How Associations Can Leverage Travel Benefits to Grow Membership and Drive Revenue

Arrivia’s newest whitepaper, How Associations Can Leverage Travel Benefits to Grow Membership and Drive Revenue, discusses the use of travel benefits as a tool for associations to drive engagement and revenue. It outlines several types of benefits, including travel discounts, travel insurance, access to exclusive experiences, points-based rewards, and co-branded credit cards.

Travel discounts are the most popular loyalty rewards among professional and trade associations, partly due to strategic partnerships between associations and travel providers. Travel insurance is also a hot commodity, as more than one-third of consumers access membership-based insurance perks.

Access to exclusive experiences through a membership association can take the form of an airport lounge or other exclusive perks like an add-on stay at a luxury villa or first dibs on an upcoming concert series. In a points-based system, members must take certain actions to earn points that can be applied to redeem travel rewards or reduce travel costs.

Co-branded credit cards are a partnership between a company and a financial institution, such as the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, in which cardholders can earn company rewards each time they use the card.

To implement travel benefits in a membership program, it is crucial to consider the ultimate needs of the target market, identify relevant travel perks, and select opportunistic partners for optimal rewards. The foundation of the travel benefits membership program must align with the target market and their individual travel needs. Multiple demographics, including age, average household size, and spending habits, should be considered to reveal the travel preferences of members.

To determine relevant travel benefits and strategic and operational partnerships, high-value travel perks should be designated based on market research results. Travel providers can offer private rates at a significant discount to closed user groups (CUGs) like associations. Cruise lines, airlines, and hotel groups have become prime strategic partners. In cases where travel providers are more stringent with their partner organizations, it may be more strategic to partner with a travel loyalty company that offers a white-label travel inventory and technology solution to integrate with an existing website.

Once the groundwork for the loyalty program is laid, communication is crucial to ensure members are aware of the benefits they can access. Communication channels should include email marketing, social media, and print materials, among others. Additionally, gamification and referral programs can be used to increase engagement and drive revenue.

In summary, travel benefits can be an effective tool for associations to drive engagement and revenue. To implement travel benefits in a membership program, it is crucial to consider the ultimate needs of the target market, identify relevant travel perks, and select opportunistic partners for optimal rewards. Communication channels should be used to ensure members are aware of the benefits they can access, and gamification and referral programs can be used to increase engagement and drive revenue.

To read the full whitepaper, click here