Skift Take
Subscriptions are ubiquitous in nearly every industry other than travel. Why the disconnect? The time is right for building paid travel subscriptions, powered by shifts in traveler priorities and work-life flexibility. Learn how to build travel memberships by analyzing three innovative case studies in this latest research report.
The last decade has seen an explosion of subscriptions. You no doubt already have several services on autopay. The travel industry led the world in developing sophisticated loyalty membership programs. But it has struggled to convert from using these unpaid membership tools towards a paid membership model.
The travel industry needs to push forward on building paid subscriptions into the future. Why? Subscriptions create recurring revenue that can compound on itself. This lets companies grow at exponential, rather than linear rates. We think the time is right as the “great merging” of how people live and work means that they have the potential to travel more frequently and for longer trips than ever before.
To study subscriptions in travel, our latest report provides three case studies: eDreams ODIGEO in distribution, Selina in hotels, and Inspirato in alternative accommodations. We believe that the subscription model will help push travel marketing towards a feedback loop, driven by positive customer engagement experiences. The in-destination experience is not the end of the customer journey — rather it is just the start; the experience should be immediately providing inspiration for the next journey.
Based on this research, we offer six lessons for travel industry executives looking to build a membership or subscription in travel.
This is the latest in a series of reports and data products that Skift Research puts out to help you analyze the biggest trends in the travel industry. Tap into the opinions and insights of our seasoned network of staffers and contributors. More than 200 hours of desk research, data collection, and/or analysis goes into each report.
By subscribing to Skift Research, you will gain access to our entire vault of reports conducted on topics ranging from technology to marketing strategy to deep dives on key travel brands. You will also be able to access our proprietary Skift Travel Health Index, Skift Travel Company Tracker, Hotel Tech Benchmark, and data from our regular traveler surveys.
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Tags: loyalty, skift research