How to Turn Every Guest Into a Repeat Customer

Introduction

Running an experience business is only means more than just getting bookings, it’s about building lasting relationships with every guest who visits. Whether you teach windsurfing, run a climbing centre or offer paddleboard hire, turning a one-time visitor into a repeat customer is the key to sustainable growth.

There are a number of ways to do this through picking good software to run your business. Namely the use of digital activity passes that act like loyalty cards, gift cards, automatic discounts that reward repeat guests, personalised follow-ups via email and SMS offering discounts or notifications of the next session to attend, targeted newsletters, and powerful memberships tied directly to individual users. These are all features that you can find within Sailia.

In this guide, we’ll show you how each of these tools works together to create a frictionless retention loop and how top centres use Sailia to boost repeat bookings by up to 40%.

Reward Loyalty Instantly with Activity Passes

Think of activity passes as digital loyalty cards - but smarter. A simple “5 sessions for the price of 4” pass can transform one-off visitors into regulars. They’re already commonplace in the climbing sector but we’ve seen that they can work just as well in other areas in the activity industry.

Passes work because they:

• Encourage people to commit to multiple visits upfront.

• Give guests a tangible reason to return before the pass expires.

• Make repeat customers feel recognised, not just discounted.

They’re especially powerful for high-frequency activities: rentals, launches, or classes. The key is to strike a balance between value and urgency - offer enough savings to motivate, but not so much that it erodes margins.

(Many modern booking systems let you issue and track passes online or at your centre automatically Sailia included.) The key is to find a purpose built system rather than a system that jerry rigs membership cards for working in this format too.

Give Customers a Reason to Share: Gift Cards

Gift cards do two things no ad campaign can: they pre-pay your revenue, and they turn your happiest customers into your best marketers.

Every time someone gives a friend a “Kayaking Experience” or “Two-Hour Windsurf Session,” you reach a new audience with zero acquisition cost. Offer digital and physical options, and highlight them near peak seasons: birthdays, holidays, corporate gifting.

Keep redemption simple - no hoops, no expiry panic. The easier it is to use, the more likely the recipient will become a loyal regular.

Automate the Follow-Up

A follow-up email is one of the simplest, most effective retention tools. But the difference between a generic “Come back soon” and a timely, relevant message is huge.

The effects are greatest when:

• They’re sent based on behaviour, not blast.

  “You finished a beginner sailing course, ready for the improver?” feels personal.

• Automate timing.

  A reminder a few hours after, then a few days and finally a few weeks after the visit keeps you top-of-mind before habits fade.

• Add small, targeted incentives.

  A 10% return discount or bonus session can be enough to tip the decision.

Sailia has the unique ability to automate communications based on advanced triggers. For example, sending a different email to someone who completed a safety course versus someone who hired kit. Done well, this can lift repeat bookings by 20–40%.

Segment Newsletters Like a Pro

If you’re sending one newsletter to your entire list, you’re leaving money on the table.

Segmentation turns a newsletter from noise into value.

You could target:

• Customers who booked a specific product last season.

• Locals who haven’t booked in six months.

• Families who visited during school holidays.

Tailor the message: upcoming courses, seasonal deals, or behind-the-scenes updates. A personal tone beats polished design every time.

It’s possible to do many of these actions with tools such as Mailchimp, Salesforce or Brevo. However it can be time consuming to manually import all of the data. In Sailia this is done for you can you can simply action based on the data that’s already in the system and use as many of the filters as you need.

Create Long-Term Value with Memberships

Memberships convert casual guests into committed supporters. Instead of selling each session separately, sell access - with perks.

Options that work well:

• Unlimited launches or rentals.

• Discounted lesson bundles.

• Members only sessions.

Memberships are powerful because they lock in predictable revenue and give members a sense of belonging. Even small perks - priority slots, a “members-only” WhatsApp group - can make the difference between a one-off guest and a lifelong advocate.

Giving members the ability to sift through their benefits and take full advantage without having to ask you every time is also hugely beneficial when it comes to retention. It’s key to use a system where memberships are clearly tied to specific users, this allows for a full 360 view of all of your customers and allows them to completely self-serve saving you time.

Make Loyalty Feel Effortless

All of these tactics work best when they’re connected. A guest buys a gift card → redeems it → earns an activity pass → receives a targeted email → upgrades to membership.

The key is simplicity: guests shouldn’t have to think about loyalty, it should just happen automatically through thoughtful design and timely reminders.

Retention isn’t about gimmicks; it’s about relationships. Reward loyalty, communicate intelligently, and make it easy to return. Every repeat customer reduces your marketing spend, stabilises your cash flow, and strengthens your brand’s community.

If your system can track visits, send offers, and handle memberships under one roof, you’ll spend less time on admin and more on building relationships. (That’s exactly what Sailia was designed to support)