Everything You Need To Know About Airbnb Experiences

Airbnb first became known as the largest platform for booking short-term rentals. The company has since expanded its offerings with a platform called Airbnb Experiences. Launched in 2016, the program is bringing local flavor to travelers who use Airbnb. At the same time, it’s also providing a new source of revenue for Airbnb hosts.

Take a closer look at what the program offers, what benefits it brings to both hosts and guests, and how iGMS can help.

Are Airbnb Experiences Still a Thing?

The project was paused in April of 2023 and relaunched this year. In an interview with Skift Airbnb CEO, Brain Chesky, explained that they needed to refine the product.

He was quoted as saying: “They need to be more unique to Airbnb. We need things you can only find in Airbnb.” However, the project is on pause again with plans to relaunch in 2025 with even more emphasis on the unique experiences that hosts and guides can offer that commercial tours can’t.

What About Online Experiences?

It’s unclear if online experiences will be part of the relaunch at this point but it is worth considering that you may be able to offer your guests an online experience and reach a wider audience.

Why offer an online experience?

Offering a virtual Airbnb Experience can allow you to overcome several obstacles that an in person event presents. As a rule, they are more accessible. Because they do not require a venue, they negate potential hiring costs. You can create all sorts of experiences from a cooking class to a virtual tour. This can be a great opportunity for guests regardless of their location in the world.

What Are Airbnb Experiences?

Airbnb Experiences are activities that guests can book during their journey. Local hosts lead these activities in each area. They are more than traditional guided tours or classes. Anyone who has a creative passion or hobby can sign up to be part of the program.

The platform doesn’t only serve a single market. Some travelers use it to meet new people and make a real human connection, while others use it as a way to discover local attractions and learn about the culture and history. Experiences can attract bookings from group travelers as well as solo travelers.

An experience can range from cooking classes to outdoor activities. For example, a host with photography expertise could offer a scenic photography tour. Taking guests to hidden spots for breathtaking views, teaching them how to capture the perfect shot, and offering personalized tips for improving their photography skills. It’s a fantastic way to share local beauty and photography techniques with travelers from all over the world.

Whatever it is, it must go beyond a “typical tour” that guests could get from an agency, and be unique.

Keep in mind this is a separate service on Airbnb from Airbnb property hosting. Hosts who want to offer experiences don’t have to host overnight guests at a property. Hosts also are free to list experiences as often as they like with no hosting restrictions.

One thing that both platforms have in common is the requirement of business licenses for hosts.  This is especially true if an experience involves food, alcohol, or transportation.

How Do I Become an Airbnb Experiences Host?

Hosts are not allowed to offer experiences unless they have first been approved by Airbnb. To offer an experience, hosts need to apply to join the program.

Hosts can submit an application for an Airbnb Experience to airbnb.com/host/experiences. Airbnb will then contact them to let them know if their application has been approved or not. The waiting time is generally around two weeks, but it can be less.

Verification:

For events where the host needs special technical expertise, verification will need to be provided to Airbnb.

Do I Need To Own a Property To Host an Airbnb Experience?

There’s no property requirement for an Airbnb Experience. Airbnb Experience is an events/activity platform and not an apartment platform. For a specific purpose when you host a special event that requires a property to do the event it’s the only case in which you have to own a property

Gather Your Information for Your Listing:

There are strict requirements for what must be included in your Airbnb experiences listing. The Experience itinerary must be detailed and accurate, so guests know exactly what to expect. This includes:

• Activities guests will participate in
• Meeting location and instructions (start time, length of the activity.
• What’s included in the price and the price per guest (e.g., items provided by the Host)
• What guests need to bring (e.g., extra cash for food not included and their experience level)
• Date and time of the Experience
• No open-ended itineraries.
• All photos must meet Airbnb’s quality standards.
• Listings must accurately describe accessibility features according to Airbnb’s requirements.

Give guests all the details they could need before they show up in person such as maximum group size or minimum age requirements.

