incentive travel source

Incentive Travel Source

Incentive Travel Source has been delivering top notch corporate experiences since 2008. By taking the time to understand the goal of each event, we consistently deliver memorable experiences for each attendee and cultivate long term client relationships built on consistent results. We will work with you to understand the goals of your event and deliver the solution that is right for your organization.

WE DO THE HEAVY LIFTING FOR YOUR EVENTS, SO THAT YOU CAN FOCUS ON YOUR EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS.

Incentive Trips inspire your team or customer to work harder to achieve your shared goals. We have extensive experience planning luxury incentive programs worldwide.

Choosing your destination

It makes a difference where you bring your attendees. With our extensive industry experience, we will help you find the best venue for your next event.

Corporate & association

Let us handle the details for your virtual, hybrid or in person sales meetings, incentive trips, award parties, executive retreats, customer appreciation events, and association forums.

Social Responsibility

Giving back in local communities allows attendees to really connect with a destination. We’ve planned these experiences worldwide for more than 10 years.

“ Just need to say that our family had a very memorable President’s Club trip. I can’t imagine the planning and work to pull it off so well from all sides, but wanted to say to all of you that I really appreciate it. We enjoyed the people, events, and location very much. Thanks for all you do! This was one of the best trips we’ve had. ”

What is incentive travel? (4 Incentive travel program examples)

Free holidays for your staff—what’s that all about?

Isn’t incentive travel just frivolous corporate spending, used by giant organisations with more money than sense?

Although corporate incentive travel can be expensive and difficult to deliver, it is still one of the most effective ways to motivate individuals , reward desirable behaviour and boost performance.

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about incentive travel and how it can help you reach your company goals. ‍

What is incentive travel?

Incentive travel motivates or incentivises a group of people by rewarding top performers with an all-expenses-paid trip. Organisations can decide to offer the travel perk to individual employees , departments, partners, or VIP clients.

You can use travel incentive programs to achieve your core business objectives like boosting quarterly sales figures, improving the quality of interactions between employees and executives, or nurturing relationships with high-spending or loyal customers. This is done by setting clear and attainable objectives that your target group will strive to achieve in order to win a place on the trip.

So what are some examples of incentive travel programs and what they can achieve? ‍

4 Incentive travel program examples

Incentive travel programs can be used to achieve a variety of desired outcomes from improved employee engagement to client spending incentives. Let’s take a closer look at four possible uses of corporate incentive travel programs. ‍

1. Employee motivation

One of the best ways to overcome organisational challenges such as low productivity, employee turnover and poor customer service is by developing travel incentives for staff. Motivating your employees with attractive travel rewards is an effective strategy for boosting employee engagement , altering attitudes, fostering teamwork, building morale and embedding new company values.

An employee motivation travel program is designed to bring your workforce together and inspire group interaction through an itinerary of teamwork exercises and experiential activities. This isn’t a free holiday, rather, it’s a purposeful team-building retreat with clear desired outcomes.

Example: Your technology scale-up has grown rapidly and you now have a large workforce with employees working remotely across the globe. Daily tasks are running smoothly, but your team isn’t motivated and the company culture is stagnant.

So, you reach out to a third-party retreat planner to help you organise a five-day team-building retreat in Honolulu full of unique team-bonding activities and carefully selected team-building games . The itinerary is specifically designed to strengthen interpersonal relationships and improve communication. ‍

2. Rewards and recognition

Incentive travel can be used to exemplify desirable behaviours and reward top achievers. Actions like bringing in big clients, promoting company values and going the extra mile should be encouraged by offering incentive awards.

Because these trips are offered as a reward or recognition for exemplary behaviour, the itinerary focuses more on pleasure and leisure activities rather than workshops and training events. After all, the idea is to motivate other employees to perform better, not deter them.

Example: You run a successful restaurant franchise and you want to generate more positive online reviews. At the beginning of the year, you announced that the top five servers to have their names mentioned in the most five-star reviews would win a trip to Tuscany, Italy .

The trip sounded fantastic, with relaxing vineyard tours, delicious cuisine and a luxury hotel. Excitement for the trip started to build and soon enough, the five-star reviews started rolling in. 

By the end of the year, five top-performing servers were rewarded with an all-expenses-paid trip to the picturesque region of Tuscany, Italy. ‍

3. Sales incentives

Sales incentive trips work in a similar way to rewards and recognition, but in this case, they’re geared towards more quantifiable corporate objectives such as increased sales and revenue.

