Subscription Vacations. The Subscription Economy in the Tourism Market: The Case Study of Poland

Criterion	Traditional loyalty programme	Subscription model
Fee structure	Most often free participation or low barrier to entry; customers earn points, rewards, benefits based on activity/transactions	Usually a fixed, periodic fee (e.g. monthly, annual) that gives access to specific benefits/membership; requires a financial commitment up front.
Source of loyalty/customer retention mechanism	Source of loyalty/customer retention mechanism	Additionally, strong ‘lock-in’ through subscription fees; it is often assumed that the subscriber will regularly use the benefits offered, which increases the cost of change/opting out.
Duration of relationship/commitment	Short-term rewards – the customer buys more often to enjoy the benefits sooner. Flexibility – the customer can participate without a large commitment; the relationship may be less intense if the benefits are not very attractive.	Long-term commitment – the customer ‘stays’ because of the ongoing benefits and sunk costs. Financial commitment generates higher expectations regarding the value of the service - there must be consistent value.
Value for customer	Reward depends on the frequency and amount of purchases.	Continuous, immediate value (e.g. free delivery, access to premium content, exclusive services).
Business objective/revenue model for the company	Increase in purchase frequency and value, less predictable revenue; loyalty increases purchase frequency.	Ensuring predictable, repeatable revenue – subscription fee provides steady cash flow but there is also a risk of subscriber churn.
Risks/barriers	Barriers to change, but lower entry costs; difficulty in designing attractive rewards and maintaining interest.	Risk that users will not take full advantage of the benefits (less use than expected), rejection due to cost, higher expectations of service quality; greater sensitivity to perceived value.

Table 2.

Selected examples of tourism companies operating under the subscription model.

Type of tourism product	Example of company / Name of subscription programme	Examples of benefits
Transport	Lufthansa / Flight Pass Wizz Air / WIZZ MultiPass Alaska Airlines / Fllight.Pass Emirates / Skywards+Volaris / All You Can Fly Wheels Up / Prior Bespoke Good Sam / Good Sam Membership Hertz / Hertz My Avis / Avis Preferred Uber / Uber Eats Wolt / Wolt+	– discount on your next purchase, – access to airport lounges, – free access to luggage storage, – priority service, – advance product purchase (e.g. certain number of flights) within certain period or region, – exclusive partner offers, such as invitations to monthly dinners, parties and other special events for members only, – access to iconic properties.
Accommodation	Couchsurfing InterContinental Hotels & Resorts / InterContinental Ambassador Ennismore / Dis-loyalty Accor / Accor Plus Bidroom CitizenM / CitizenM+Zumper / FlexPass Travel + Leisure Co. Zoku / WorkZoku Holiday Park & Resort / bronze, silver, gold and platinum	– unlimited number of stays at facilities included in programme, – guaranteed permanent discounts on accommodations and early access to promotions, – free lodging, – late check-out, – guaranteed room upgrade of one category, – free access to coworking and business space, – discount on food and beverage outlets in facility, – exclusive events (e.g. culinary cooking courses), – free airport transfers, – free ironing of clothes.
Gastronomy	Panera Bread / MyPanera+P.F. Chang’s / Platinum Rewards Goldbelly Frog / voucher	– convenience for people with regular consumption habits, – priority reservations and exclusive dishes, – regular deliveries of favourite products eliminate need for frequent purchasing decisions, – products at lower price compared to regular purchases.
Booking platforms / Tour operator / Holiday club	eDreams ODIGEO / eDreams ODIGEO Prime TripAdvisor / TripAdvisor Plus^**. Inspirato / Inspirato Pass Travel + Leisure Co.	– unlimited number of stays at participating accommodations (including five-star hotels and luxury vacation homes), – discounts on stays at resorts and hotels, – car rental discounts, – discounts on cruises and tourist attractions, – discounts on renting coworking space, – virtual cooking lessons, – privileges for intermediary service in visa application process, – free subscription to trade journals.
Itinerary	ZeoRoutePlanner Wanderlog / Trip Planner App TripIt Pro Trip Planner Splitwise Pro	– access to optimised routes and live location sharing, – real-time flight alerts, – ticket refund monitors, – information for loved ones about travel plans, – risk alerts, – automatic scanning of travel receipts, – converting all travel bills into any currency, using current exchange rates.
Travel insurance	Safety Wing Seven Corners Staysure Gaarmin Search and Rescue Insurance Age PZU	– medical evacuation insurance, – constant monitoring and assistance, – dedicated account manager, – free account analytics.
Tourist attractions (museums, theatres, botanical gardens, amusement parks, ski lifts, etc.)	Walt Disney World / Walt Disney World (Florida) Subscription Six Flags / Six Flags Member Natural History Museum, London Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York / 6 membership levels Kennedy Center Theater, Washington / Kennedy Center Subscriptions Cinema City / Cinema City Unlimited Cineworld / Unlimited Cinema National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass / America the Beautiful Pass	– ticket discounts, – discounts on season passes, – discounts on food and beverage outlets in facility, – discounts on souvenirs, – priority access to closed spaces and exhibitions (e.g. so-called ‘opening receptions’), – exclusive partner offers, e.g. invitations to special members-only events, ‘talking to the director’, virtual and real previews of selected exhibitions, performances, films, – early access to best seats in, e.g. theatre each season, – guarantee of permanent place, e.g. in a cinema / theatre for entire season and possibility of retaining them in future, – unlimited free ticket exchange up to 48 hours, – children’s classes and camps – early registration and discounts, – free parking, – free digital magazines and newsletters, – birthday gifts.
Tangible tourism products (e.g. tourist equipment, tourist clothing)	Bike Club, Cycle (bicycles and scooters) Camp Life (camping products) Nomadik; Battlbox / Advanced, Pro, Wedio (camera equipment) Pro Plus; Think Outside (outdoor products). Fabletics; SpandexBox (sportswear box) Wordy Traveler (book box) Little Passports / World Box, USA box; Backpack the World / Kids Geography Subscription Box (educational products).	– free themed products, ‘surprise effect’, additional tasks to be performed, e.g. ‘monthly outdoor challenge’, original theming of product, e.g. related to seasons, – free insurance and repair of tourist equipment, – option to buy back touring equipment, – membership in charitable activities.

