From Vacation Ownership to Experience Access

The Decision Brief Jason Gamel, President & CEO, ARDAGordon Gurnik, Senior Executive VP & COO, Hilton Grand Vacations Moderated by Darren Frei, Skift Studio Sponsored by ARDA THE VERDICT Every travel company with a repeat customer base is deciding how central experience programming should become to the customer relationship. Vacation ownership has been moving in that direction for years. Gurnik said Hilton Grand Vacations runs about 3,800 experience events a year for about 725,000 owners, from its F1 Las Vegas Clubhouse to private concerts and the LPGA Tournament of Champions. Meanwhile, Gamel said more than 75% of purchasers in vacation ownership are millennials and Gen Z, a younger customer base he said is helping drive demand for experiences. The question is how much those experiences deepen the long-term relationship beyond the stay itself. PATHS FORWARD Keep programming fresh, led by the customer. Gurnik said the key is listening to owners, surveying them on what they want, and “constantly changing it up and doing something slightly different every year.” He also pointed to the importance of spotting rising talent for private concert experiences. Deliver access customers can’t easily get on their own. Any loyalty program can offer discounts. The ones that deliver exclusive access create a different kind of retention. Connect ownership to a broader loyalty ecosystem. Gamel said HGV owners can convert their ownership into Hilton Honors points and access additional benefits through the hotel loyalty program. That connection can extend the value of ownership beyond the vacation-ownership product itself. WHAT TO WATCH Gamel said some younger buyers are “foregoing buying a home so they can spend money on vacations.” Whether that behavior holds over time is worth watching as younger generations become a larger share of the vacation-ownership customer base. It is also worth watching how broadly this model spreads. Gamel pointed to similar experience platforms and partnerships from Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Westgate Resorts, and Travel + Leisure, suggesting the experience layer is becoming a wider focus across vacation ownership. Access all the Skift Takeaways from this event, as well as full session videos, presentation documents, and more editorial coverage at our Skift Global Forum attendees hub.