Using an Experience Marketplace to Transform Local Tourism

If you’re considering creating an experience marketplace for your destination, here’s some questions you may want answered:

Why Use an Experience Marketplace?

Centralized Access to Attractions

With an experience marketplace, users no longer need to search multiple websites or landing pages for things to do. They can explore all your destination has to offer in one place, compare offerings, and make bookings all through one platform. For instance, The Houston Experience Marketplace allows users to sort by kid-friendly activities, food tours, or arts and culture experiences, ensuring there’s an experience for everyone.

A Boost to Local Businesses

Destinations use experience marketplaces to partner with local attractions to drive more traffic to their doors. Offering discounts on general admission or bundling activities encourages visitors to engage more with local offerings. In 2024, Experience Columbus had over 20,000 Add to Carts for their Bandwango passes, and over 30,000 views to their /Marketplace page. The Experience Columbus Marketplace showcases everything from walking and Segway tours to food trails, helping local businesses increase both visibility and revenue. 

Data-Driven Insights

With an experience marketplace, destinations are able to track user behavior, such as the most-booked activities or popular travel dates. Utilizing these insights can help shape your marketing strategies and refine your offerings to better meet your visitor’s preferences.

What Is an Experience Marketplace?

An experience marketplace is a single-page, user-friendly hub that consolidates a destination’s Bandwango passes, consisting of attractions, events, and experiences. Visitors and locals have the ability to:

• Sort experiences by category, such as adventure, food & drink, culture, or family-friendly activities.
• Find and book activities, from general admission tickets to customized tours.

These platforms make it easy for users to plan their adventures while driving more foot traffic to local attractions. For example, Oceanside’s Activity Marketplace allows users to explore the best of the city, from ocean adventures to cultural tours. The marketplace benefits travelers, locals, and local businesses by providing a seamless method of booking experiences all in one place.

How Can I Build My Own Experience Marketplace

Utilize Bandwango’s Experience Builder

Destinations can use platforms like Bandwango’s Experience Builder to design and launch a tailored experience marketplace. Begin by partnering with local attractions such as tour operators, museums, restaurants, and other businesses to feature their offerings. Encourage them to provide exclusive discounts for tickets purchased through your marketplace. With Bandwango’s Experience Builder, you can easily curate your marketplace, track data, and update listings through a user-friendly dashboard, bringing your ideas to life.

Focus on SEO and Accessibility

Ensure your marketplace is optimized for search engines with terms like “best things to do in [city].” Make your webpage mobile-friendly and easy to navigate for users on the go. Most importantly, ensure easy visibility by placing an internal link to your marketplace in your navigation menu, and on your website homepage.

Promote Across All Marketing Channels

Leverage all forms of marketing to ensure that your message reaches your target audience. Use physical collateral, social media, email campaigns, and influencer partnerships to spread the word. Post visual media to capture the experiences your marketplace can bring.

Ready to Create Your Marketplace?

Providing a centralized booking platform for attractions and experiences enhances the visitor experience, supports the local community, and increases tourism revenue for destinations as well as local businesses. An experience marketplace is the best way to promote local attractions, launch customized food tours, or attract thrill-seekers with outdoor adventures. Take inspiration from these examples and transform the way people explore your destination today.

New to Bandwango and interested in bringing a digital passport or experience marketplace to your community? Click here to book a demo today!

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This blog was created in partnership with Simpleview.