for the day for three Experiences – more for if you had four. So it all depends on what you can do. Be creative and diligent and you will move closer to realizing your goals; Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

While Leading an Experience – Move at the Group’s Speed – Not Your Speed

You don’t want to rush the people through an Experience to cram in as many as you can because that could end up backfiring on you. The number of people you have in each Airbnb Experience can vary and you can end up making more one week than you would the next.

You’ll know ahead of time how many bookings you’ll have and pending no cancellations, can determine the earnings by looking at your calendar. Another thing that can make a difference in how much money you’ll earn with your Experiences will be whether or not you’re also renting a space to the guests.

The harder you work at creating memorable Experiences, the more money you’ll make. The fee structure for the portion that Airbnb will take differs from what you’ll earn if you were just renting space, so keep that in mind as well.

How to Provide an Airbnb Experience That Rates Well

When creating an Experience, you want whatever activity it is that you have planned to be one that stands out. It should be one that is unique and that you genuinely love doing because your enthusiasm (or lack of it) will shine through. Therefore your enthusiasm your ability to Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

Having a listing that has a wow factor can certainly help – like meeting a local celebrity or engaging in something that’s generally off limits to people. If you want to provide an Experience that rates well so that you earn cash and have solid reviews on Airbnb, then you’ll need to make sure that you handle your account like it was a business.

You’ll be able to look at what your guests are saying to know how well your Experiences are ranking. It’s important that you have an experience that does well according to Airbnb. Without a good rating you have a low probability to Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

A Bad Rating Gets You Fired

For the ones that don’t, those Experiences will no longer be allowed to remain on the Airbnb site. If you have a guest who leaves a nasty review, that happens and one won’t jeopardize your standing.

However, consistently getting reviews of low star ratings for your Experiences will mean that something just isn’t working out. Not only will you lose potential guests, but you’ll end up having your account suspended.

You’ll want to pay attention to what people are saying – good or bad. Because if there’s a potential problem, you can fix it and then it won’t be an issue any more. By following the hosting standards, you can have a thriving business and Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

As long as you love what you’re sharing and you own the Experience, you’ll do well at making sure others love it too. Make sure you can fulfill your promise to your guests.

Never Ever Cancel

If you get a reservation, don’t flake out – especially at the last minute. The people who are paying for the experience are looking forward to it. They’re excited. So if you abruptly cancel that time, then you’ll have disappointed, unhappy guests.

And your future guests have gone to a lot of trouble to arrange time off from their schedule. They probably made a huge financial commitment booking air travel to the destination.

So you’ll not only cost them time, but they’ll lose money as well. You have to make sure that, aside from a real emergency, you are consistent with your reservations. Otherwise you will not meet you goals to Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

If your schedule changes to make you unavailable, you must make sure that you quickly recover or you’ll damage your rating. Before the experience starts, you need to contact your scheduled guests and confirm important details.

Good Communication is Key

Make sure that you quickly respond to any messages. Be very up front about everything and respond to their questions or concerns. Be professional and polite.

Not every guest who signs up for the Experience is going to be easy to get along with. You have to be understanding that these people will have a different viewpoint about life.

The hosts who treat everyone like they’re welcome will end up having an Airbnb Experience that rates above others. One of the top ways to get good ratings on your Experiences is to go above and beyond expectations. You will accomplish this with little touches that seem insignificant, but set the mood and provide a special touch.

Understand that people have expectations when they decide to book an Experience.  They have an image in mind of how it will be and how it will unfold during their visit. That means that you can’t charge a rare champagne price for something that’s a beer budget experience.

Create an Experience that literally screams “exclusive”. You must match the price and exceed guest expectations. These key ingredients contribute to your ability to Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

Think “Hospitality”

They should leave your Experience feeling like they’ve gotten their money’s worth. The worst thing would be to have guests thinking that they can’t believe they spent money on that.

When you’re listing your Experience on Airbnb, you want to make sure that you don’t leave anything to chance. Completely spell out what the experience is and how you’re qualified to host it.

In the listing, tell the potential guests a little about yourself. Then talk about the Experience and why they should take part in it. Tell them what they can gain from signing up.

Provide the Guest with an Overview

Make sure you talk about where they’ll be and what they need to wear. Any information that’s pertinent like meals and the action that they’re going to be participating in.

