There is a new breed of sophisticated travel seller – the travel membership club. Savvy entrepreneurs are launching beautiful sites featuring exciting travel deals. They leverage SEO marketing to draw an audience of travel bargain seekers, often charging a subscription price in exchange for sharing below-market rates on travel bookings.
Travel membership clubs are not to be confused with “Vacation Clubs”, which are more like a timeshare than like Expedia. Typically, vacation clubs offer access to specific properties for fixed periods of stay. Travel Membership Clubs offer access, often with a subscription, to a full booking engine where almost any booking is available at a bargain price.
Travelers are willing to try an alternative to the standard Expedia or Booking.com experience if they feel like can consistently get better rates without sacrificing their booking experience. Travelers have also expressed a willingness to pay a monthly subscription fee in exchange for a steady stream of valuable travel content.
There are examples of successful subscription models in the travel industry across the pricing and use-case spectrum:
Inspirato: Inspirato is a private club that requires a non-refundable Initiation Fee of $15,000 and an annual Membership Fee of $2,600. The service appeals to the luxury traveler and offers access to a managed and controlled portfolio of vacation choices.
Soho House: Soho House is a membership platform with physical locations and online services for people working the creative industry. Annual dues can run up to $5,000.
Clear: Clear membership costs around $189 per year, and offers an biometric identity verification program. Members can move quickly through security lines at airports.
Going.com (formerly Scott’s cheap flights): Going.com is a subscription email service that lets travelers find airfare bargains. A premium subscription costs $49/year.
Founder’s Card: Founder’s Card is a community of business executives offering travel, lifestyle and business brand benefits. Members receive preferred pricing and elite status with airlines, rental car programs, loyalty programs and innovative travel brands.
In short, travelers are accustomed to paying a subscription fee within the travel industry, and everyone loves to feel like they got a great deal.
But how to build a booking platform that provides travelers with the booking experience they are accustomed to? You can turn to existing, scalable technology providers like Xeni.
Xeni can provide travel management clubs with an instant solution for selling to an audience of any size. Xeni’s platform includes a full suite of inventory at wholesale rates (hotels, car rentals, activities, and flights), as well as a built-in sales agent team management solution (CRM), automated traveler communications, marketing and itinerary management tools, and bookings management. Travel Club Managers can use Xeni’s white label-able user interface, or use Xeni’s APIs to power their existing site.