* Food services will be discussed in detail in a separate article on subscriptions as they have unique challenges and business models that require detailed analysis.

** closure of the programme in 2024.

Table 3.

Distribution of responses to the question on the use of products and services offered in the subscription model in tourism

What products or services offered through the subscription model do you use in the field of tourism?	N	%
Transport subscriptions (including permanent access to flights from specific line)	36	13.7%
Accommodation subscriptions (e.g. hotel subscriptions)	71	27.0%
Vacation clubs (permanent access to various destinations and travel services)	30	11.4%
Subscriptions to booking platforms	87	33.1%
Subscriptions to tourist attractions	36	13.7%
Subscriptions of tangible tourism products (including tourist equipment)	19	7.2%
Transport subscriptions (city bikes, scooters, carsharing)	46	17.5%
Travel insurance subscriptions	23	8.7%
Subscriptions for trip planning	19	7.2%
I don’t use any	73	27.8%
Total	263

Table 4.

Distribution of answers to the question about the most important facilities in travel subscriptions.

What amenities do you consider most important in travel subscriptions?	N	%
Discounts on flights, hotels and other services	169	64.3%
Flexibility of booking and cancellation	116	44.1%
Access to exclusive offers and attractions (e.g. VIP clubs)	57	21.7%
Personalised trip planning	68	25.9%
Ongoing travel support	49	18.6%
Total	263

Table 5.

Relationship between gender and the use of individual products and services in the tourism subscription model. Results of the chi-square independence test.

