How to foster connection

Guests value opportunities for authentic interactions with you and other guests. Create moments before, during and after the experience to give them a sense of connection and belonging.

Build time into your itinerary for guests to bond with you, one another and your community. That can include structured and unstructured activities.

• Plan a conversation starter. Consider a quick prompt, like asking guests where they’re from. Graciela, who hosts a cooking class in Mexico City, once had international guests discover they were neighbours. “That simple introduction turned into an unexpected connection,” she says.
• Let the group mingle. You might invite guests to discuss a topic or share a story to help them get to know one another. “I meet marvellous people with amazing life stories,” says Alan, who hosts a tour of Niagara Falls. “And they prefer to do experiences to meet people. They really need that personal connection.”
• Introduce your community. Help guests connect with locals, whether it’s planned or impromptu. Ruthy, who hosts a food tour in Lisbon, says she’s the glue that connects guests to the community. “Guests love it when we introduce them to the granny on the street.”

If you make changes to give guests time to connect, update your itinerary so they know what to expect.

Stay engaged with your guests in the Messages tab before and after an experience.

• Schedule a welcome message. Kick off the group message thread with an introduction. Ask what they hope to get out of the experience and if anyone is celebrating a special occasion.
• Learn about each group. Stay involved in the chat to help foster better in-person connection. You’ll also find details about your guests in the Today tab, including their interests and where they’re from.
• Follow up afterwards. Share photos, videos and recommendations, and encourage guests to do the same. This can help reinforce the connections guests made and keep the experience front of mind when they’re asked to provide ratings and reviews.

All hosts, photos and listing details must meet the standards and requirements for Airbnb Experiences.

Information contained in this article may have changed since publication.