back icon Back Insights 09/14/2023

Driving Customer Loyalty through Exclusive Travel Club Memberships

Today’s travelers are savvy and have access to countless options at their fingertips. With all of the choices and convenience available to travel, it is no longer enough for a business to simply provide a good quality product or service. Customers crave authenticity and want to see themselves reflected in the products and brands they choose. 

Travel clubs have been around for more than 60 years, and most of today’s exclusive clubs aim to do even more for travelers than help them save money. 

This blog will discuss the strategy of driving customer loyalty through exclusive travel club memberships and explore how businesses can leverage these memberships to create a stronger bond with their customers. You will discover the benefits of offering exclusive travel club memberships, the impact on customer retention, and how businesses can effectively implement this approach to enhance customer loyalty.

The Power of Exclusive Travel Club Memberships to Drive Customer Loyalty

Travel can be costly, especially if you are not a seasoned traveler with expert insight and experience in the travel industry. Most travel clubs promise to make travel more affordable by providing members-only special discounts through the group. 

Exclusive travel club memberships provide benefits beyond great travel deals. Travel club memberships offer customers a sense of belonging, prestige, and access to unique experiences. Many exclusive travel clubs offer full-service benefits such as a password-protected benefits portal, mobile applications, contracted partnerships, and customer support.

Most importantly, travel clubs provide members with the finest travel, hotel, and lifestyle benefits designed to upgrade their lives and give them access to some of the most exclusive privileges and experiences in the world. By providing members with special privileges and personalized travel offers, businesses can strengthen their customer relationships and foster brand loyalty.

Impact on customer retention

Exclusive travel club memberships can significantly improve customer retention rates. Customers who feel valued and appreciated through exclusive benefits are more likely to remain loyal to a brand and continue their patronage

Case study

In 2019, Inspirato launched one of the first subscription-based luxury hospitality offerings with its Inspirato Pass. Inspirato Pass is an all-inclusive monthly subscription that provides access to over 1.5 million “Pass Trips” in 100+ destinations around the world. It provides subscribers access to vacation homes, top hotels and resorts, cruises, and bucket-list travel experiences. This pass is aimed at luxury travelers who want flexibility in their travel plans. As it grew in popularity, Inspirato launched two additional subscription plans, Inspirato Club and Inspirato Select. Inspirato boasts over 13,000 subscribers, with 18% growth in 2022 alone. 

Implementing Exclusive Travel Club Memberships for Optimal Loyalty

There are a few essential steps businesses should take when implementing exclusive travel club memberships. From defining membership tiers and benefits to developing a seamless enrollment process, these considerations ensure a successful travel club launch.

Define membership tiers

Many travel clubs operate on a membership-based model, where members pay a fee to access the club’s discounts and benefits. There can be varying fee levels, so members have a choice of how much they are willing to spend in exchange for different levels of access to amenities and deals. 

Personalization and customization

A travel club membership program is a great way to attract and retain repeat customers as it encourages engagement, increases customer retention rates, and helps brands gain valuable insights into their customers. To help build relationships even more, make each interaction personal and valuable, starting with individualized emails and product recommendations so customers get exactly what they are looking for. Businesses should tailor membership benefits and offers to individual customer preferences, creating a unique and memorable experience.

Communication and engagement

Communicating the value of exclusive travel club memberships to customers effectively is key for membership engagement. Ongoing engagement, such as sending personalized offers, exclusive content, and updates to keep members excited and engaged.

Leveraging Technology to Enhance Exclusive Travel Club Memberships

Offer a seamless digital experience

Technology can enhance the management and experience of exclusive travel club memberships. From user-friendly mobile apps to personalized member portals, technology streamlines enrollment, communication, and redemption processes.

Utilize data-driven insights

Businesses need strong analytics as a core strategic foundation to help them understand their customers, particularly in terms of prioritizing efforts that drive the most return on investment. Data-driven decision-making uses facts, metrics, and other data to guide strategic business decisions that align with goals, objectives, and initiatives. When businesses realize the full value of their data, they are empowered to make informed decisions with data. Analyzing data can help make informed decisions to continuously improve membership offerings, identify areas for improvement, and maximize ROI. 

Refine membership benefits 

Designing a membership program is about more than choosing what benefits to offer your members. Audience research helps to understand what potential members value and articulate a membership value proposition. Use that to design the membership program to speak to those values, align with your mission, and can be implemented with your existing capacity. You will then identify reasonable rates and benefits for your membership program based on member feedback.

A group of travelers on a tour bus booked from a travel membership program.

Arrivia: Your Partner to Drive Customer Loyalty through Travel Club Memberships

Why choose arrivia?

Arrivia is a trusted partner for businesses seeking to drive customer loyalty through exclusive travel club memberships. Arrivia’s expertise in travel rewards and loyalty technology, along with its customizable solutions, meet the unique needs of each business.

Arrivia powers some of the most iconic names in travel, hospitality, and financial services to offer a unique suite of tools and services for travel club memberships, including data analytics, member engagement platforms, and strategic consulting. These are all designed to work together and enhance the effectiveness of exclusive travel club memberships to foster long-term customer loyalty.

Partnering with arrivia can provide businesses with the resources, technology, and support needed to create and manage successful exclusive travel club memberships. Businesses can tap into arrivia’s industry knowledge and innovative solutions to drive customer loyalty and boost their bottom line.

To learn more about how arrivia can help your business drive customer loyalty through exclusive travel club memberships, visit our website or contact us today. Together, let us create a membership experience that keeps your customers engaged, loyal, and excited to embark on new travel adventures.