Prior to the pandemic days, Airbnb announced the newest branch of their brand, Airbnb Adventures.
Airbnb Adventures basically incorporates the idea of travel guides and travel agents into the Airbnb experience. According to the article, it “is a…collection of bucket-list-worthy, multi-day experiences hosted by local experts that take intimate groups to epic, off-the-beaten-path locations and immerses them in unique cultures and communities.” It allows travelers to have unique travel experiences without having to do all of the planning legwork themselves.
I’m really excited about it. Although I doubt I will ever personally use it – I prefer to forge my own path when I travel – but I can see how it could be really valuable for some guests. So many people want to enjoy the thrill of travel without slogging through all the work. Airbnb Adventures fills that gap in a way that Airbnb Experiences never could.
But as I was reading more about the program and how it will work, it got me thinking.
Of course I don’t expect all Airbnb hosts to instantly become travel agents for their guests. For the vast majority of hosts, either not a goal or simply not feasible for whatever reason.
And yet, there are things we can learn from Airbnb Adventures about how to be a better host.
The heart of Adventures, as I see it, is giving guests something unique that they want, but can’t get for themselves.
Isn’t that the heart of hosting, too?
So many people are just in the business these days for the money. And money is great, but at the end of the day, this is a hospitality business. If you don’t care about your guests, if you’re not doing your best to think deeply about their needs and how you can meet them, then really, what’s the point? Why are you even doing this?
In my experience hosting is the best experience by far for all parties involved when the host tries to anticipate their guests’ needs before they come up. You end up with happy guests who leave glowing reviews and don’t bother their host with lots of requests during their stay. It’s really the best of both worlds.
The heart of hospitality really is service, plain and simple. Do that, and you’re well on your way to becoming a roaring success.