7 reasons why selling experiences gives you superpowers

Roiback

By definition, experiences are pure emotional connection. Offer them as gifts, attract customers from your competition, and increase your profitability.

A good portfolio of experiences helps the future ambassadors of your brand to surprise their family and friends since they can be offered as original, practical and easy-to-buy gifts.

We are talking about packages as attractive as access to Spas & Wellness, gastronomy, golf green fees plus lunch, ski passes, excursions or guided tours.

In addition to your current customers, whom you manage to retain, experiences have many benefits for your potential guests since they are an excellent opportunity to discover the services and facilities of your establishment without staying there. Can you imagine attracting customers from your competition and also increasing the profitability of your facilities?

Skift, the international media specializing in tourism, has highlighted the focus on the emotions of guests as one of the main trends to build customer loyalty and differentiate your hotel's brand.

By definition, experiences are pure emotional connection.

MORE THAN 1,000 MILLION OPINIONS CANNOT BE WRONG.

Tripadvisor, which recently exceeded 1 billion ratings, discovered after a survey that a majority of travelers of all ages (60%) intend to book a local experience to learn more about the destinations they plan to visit, and interest increases even more among “millennials” tourists (people between 30 and 40 years old today).

Vacations have become much more than booking a flight, choosing a hotel room and sitting by the pool of a tourist complex. It is the experiences that travelers live during a trip that leave lasting impressions, stories that they share frequently and generate unforgettable memories.

MORE LASTING THAN FIRST LOVE

A study by Getyourguide concluded that for almost half of the participants (47%), memories of special trips trigger even more positive emotions than remembering their first kiss. For 42% of the participants, travel experiences were one of the three most emotionally intense memories. And for 14%, travel experiences evoked even more positive emotions than holding their first child for the first time.

The research used artificial intelligence to measure and visualize the expression of emotions related to memories of special travel experiences, the first kiss or the victory of the favorite sports team, for example. The study concludes that all these memories trigger equally strong and positive emotions, while memories of professional successes or formative steps in the career trigger significantly lower emotional reactions.

"The first kiss and the special experience of traveling share some psychological similarities. Both are multisensory, provoke euphoria and critically represent a new experience that has not been lived before," says Anja Göritz, psychologist and senior lecturer in Behavioral Health Technology at the University of Augsburg. "Putting yourself in situations to live novel and emotionally rich experiences can benefit your emotional well-being. These types of experiences are also the ones that are likely to form long-term 'treasured' memories."

WHERE WOULD YOU INVEST $1 BILLION?

In an article by Phocuswire, Greg O'Hara, founder and managing director of the private equity firm Certares, makes it clear: consumers spend a higher proportion of their discretionary income than ever on activities and experiences. When asked where he would invest $1 billion, O'Hara replied that in wellness and adventure.

“Historically, tourists decided to go to Greece, Saudi Arabia or Italy, and then thought about what to do. Nowadays, people decide to travel based on what they want to do, not where they want to go.” O’Hara stated.

WHY SHOULD YOU INCLUDE EXPERIENCES IN YOUR HOTEL?

Generate additional income
By selling Experiences you go beyond just accommodation, you are more creative in your product offering and increase the average amount of your bookings.
Access a new type of client
Attract local customers with experiences close to their place of residence, turning them into ambassadors for your brand and a valuable source of income, even in the low season.
Enhance your value proposition
Today's traveler is not only looking for a bed to sleep in. Today's traveler expects to live an unforgettable experience at the destination.
Make your facilities profitable
Increase the occupancy and use of your facilities or services: restaurants, event rooms, SPAs or any other product or service of your hotel.
Improve your cash flow
Get instant liquidity by charging your customers in advance, especially in the sale of Gift Experiences, which are prepaid and non-refundable.
Increase profitability
The sale of Gift Experiences generates a certain percentage of customers who will never redeem the gift within the maximum validity period established.
Provide value... in a simple way
The sale of Experiences is fully integrated into the Roiback booking engine and CRS, which allows for easy sale and management of Experiences.

At Roiback we have a special platform for the commercialization of experiences both through a dedicated website page where you can present them, group them by categories and sell them as gift vouchers or with a date of enjoyment, as well as within the booking process of your hotel's website by directly accessing the availability of experiences in the engine through a deeplink that shows us all the available experiences.

It is a very interesting option to include in: mailings, banner of the booking confirmation; Upselling and Welcome emails, etc.