Variable		Women		Men		χ²(1)	p	ϕ
Variable		N	%	N	%	χ²(1)	p	ϕ
Transport subscriptions	No	127	87.6%	98	84.5%	0.52	0.477	0.04
Transport subscriptions	Yes	18	12.4%	18	15.5%	0.52	0.477	0.04
Accommodation subscriptions	No	107	73.8%	84	72.4%	0.06	0.888	0.02
Accommodation subscriptions	Yes	38	26.2%	32	27.6%	0.06	0.888	0.02
Holiday clubs	No	127	87.6%	104	89.7%	0.27	0.698	0.03
Holiday clubs	Yes	18	12.4%	12	10.3%	0.27	0.698	0.03
Subscriptions to booking platforms	No	93	64.1%	82	70.7%	1.25	0.290	0.07
Subscriptions to booking platforms	Yes	52	35.9%	34	29.3%	1.25	0.290	0.07
Subscriptions to tourist attractions	No	123	84.8%	102	87.9%	0.52	0.588	0.05
Subscriptions to tourist attractions	Yes	22	15.2%	14	12.1%	0.52	0.588	0.05
Subscriptions of tangible products	No	135	93.1%	107	92.2%	0.07	0.814	0.02
Subscriptions of tangible products	Yes	10	6.9%	9	7.8%	0.07	0.814	0.02
Carriage subscriptions	No	121	83.4%	95	81.9%	0.11	0.745	0.02
Carriage subscriptions	Yes	24	16.6%	21	18.1%	0.11	0.745	0.02
Travel insurance subscriptions	No	131	90.3%	107	92.2%	0.29	0.664	0.03
Travel insurance subscriptions	Yes	14	9.7%	9	7.8%	0.29	0.664	0.03
Subscriptions for trip planning	No	138	95.2%	104	89.7%	2.91	0.098	0.11
Subscriptions for trip planning	Yes	7	4.8%	12	10.3%	2.91	0.098	0.11

1 N – the number of observations; χ²(1) – the result of the chi-square test along with the number of degrees of freedom; p – statistical significance; ϕ – the effect strength index

Table 6.

Relationship between gender and preferences for amenities in travel subscriptions. Results of the chisquare independence test.

Variable		Women		Men		χ²(1)	p	ϕ
Variable		N	%	N	%	χ²(1)	p	ϕ
Discounts on transport, hotels and other services	No	56	38.6%	38	32.8%	0.96	0.365	0.06
Discounts on transport, hotels and other services	Yes	89	61.4%	78	67.2%	0.96	0.365	0.06
Flexibility of booking and cancellation	No	76	52.4%	69	59.5%	1.30	0.262	0.07
Flexibility of booking and cancellation	Yes	69	47.6%	47	40.5%	1.30	0.262	0.07
Access to exclusive offers and attractions	No	117	80.7%	88	75.9%	0.89	0.366	0.06
Access to exclusive offers and attractions	Yes	28	19.3%	28	24.1%	0.89	0.366	0.06
Personalised trip planning	No	103	71.0%	91	78.4%	1.86	0.200	0.08
Personalised trip planning	Yes	42	29.0%	25	21.6%	1.86	0.200	0.08
Ongoing travel support	No	114	78.6%	98	84.5%	1.45	0.266	0.07
Ongoing travel support	Yes	31	21.4%	18	15.5%	1.45	0.266	0.07

1 N – the number of observations; χ²(1) – the result of the chi-square test along with the number of degrees of freedom; p – statistical significance; ϕ – the effect strength index

Table 7.

Relationship between age and the use of individual products and services in the tourism subscription model. Results of the chi-square independence test.