Make sure you identify certain prerequisites for signing up for an Experience. For example, if the experience that you’re listing is one that a person needs to be in prime fitness level. Perhaps outdoor rock climbing or cave spelunking. Then you need to say who the Experience will fit and who it may not.

When you remove room for guests to say, “I didn’t know there would be physical limitations,”. Then you also remove the odds of having your experience rate poorly. A poor rating will hamper your progress to Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

It is Important for your Guests to Feel Comfortable

Make sure that you put your guests at ease and that they’re included in all aspects of the Experience. Plan for the unexpected so you can quickly solve any problems. For example if you go hiking bring first aid items that a hiker might need for blisters or sprained ankle.

By having the experience go as smoothly as possible, even with problems, you’ll end up with great ratings. Pay close attention to the things that resonate with guests on Airbnb.

Of course that includes the entirety of the experience – how things went for them as a whole. Most guests will overlook small bumps in the experience, but not big ones. Learn from existing Experiences and see what little issues people loved – or had a problem with.

Make Sure your Listing is Truthful

Truthfulness is another area that can help you get your Airbnb Experience rated well. With an honest listing, guests will appreciate through your rating, you will Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

Whether or not they felt comfortable and treated well is another area where you can boost your rating. How approachable you were both before and after the Experience will matter.

The best ratings for Experiences are given to hosts who treat their guests with a great deal of hospitality. Be passionate about showing people a uniquely good time. Your  will show up in your ratings and help you Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

Experiences that include something extra (like making sure guests have bottled water if it’s an outdoor event) can help ratings. So can an easy flow of conversation. The guest feels they’re among friends rather than having to deal with the awkwardness of spending time with strangers.

Marketing Your Airbnb Experiences

Creating the perfect Airbnb Listing will be the single best contributing factor to getting bookings. Next we talk about steps to improve your booking sales volume. Grow your sales and eventually Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

The first step in when creating the perfect Airbnb listing is to make sure it is complete. Make it as easy as possible for your guests to reach you and book the Experience you’re offering.

People like things that are simple and easy. Having to jump through hoops to book something can end up turning people away. Give your Experience an edge by using competitive pricing.

Pay attention to the days as well as the seasons and adjust the price accordingly. Get involved in the community on Airbnb and benefit from the collective knowledge of the group. A great network is valuable and will contribute to your success to Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

Often a host that does not offer what you do may refer a guest to you for a fee. This relationship is mutually beneficial to both hosts and the guest.

Work the “Buzz” Every Day!

You can create a buzz about your Airbnb Experience among residence hosts. Don’t just limit the conversation to what’s on Airbnb. When you have a unique Experience to offer, make sure you talk it up in your everyday life, too.

Word of mouth is a very powerful marketing tool. Talk to all your friends about what it is that you’re doing. Let your family in on it, too. Ask them to talk about it as well – especially sharing it on social media sites for you.

While Airbnb is a popular site; educate people about how they get more from their travel plans by booking an Experience. Word of mouth can easily lead to you signing up some guests. Referrals work from local people and contribute to help you Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.

Referrals are Money in The Bank!

When you do get guests, don’t be afraid to ask them to share the Experience. They can share it with who they know. Or to provide text or video testimonials that you will use on your Listing and YouTube.

Offer them an incentive if you need to – like a certain percentage off when someone books based on their recommendation. Or offer them a discount on their fee if they return with other guests.

This helps them feel like they’re valued. Images can tell a story a whole lot faster and often better than words can. Don’t be afraid to put your Experience in visual format.

You can video yourself and some of your friends going through whatever Experiences you’re offering. This gives potential guests a sneak peek at what they can do and it hooks their interest.

Video is The Most Effective Marketing Tool Today.

People love seeing fun activities and it makes them want to try. Have someone who knows what he’s doing with video capture the Experience for you. Hire a professional to edit the video to showcase it within the listing.

Put the videos up on sites like YouTube but also consider Facebook Live. Upload images or videos to Instagram and put a link in the comments to your Airbnb Eperience listing.

You can also take photos with the people who book your Experiences. Then at the end, ask them if you can share it on social media. Utilize all of your social media platforms to help you build awareness about your Experiences.

Your Experiences on Airbnb can benefit from the same marketing methods used in traditional marketing. Make it personal. Let the potential guests see the person behind the business. It connects you to the public and helps you build trust and Earn Cash by Providing Local Experiences to Travelers.