Hosts must list their Experience as an individual, not as a business. The profile photo should be a clear image of the Host, not a company logo, and the profile name must be the Host’s real name. Hosts should provide a personal description in the “About Me” section.

What Can be Offered as an Airbnb Experience?

According to the Airbnb help center experiences should “provide expertise, insider access, and connection.” so consider this when deciding what to offer.

Experience Categories:

For guests looking to book and experience, there are a few categories to choose from. These categories include:

• Arts
• Concerts
• Classes & Workshops
• Nature
• Sports
• Food & Drink
• History
• Entertainment
• Music
• Health & Wellness
• Social Impact
• Nightlife.

Popular Airbnb Experiences:

Airbnb offers an “Experiences in the spotlight” section to highlight popular experiences. Users can search for spotlight Experiences in major cities around the world. This can be a great platform to gain inspiration for your own experiences.

In 2019, Airbnb named Puebla in Mexico, Kaikoura in New Zealand, and Xiamen in China as some of its top trending destinations for Experiences.

Airbnb also published a list of its most popular Experiences that took 2019 by storm. These Airbnb Experiences were:

• Horseback yoga (practicing yoga and mindfulness techniques while taking a tranquil horse ride)
• Meditation classes
• Hiking tours
• Yoga classes
• Wine tasting
• Food tastings (particularly pizza and pasta tastings)
• Tie-dye classes
• Historical walking tours.

What Cannot Be Offered as an Experience?

According to the Airbnb experiences guidelines accommodation/lodging cannot be considered as an experience outside of the context of Airbnb Adventures.

Services are also not considered experiences. Since standard services don’t provide personal insights, local connections, or exclusive access, they usually aren’t considered suitable.

Political activities are ineligible for the Airbnb Experiences program.

The Airbnb website has an extensive list of ineligible services such as ticket sales and pet sitting that you should browse.

Special Restrictions:

Certain events also have additional restrictions. These include events involving sexual content or nudity, technically-specialized outdoor activities, experiences involving weapons, animals experiences, cooking experiences, social impact experiences, and Adventures. For more detail on all of these, consult the Airbnb Help Center article on the topic.

What Makes a Great Experience:

Airbnb details 3 pillars of their ideal experience listing: expertise, connection, and insider access.

Show Your Expertise

Don’t just say that you’re into an activity, detail your skill in your submission. This doesn’t have to be a diploma. Maybe you teach a skills class at a local community center, or have sold your art online. Knowledge can come in many forms.

Connect Travelers To Insider Access

What sets Airbnb experiences apart from a normal travelers tour is that the host is a local guide who can offer truly unique experiences and immerse themselves in the culture of the place they’re visiting. Think past the usual tourist affairs and use your knowledge to have your guests feeling like locals. A walking tour should show off hidden spots, a cooking class can have family recipes.

Connection To Your Guests

A great host knows that their guests are at the center of a truly great Airbnb experience. Think about how you can make sure they feel welcome and have a great time during their visit. Consider asking about things like accessibility needs or dietary requirements.

Pros and Cons of Hosting Airbnb Experiences

Airbnb hosts don’t need to rent out a property to offer an experience. Many hosts who do already rent have joined the Experiences Program to increase their income. As an Airbnb host, you’ve likely already obtained a license to run a business in your city.

As a result, adding an Airbnb Experience is a great way to bring in extra income. Not only can you promote the Airbnb Experience on its own, but you can also promote it to your property rental guests. Let them know that you offer an Airbnb Experience, and you can sell it as an upgrade to your property listing.

Pros of Airbnb Experiences Hosting

Offering Airbnb Experiences has a few advantages that hosting regular Airbnb’s don’t.

Here are the main ones:

Wide Audience Reach

Airbnb gives you access to a huge global audience, which is great for getting your experience noticed, especially if it’s something niche. Whether you’re in a busy city or a quiet town, Airbnb helps you reach travelers you might not connect with otherwise, keeping your bookings steady throughout the year.