Variable		Age						χ²(2)	p	V_c
		18–24		25–44		45 and more
		N	%	N	%	N	%
Transport subscriptions	No	84	92.3%	80	85.1%	63	80.8%	4.91	0.086	0.14
Transport subscriptions	Yes	7	7.7%	14	14.9%	15	19.2%	4.91	0.086	0.14
Accommodation subscriptions	No	65	71.4%	68	72.3%	59	75.6%	0.41	0.814	0.04
Accommodation subscriptions	Yes	26	28.6%	26	27.7%	19	24.4%	0.41	0.814	0.04
Holiday clubs	No	84	92.3%	82	87.2%	67	85.9%	1.98	0.372	0.09
Holiday clubs	Yes	7	7.7%	12	12.8%	11	14.1%	1.98	0.372	0.09
Subscriptions to booking platforms	No	65	71.4%	58	61.7%	53	67.9%	2.03	0.363	0.09
Subscriptions to booking platforms	Yes	26	28.6%	36	38.3%	25	32.1%	2.03	0.363	0.09
Subscriptions to tourist attractions	No	80	87.9%	83	88.3%	64	82.1%	1.71	0.425	0.08
Subscriptions to tourist attractions	Yes	11	12.1%	11	11.7%	14	17.9%	1.71	0.425	0.08
Subscriptions of tangible tourism products	No	84	92.3%	89	94.7%	71	91.0%	0.90	0.639	0.06
Subscriptions of tangible tourism products	Yes	7	7.7%	5	5.3%	7	9.0%	0.90	0.639	0.06
Carriage subscriptions	No	80	87.9%	79	84.0%	58	74.4%	5.58	0.061	0.15
Carriage subscriptions	Yes	11	12.1%	15	16.0%	20	25.6%	5.58	0.061	0.15
Travel insurance subscriptions	No	80	87.9%	87	92.6%	73	93.6%	2.01	0.367	0.09
Travel insurance subscriptions	Yes	11	12.1%	7	7.4%	5	6.4%	2.01	0.367	0.09
Subscriptions for trip planning	No	84	92.3%	89	94.7%	71	91.0%	0.90	0.639	0.06
Subscriptions for trip planning	Yes	7	7.7%	5	5.3%	7	9.0%	0.90	0.639	0.06

1 N – the number of observations; χ²(2) – the result of the chi-square test along with the number of degrees of freedom; p – statistical significance; V_c – the effect strength index

Table 8.

Relationship between age and preferences for amenities in travel subscriptions. Results of the chisquare independence test.

Variable		Age						χ²(2)	p	V_c
		18-24		25-44		45 and more
		N	%	N	%	N	%
Discounts on transport, hotels and other services	No	22	24.2%	39	41.5%	33	42.3%	8.12	0.017	0.18
Discounts on transport, hotels and other services	Yes	69	75.8%	55	58.5%	45	57.7%	8.12	0.017	0.18
Flexibility of booking and cancellation	No	45	49.5%	52	55.3%	50	64.1%	3.68	0.159	0.12
Flexibility of booking and cancellation	Yes	46	50.5%	42	44.7%	28	35.9%	3.68	0.159	0.12
Access to exclusive offers and attractions	No	68	74.7%	77	81.9%	61	78.2%	1.41	0.494	0.07
Access to exclusive offers and attractions	Yes	23	25.3%	17	18.1%	17	21.8%	1.41	0.494	0.07
Personalised trip planning	No	63	69.2%	68	72.3%	64	82.1%	3.85	0.146	0.12
Personalised trip planning	Yes	28	30.8%	26	27.7%	14	17.9%	3.85	0.146	0.12
Ongoing travel support	No	73	80.2%	80	85.1%	61	78.2%	1.46	0.482	0.07
Ongoing travel support	Yes	18	19.8%	14	14.9%	17	21.8%	1.46	0.482	0.07

1 N – the number of observations; χ²(2) – the result of the chi–square test along with the number of degrees of freedom; p – statistical significance; V_c – the effect strength index

Table 9.

Relationship between income and the use of individual products and services in the tourism subscription model. Results of the chi-square independence test.