Before planning the incentive group travel, you must first establish the requirements for attendance. To drive better sales figures, you should set goals slightly higher than what your employees would typically achieve.

These incentive travel programs are designed to be a reward, so the agenda should be made up of pleasurable activities including relaxing dinners, unique experiences, evening entertainment and free time to explore the destination.

Example: You own a company that sells renewable energy contracts door-to-door. You notice that your sales figures have started to drop and you want to do something to inspire your sales team to up their game.

You consider offering a cash bonus, but quickly decide a once-in-a-lifetime experience is more likely to resonate with the whole team and inspire them to make more sales.

You set new speculative yet attainable sales targets and announce a free employee holiday to Mammoth Lakes, CA , for anybody who achieves them.

The employee incentive travel program successfully motivates your team to push for more sales and your revenue starts to improve. ‍

4. Customer loyalty

Incentive tours can equally be used to cement relationships with loyal and high-paying clients. They sweeten the professional relationship and offer an incentive for the customer to continue doing business with you.

These are usually luxury trips, with plenty of time to relax, explore and enjoy unique experiences.

Example: You own a company that provides catering for corporate events. One of your clients, a major event planner, has been enlisting your services for a long time and you want to give them a reason to continue working with you.

You decide to create an incentive travel program. Each time the event planner books your catering company, they earn points that can later be cashed in for an incentive travel award.

This could be a relaxing spa weekend in Helsinki or a sunny beach holiday in Gran Canaria . ‍

What’s the objective of your incentive travel program?

It’s easy to see why incentive travel is often confused for a free holiday. After all, incentive trips are designed to be desirable and reinforce certain behaviours.

They wouldn't work if the itinerary was full of meetings, product demos and feedback sessions.

So when you’re designing your travel incentive program, consider your desired outcomes. Do you want to encourage your top clients to spend more? Do your new hires need help integrating with the rest of the team? 

Once you have the answers to these questions, you can go about planning a trip with an itinerary that supports your goals.

Surf Office has almost 10 years of experience planning fully customised work retreats for major organisations such as Google, Shopify, Hotjar and more. If you're looking to organise a motivational team-building retreat , we’d be delighted to hear more about it!

free course

How to plan your first company retreat

Retreat Budget Spreadsheet

Are you organising a company retreat and want to make sure you have all the costs under the control?

Get a copy of our free Budget Calculator spreadsheet.

Client appreciation events to help build professional bonds

28 Unique employee benefits your team will love

35 Thoughtful employee wellness program ideas

14 Practical methods solidify team morale

40 Employee recognition award ideas for any budget

Organize your next company retreat with surf office, 💌 join 15,000+ managers receiving insights on building company culture that people love., stay in touch, work with us.

• Virtual Experiences
• In-Person Experiences
• Hybrid Experiences
• Social Calendar [New]
• Experience FAQ
• Features & Benefits
• How Pricing Works
• Client Testimonials
• Happiness Guarantee
• Blog Articles
• Video Library
• View 48 Experiences

15 Corporate Incentive Travel Program Tips for 2024

You found our list of the best corporate incentive travel program tips !

Corporate incentive travel programs are initiatives that offer all-expenses paid trips and experiences in exchange for extraordinary performance. For example, a trip to Thailand or Mexico. These programs aim to motivate employees and raise morale, loyalty, and productivity.

Travel incentive programs are one example of employee incentives and employee engagement ideas , and can be a popular employment benefit .

This article includes:

• incentive travel examples
• incentive trips for employees
• group travel incentive programs
• corporate incentives besides travel

Here is the list!

Incentive travel examples

When it comes to destinations and trip experiences, possibilities are endless. Here are a few examples of incentive travel programs to give you inspiration:

• A stay in the British countryside complete with castle tours
• A food tour through Italy or France, or through your home city
• Museum crawl through New York City
• Hotel and tickets to a Broadway or West End show
• A Seine River expedition through Germany
• Weeklong country-hopping tour
• Hiking excursion in the mountains
• Wildlife interaction at a sanctuary
• Wine country visits
• Behind the scenes tour of a nearby brewery
• Weekend stay at a local bed and breakfast
• Tropical beach escape
• Historical tour of a prominent city
• Hot air balloon rides
• Passes and accommodation to a cultural festival
• Company cruises
• Glamping or camping
• Team building retreats

The items on this list provide a solid baseline for program structures, but there are many possibilities for irresistible trips that will drive employees to perform at their best.

