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Hi Guys. Would you be interested in having a platform for reselling local attractions/tours/cool-stuff-to-do-in-the-city to your guests?
Here’s how it’d work:
Your guests are exposed to the up-to-date attractions both in advance (via email) or in-destination (printed hard-copy)
If they’re interested - they hand you the money
You have your CC charged with the total amount minus your commission (via mobile/web app)
You print/send-via-email the ticket and hand it to your guests
That’s it
So, my question is - is it something you would consider using as an additional source of income? Is 10-15% commission satisfying? Wouldn’t it be a problem if you had to print out the offer (to leave it in the room/hand out in person) or send a PDF for your incoming guests? In case you liked the idea - would you be on the passive side (just exposing guests to the attractions) or rather take an effort to make a sale?
You’re absolutely right everything is online right now (btw, most of the attractions are still sold offline through resellers).
They never asked, cause there didn’t know you could provide such service. The question is, how willingful they’d be to buy from you (as opposed to other resellers they encounter in the city), as trust was already established between you.
Marcinsz if the product is valuable, better, superior, or if guests would appreciate then Airbnb hosts would be interested. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t know what they are talking about. Thanks.
There has to be some sort of incentive for the guest to want to purchase through an Airbnb host vs. just entering in their credit card info online.
Your tickets would have to be cheaper than what could be found online. Why would a guest prefer to hand cash to a host vs. using their credit card that offers them protection?
I think most people would prefer to pay online and have their ticket in hand before arriving to their destination.
Hi Marcin. I have offered to help guests get tickets for things when they didn’t understand the language on the website, or didn’t know where to go. I don’t need a commission for it. I also believe that one of the reason people like staying at Airbnb houses is because unlike a hotel, they know they are not going to be steered towards a restaurant, tour, event or activity because there’s some affiliation with the person recommending it or a back-scratching relationship behind the recommendation where someone stands to gain.
Sorry - I know that there are a lot of spin-off businesses piggy-backing on the Airbnb phenomenon, and I’m all for someone coming up with new business ideas, but this is one I just wouldn’t be interested in or condone. Conflicts of interest should be disclosed - and telling someone they should visit a local attraction/tour whatever without disclosing you’ll get money for arranging it for them is sailing very close to the wind.
Thank you guys for for insights. I do really appreciate your efforts. As there’s been some over-interpretation I’ll let myself outline the broader context.
I live in the European city with the cultural and historical heritage visited by 10M tourists annually. There’s a lot of ways to experience it. And as you can imagine there are people offering different stuff everywhere. So in case you’ve decided to see something really important, such as Nazi concentration camp - you eventually buy it on the street or online. Both options are usually overpriced and already include commission (20% in Viator, even more with local resellers). And this is where you look at the table in your room to see the same tour in a lower price offered by someone you’ve already trusted. Hand-picked attractions, curated by the locals, best quality and prices.
The experience I’m having in mind is when you’re in the restaurant, just finished your meal and the waiter, while clearing your plates away says:
Hey, in case you were thinking about a desert we’re having an amazing lemon tart today.
…and leaves it like this
No intrusive, pushy - he just lets you know, shows you the option with regard to the context.
The game would have clear rules. Guests already pay commission wherever they buy attractions (as this is how channel sales works). You as a host are in a privileged position to be some sort of ambassador for the person in the foreign country/city. So, obviously you should be independent and objective. And it should be disclosed you get commission for the sale, but as this is not your primary business your commission could be lower than anywhere else, thus the final price would be better for the guest. A see this as a win-win situation.
Having an extra income just exposing to the quality products, based on clear rules and within the context doesn’t make you a “criminals trying to sell you drugs and little girl” or “petty thieves”.
Well now that you have made it much clearer, then yes I would be interested in something like that.
I would just let the guests know that I offer tickets to particular attractions at such and such price if they are interested. If they really are more expensive online then obviously they would purchase through me.
But what doesn’t make sense is how everyone else on the street and online would be overpriced and more expensive. I am not following that. Can’t travelers just buy directly through the local attraction at the lowest rate?
Most of the attractions (at least here in Krakow) are sold through the network of resellers (aggregators) with stationary offices in the city or “freelancers” on the street. Apparently it’s challenging for the service providers to reach out their customers directly. So the commission they give up is just their cost of customer acquisition.
The thing is, being a dedicated tour office or a sales person you need your commission to be high enough to justify the whole effort. But when it’s not your core business, but a side activity, you might agree to a lower commission. And in the end providing your guests (those who where interested) better option than anywhere else.
Yep. She’s right, Billy Bob. It’s leech. The entire thread is quite confusing. I’d the poster wanting to engage out sell some service to other hosts, or is she running an idea past us to see what others` opinions are of something she wants to do. I hope it’s the latter case, and if it is, I would tell her to hey, just try it if that’s something you want to do, it’s your idea, and what does it matter what other hosts may think about it, it will just confuse you from following your ideas and see how it works out.
Hi Karen.
I’ll use an example that should make things less confusing. Airbnb in their first investment pitch deck had addressed the Couchsurfing community as a potential market. The core assumption: if people are okay with letting others stay at their place (for free), maybe some of them would like to make some cash out of it. You know the rest of the story.
Would it work for other services hosts are already doing for free (including tour recommendation)? That’s what I’m trying to find out. So this is just an idea I decided to consult with the community of Airbnb hosts.
@Billy_Bob_Merkowitz is distorting the whole conversation by imposing his fears/frustratrions/projections and then fighting these illusions bravely. I’m not selling anything. I’m just asking for your opinion. According to his logic - Airbnb would be probably accused of selling you (hosts) either, cause obviously you could be hosting people for free on Couchsurfing.
When one has nothing to add to the conversation it’s better to leave the room or at least stay quiet.
Ironically, it seems like you @Billy_Bob_Merkowitz are the only spammer in this thread.
If it was a unique link I could put into my house manual and just generated me passive income then yes I would consider it, if I had to do any work beyond that promoting it then no.
Another thing that Ben’s post made me think of - Who is going to answer all of the guest’s questions about the attractions/tickets?
If it is a basic attraction that is straightforward then that would be easy. But if it something where you have the option to buy 10 different types of tickets/package deals, then guests may ask a lot of questions, and the seller would need to be up to date on all of the specifics.