Variable		Up to 3000 PLN		From 3001 to 4000 PLN		From 4001 to 5000 PLN		Over 5000 PLN		χ²(3)	p	V_c
Variable		N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%	χ²(3)	p	V_c
Transport subscriptions	No	59	92.2%	61	85.9%	55	80.9%	52	86.7%	3.58	0.310	0.12
Transport subscriptions	Yes	5	7.8%	10	14.1%	13	19.1%	8	13.3%	3.58	0.310	0.12
Accommodation subscriptions	No	45	70.3%	52	73.2%	46	67.6%	49	81.7%	3.51	0.319	0.12
Accommodation subscriptions	Yes	19	29.7%	19	26.8%	22	32.4%	11	18.3%	3.51	0.319	0.12
Holiday clubs	No	62	96.9%	62	87.3%	53	77.9%	56	93.3%	13.43	0.004	0.23
Holiday clubs	Yes	2	3.1%	9	12.7%	15	22.1%	4	6.7%	13.43	0.004	0.23
Subscriptions to booking platforms	No	40	62.5%	54	76.1%	44	64.7%	38	63.3%	3.74	0.291	0.12
Subscriptions to booking platforms	Yes	24	37.5%	17	23.9%	24	35.3%	22	36.7%	3.74	0.291	0.12
Subscriptions to tourist attractions	No	57	89.1%	59	83.1%	56	82.4%	55	91.7%	3.39	0.335	0.11
Subscriptions to tourist attractions	Yes	7	10.9%	12	16.9%	12	17.6%	5	8.3%	3.39	0.335	0.11
Subscriptions of tangible tourism products	No	58	90.6%	66	93.0%	61	89.7%	59	98.3%	4.17	0.244	0.13
Subscriptions of tangible tourism products	Yes	6	9.4%	5	7.0%	7	10.3%	1	1.7%	4.17	0.244	0.13
Carriage subscriptions	No	55	85.9%	59	83.1%	55	80.9%	48	80.0%	0.93	0.819	0.06
Carriage subscriptions	Yes	9	14.1%	12	16.9%	13	19.1%	12	20.0%	0.93	0.819	0.06
Travel insurance subscriptions	No	58	90.6%	62	87.3%	64	94.1%	56	93.3%	2.43	0.488	0.10
Travel insurance subscriptions	Yes	6	9.4%	9	12.7%	4	5.9%	4	6.7%	2.43	0.488	0.10
Subscriptions for trip planning	No	60	93.8%	61	85.9%	65	95.6%	58	96.7%	7.23	0.065	0.17
Subscriptions for trip planning	Yes	4	6.3%	10	14.1%	3	4.4%	2	3.3%	7.23	0.065	0.17

1 N – the number of observations; χ²(3) – the result of the chi-square test along with the number of degrees of freedom; p – statistical significance; V_c – the effect strength index

Table 10.

Relationship between income and preferences for amenities in travel subscriptions. Results of the chisquare independence test.

Variable		Up to 3000 PLN		From 3001 to 4000 PLN		From 4001 to 5000 PLN		Over 5000 PLN		χ²(3)	p	V_c
Variable		N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%	χ²(3)	p	V_c
Discounts on transport, hotels and other services	No	16	25.0%	24	33.8%	32	47.1%	22	36.7%	7.15	0.067	0.17
Discounts on transport, hotels and other services	Yes	48	75.0%	47	66.2%	36	52.9%	38	63.3%	7.15	0.067	0.17
Flexibility of booking and cancellation	No	33	51.6%	43	60.6%	44	64.7%	27	45.0%	6.15	0.105	0.15
Flexibility of booking and cancellation	Yes	31	48.4%	28	39.4%	24	35.3%	33	55.0%	6.15	0.105	0.15
Access to exclusive offers and attractions	No	51	79.7%	55	77.5%	52	76.5%	48	80.0%	0.34	0.953	0.04
Access to exclusive offers and attractions	Yes	13	20.3%	16	22.5%	16	23.5%	12	20.0%	0.34	0.953	0.04
Personalised trip planning	No	43	67.2%	52	73.2%	52	76.5%	48	80.0%	2.91	0.406	0.11
Personalised trip planning	Yes	21	32.8%	19	26.8%	16	23.5%	12	20.0%	2.91	0.406	0.11
Ongoing travel support	No	51	79.7%	61	85.9%	51	75.0%	51	85.0%	3.43	0.330	0.11
Ongoing travel support	Yes	13	20.3%	10	14.1%	17	25.0%	9	15.0%	3.43	0.330	0.11

1 N – the number of observations; χ²(3) – the result of the chi–square test along with the number of degrees of freedom; p – statistical significance; V_c – the effect strength index

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/quageo-2025-0043 | Journal eISSN: 2081-6383 | Journal ISSN: 2082-2103 (formerly 0137-477X)

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Language: English

Page range: 57 - 72

Submitted on: Feb 10, 2025

Published on: Dec 31, 2025

Published by: Adam Mickiewicz University

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Keywords:

subscription economy,

business model,

trends in consumer behaviour,

Related subjects:

© 2025 Ewa Markiewicz, Justyna Ziobrowska-Sztuczka, published by Adam Mickiewicz University
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 44 (2025): Issue 4 (December 2025)