Corporate incentive travel program tips

From soliciting suggestions from staff to leveraging social media, here are the steps for creating an effective corporate incentive travel program.

1. Ask your staff for ideas

A travel program is only an incentive if your staff wants to take the trips you choose. Instead of outright guessing, or stealthily scanning your staff’s Instagram vacation posts, ask your staff for destination and activity ideas.

First, gather plausible options for countries, cities, accommodations, excursions, and activities. Then, distribute a survey, and use the feedback to inform your selections. Consider including a write-in option on your questionnaire so employees can point you towards any useful travel resources or discount programs.

2. Determine the goal of your program

The point of an incentive program is to achieve a particular result or encourage a certain behavior. Thus, when designing your incentive trips for employees, it is important to outline the goal.

Corporate incentive travel program objectives may include:

• Specific sales targets
• Increased client satisfaction scores
• Decrease in paperwork errors
• Shorter customer wait times
• Quicker production turnaround time

The goal of the program may include multiple aims, and targets may vary by position or department.

Trips are a significant investment, and organizations expect a worthwhile return on such a weighty investment. By outlining clear goals when introducing the program, you justify the expenditure and link the reward to a clear result.

Get our free team building toolbox

• icebreaker games
• bingo cards

3. Provide clear guidelines to staff

Higher management are not the only parties that benefit from having accurate expectations for the program. When announcing the initiative, provide clear guidelines to the staff so employees understand how to earn the rewards. For best results, communicate the necessary targets, performance period timeline, methods of measurement, and ultimate prizes.

You may also want to mention:

• The level of date flexibility for trips. Can attendees choose from multiple months or weekends, or will there only be one date for the trip? If the latter, then disclose the date upfront.
• Whether or not family members and guests can join the trips.
• Included amenities vs add-on options.
• Accommodations the company can make for staff with special circumstances.

Misunderstanding requirements could lead to staff missing out on the opportunity, causing disappointment. Employees want to feel that managers are upfront and honest, and clear communication fosters trust.

4. Consult a travel expert

Corporate travel programs require a great deal of planning and logistics management. Coordinating such a program alone can feel overwhelming, but travel and events companies that specialize in running incentive programs can simplify the process.

Here are some recommended travel incentive companies:

• American Express Meetings & Events
• Creative Group Inc.
• First Incentive Travel
• Peak Performance Meetings & Incentives
• Bishop McCann
• Bi Worldwide
• Fox World Travel
• Maritz Global Events
• George P. Johnson Experience Marketing
• World Travel Inc

Even if you decide not to hire a third-party vendor to manage incentive trips, consider consulting a travel agent or other professional who has experience planning and executing group trips. If nothing else, then read HR blogs for advice. You do not need to reinvent the wheel; you can rely on the guidance of professionals who have seen success with incentives to shape your program.

5. Research multiple vendors

While destination management companies often advertise packages that remove the hassle from corporate travel planning, these all-inclusive offerings are not always the best options for your needs. Working with multiple event providers may be a more cost-effective solution that results in better experiences for your employees.

Consider branching out and enlisting different companies for transportation, accommodations, catering, and experiences such as museum tours or adventure sports outings. At minimum, research and compare multiple destination management companies to ensure you find the best deal and optimal level of service.

6. Negotiate exclusives

Most travel incentive companies work with organizations to create tailored, customized plans. When designing trips, securing exclusive amenities and activities can make the experience even more attractive. For instance, booking an illustrious restaurant for a private party with a special menu, or receiving an after-hours, behind-the-scenes tour of a historical site with an expert. Planning experiences that attendees cannot replicate during personal visits makes the experience feel more unique, which compels employees to work harder to secure their spots on the trip.

7. Use organizational resources

While a travel incentive trip differs from a business trip, branches in other geographical regions can be a great help to your planning process. Offices in other states or countries might be able to make an introduction to a contact such as a travel coordinator, local guide, restaurateur, or hospitality professional that can help you coordinate your trip. You might even take advantage of special corporate discounts or offerings thanks to your relationship with the sister site.

Even if your organization does not have locations worldwide, you may employ a teammate who has previously worked, traveled, or lived in your destination and can offer recommendations. Tapping into your company’s internal resources improves the journey.