Flexibility

With Airbnb Experiences, you’re in charge of your schedule. You can offer experiences whenever it suits you—whether it’s full-time, weekends, or just evenings. It’s perfect if you’re juggling other commitments and want flexibility.

Supplemental Income

Offering an Airbnb Experience is a great way to earn extra money, especially if you already have a business like a tour company or art studio. Even if you don’t, it’s a cool way to turn your hobbies into a side hustle.

Unique Offerings

Airbnb lets you create experiences that show off your unique skills, passion and local culture. This focus on personal, special activities sets it apart from regular tours, letting you share your passions in a fun, authentic way.

No Guest Minimums

Unlike other platforms, Airbnb Experiences don’t need a minimum number of guests. You can run your experience even if only one person signs up, which is great if you’re new or in a quieter area.

Feedback Loop

Airbnb Experiences are perfect for trying out new ideas and getting feedback from guests. Reviews help you tweak and improve your offering without needing a big upfront investment.

Cons of Offering an Airbnb Experience

As with any business there are some downsides to hosting an experience. It’s up to you to weigh these up against the potential benefits.

High Commission Fees

Airbnb takes a 20% cut from each booking, which can feel like a lot. But many hosts think the exposure and ease of using the platform make the fee worth it in the long run.

Strict Guidelines

Airbnb has some pretty strict rules for hosting Experiences, from how the activity is run to how you interact with guests. While these help maintain quality, they can feel a bit limiting if you prefer more creative freedom.

Manual Booking Management

Unlike Airbnb’s rental system, managing bookings for Experiences is more hands-on. If you’ve got a lot of bookings, it can be a bit of a hassle, and you might need to use extra tools to keep everything organized.

Potential for Low Ratings

Getting good reviews is super important for your success on Airbnb. A few bad ones can hurt your chances of getting more bookings, and too many could get your experience removed, so it’s crucial to keep guests happy.

Competition

Airbnb Experiences are growing, which means we expect more competition. To stand out, you’ll need a strong listing, great reviews, and something unique that sets you apart. It’s a challenge but also pushes you to keep improving.

Cancellation Risks

Cancellations can be a real issue. If you or guests cancel too often, it can hurt your visibility on the platform. Staying on top of bookings and keeping in touch with guests is key to avoiding penalties.

How Much Is the Airbnb Experience Commission Fee?

Hosts who want to take part in the Experiences program pay 20% of the final price as a commission fee to Airbnb. Airbnb deducts this fee when it processes the payment. Although the fee may sound high, it allows Airbnb to provide help and tools for hosts to manage their experiences.

It’s important to note that there is a difference between the Experience fee and the regular Airbnb service fee. If you own a rental property and offer an experience, you will be charged separately for both by Airbnb.

Hosts are paid 24 hours after a completed experience. Airbnb will automatically withhold service fees from the payout and this fee is based on the price that hosts set.

Conclusion

Airbnb Experiences are a great way for hosts to share what they love while giving travelers something special and authentic to remember. With the program gearing up for a relaunch in 2025, now’s a great time to start thinking about how you can offer something unique that goes beyond the usual tour. Whether you’re looking to make some extra cash or boost guest satisfaction, adding an Airbnb Experience could be the perfect move.

To make hosting easier and more efficient, consider using a tool like iGMS. It automates a lot of the repetitive tasks that come with managing both vacation rentals and experiences, freeing up your time to focus on giving your guests unforgettable experiences. iGMS can help you:

• Manage and sync your listings across the top OTAs.
• Organize your messages within a unified inbox.
• Create messaging templates and automate your responses.
• Automate your guest reviews.

About the Author

Phoebe Gunning is a content writer in the Marketing Department at iGMS. She is passionate about the vacation rental industry, notably helping hosts make the most out of their vacation rental businesses. Some of her hobbies include reading, traveling and drinking a good cup of coffee.