As costs increase and family travel budgets shrink, now is a solid time for attractions to build loyalty, retain customers, and encourage repeat visitors.
New attractions may capture the attention of all ages, but operators know additions can carry a high investment cost. A well-structured loyalty program using proven, time-trusted strategies can help drive repeat visitation.
The first nationally recognized frequent flyer programs launched 45 years ago by American Airlines and United Airlines. As of 2025, 900 million people are estimated to be enrolled in at least one airline loyalty program, according to a research report from DataIntelo. In 2024, more than 675 million travelers were part of a hotel loyalty membership program.
Travel loyalty programs succeed because they give customers an achievable reason to engage, valuable goals to work toward, and benefits that extend beyond cost savings. Attractions can borrow those principles to turn occasional visitors into guests who keep coming back.
“The main lesson from travel is that loyalty needs to be looked at as a profit center versus a marketing expense. Successful loyalty programs will drive additional revenue generating behaviors that wouldn’t have been seen without the loyalty program,” says John Taylor Garner, founder and CEO of Odynn, an embedded loyalty, rewards, and travel technology platform.
Deliver Fast Wins
Theme park enthusiasts want their rewards to be like the first seconds of a launch coaster—immediately thrilling with additional excitement awaiting beyond the first loop. That’s a formula top travel rewards programs have mastered.
For instance, new Hilton Honors members earn perks like free WiFi, waived resort fees, late checkout (when available), and a digital key to open doors when using the Hilton Honors app on a smartphone. ClubMiles, a loyalty program from Fareportal, offers 2,000 points just for signing up and $100 off flights the first time a user books through the mobile app.
“ClubMiles is a very achievable awards program, especially when you use the mobile app to earn two times the points. People don’t have to wait forever to earn rewards,” says Tom Spagnola, senior vice president, partner relationships at Fareportal, parent company of CheapOair and OneTravel.
Reward More Than Just Park Admission
By offering immediate discounts for using their app, ClubMiles actively rewards behaviors the company seeks to encourage.
Spagnola also offers the example of airline rewards credit cards that deliver four times the points on restaurant spending. Dining out is often part of travel experiences, even if it doesn’t directly drive revenue for the airlines.
“Attraction operators need to think outside of ticket sales,” Garner agrees. “Reward behavior that increases engagement, not just transactions.”
Disney offers co-branded Visa credit cards issued by Chase Bank. Cardholders have opportunities to earn rewards—including points toward Disney Gift Card eGifts—through everyday purchases at grocery stores and restaurants. The Disney-branded card keeps the entertainment company top-of-mind for families planning their vacation.
Consider Partnerships
Hotel, airline, and credit card partnerships allow travelers to earn across programs, transfer select points and maximize rewards. Points-hacking, the act of maximizing these rewards through strategic transfers to travel for free or at steeply discounted rates, has emerged as an industry unto itself.
Attractions operators can avoid the complexity of point transfers and all that goes with points-hacking while adopting the best aspects: cross-marketing and giving consumers multiple ways to earn and redeem points.
“Many of the most successful loyalty programs go well beyond the product being offered. Attraction operators can offer added value by partnering with hotels, restaurants, retailers, and local tourism organizations,” Garner says.
Hilton’s partnerships with companies like Small Luxury Hotels of the World, AutoCamp, and Lyft exemplify this strategy. “These partnerships help make loyalty feel more flexible, experiential, and personalized,” a Hilton spokesperson tells Funworld. “Partnerships are an important extension of how loyalty programs create value today because travelers increasingly want rewards and benefits tied to their passions and interests.”
Offer Access, Not Just Discounts
Partnerships allow travel companies to create more opportunities for consumers to earn and redeem awards across brands. Within attraction facilities, operators can also consider ways to reward loyalty by enhancing the guest experience.
Free premium parking, expedited entries (passholder entrances or skip-the-line programs), VIP lounges, preferred seating at shows, behind-the-scenes experiences, and early access to new attractions are just a few of the popular benefits to consider.
Options like bring-a-friend access for season passholders, exclusive ride sessions, and early entry hours for passholders can send a message that a facility rewards loyalty in special, memorable ways. Access-based benefits like VIP seating at live shows and along parade routes may carry high perceived value—without requiring attractions to give away revenue in exchange for points.
Build Tiers Guests Want to Climb
Special events and activities create a sense of FOMO (fear-of-missing-out) for guests who aren’t receiving those benefits. A good rewards program should offer tiered benefits that are both valuable and accessible.
“The best driver of loyalty can be a person’s progress or level of achievement. This includes having better levels of service or exclusive access to events,” Garner explains. Hilton has a well-established program that incentivizes guests to choose hotels within the Hilton family.
“As travelers stay more often, they can continue to unlock elite benefits, like space available room upgrades and a daily food and beverage credit, as they move up the tiers with gold and diamond status,” the Hilton representative shares."