8. Stick to a budget

Travel programs are rarely low-cost perks. Expenses like transportation, accommodation, meals, and entertainment add up quickly, even if your group remains local. While increases in worker output and performance often justify the price of the program, it is still important to stick to a budget to ensure a balanced return on investment.

Researching beforehand helps avoid overspending. Before you commit to a destination or travel package, ensure you understand the total cost, including any additional expenditures such as insurance, service fees, non-included meals, transportation between venues, and tips for service staff.

Remember that if employees show interest in pricey experiences that the company cannot cover, then you can compensate by scheduling free time and allowing attendees to purchase optional activities.

Here is a list of ways to spend your budget at year-end .

9. Be liberal with options

Your group is a diverse bunch with a wide range of interests. One employee’s dream trip might not be another’s. To guarantee that all travelers enjoy the experience, arrange an array of activities that suit many tastes. For example, plan a bar crawl one evening and an open mic the next. Or, give attendees the choice between wine tasting, rock climbing, or touring a museum.

When planning activities, keep in mind:

• Physical ability
• Level of socialization
• Dietary needs
• Non-alcoholic options for non-drinkers
• Price, if members pay out of pocket
• Cultural sensitivity and inclusivity

Keep these considerations in mind not only when planning activities, but also when booking trip details. For instance, steer clear of destinations with recent human rights violations or recent racial tensions in favor of diverse and inclusive locations where all guests feel welcome.

10. Focus on the experience more than the destination

While the ability to travel to a foreign country or a lively city is a major draw, the location is not as important as your team’s overall happiness. Instead of fixating on the destination, focus on the experience. You do not need to pick a flashy locale to garner interest in the program. Attendees can have fun in a neighboring town or an off-the-beaten-path destination if you plan meaningful and engaging activities.

When choosing a venue for your trip, explore unconventional options and open yourself to interesting possibilities. Aim to connect your staff meaningfully with the local culture and with each other. Keep an eye out for experiences unique to your host city, and aim to be travelers rather than simply tourists. In essence, unlock the full potential of each city, neighborhood, or business instead of relying on the allure of the destination to do the heavy lifting.

11. Offer resources and assistance

Assuming that every trip member is an experienced traveler is a mistake. Travel programs generate interest among a wide range of attendees, from globetrotters to folks who have yet to step foot in an airport. Because there may be a discrepancy in the travel knowledge within your group, offering resources and assistance is helpful. Even if your package includes transportation, members may need to book plane tickets individually, in which case you should designate a helper to answer questions and resolve issues.

Consider also providing:

• Passport and visa application assistance
• Packing tips
• Applicable CDC advisories and vaccine information
• A guide to cultural norms in your destination country
• Travel medical and insurance resources
• Currency exchange services
• Safety recommendations and emergency contact information

You can equip the group with helpful literature, hold informational sessions, and create online forums where attendees can ask and answer questions, too.

12. Use trips as an opportunity to expand employees’ worldviews

While the trip acts first as an incentive and reward, the vacation can serve as an educational tool, too. By incorporating cultural experiences, you expand teammates’ worldviews, teach empathy, and develop soft skills that enhance employees’ abilities to interact with clients and colleagues.

To capitalize on the effects of the trip, select a destination that pushes staff out of their comfort zone and introduces new viewpoints and experiences. To achieve this end, the destination does not have to be a foreign country. Every country is culturally diverse, and workers benefit from visiting a new region, or even connecting with a distinct subculture close to home. The trip can be an opportunity not only for employees to relax and have fun, but also to grow.

13. Maximize team bonding

Being in an unfamiliar place together can bring a group closer together. Shared experiences are the root of team building, and group trips establish common ground and memories that form a foundation for continuing relationships. Group travel incentive programs can not only save companies time and money, but also supercharge group development. One of the best approaches to travel programs is to maximize team bonding potential by planning group excursions and team building activities and scheduling time for group reflection.

By dedicating Slack channels, social media groups, team chats, pre and post trip sessions, and shared online photo albums to the trip group, you can further fuel interactions between members.

Here is a list of team building ideas to try.

14. Leverage employee testimonials and social media

Organizations devote significant resources to travel programs. One way to optimize return on investment is to leverage employee testimonials and social media as a way to market company culture and motivate colleagues to strive for future travel incentives.

A few suggestions:

• Distribute a survey at the end of the trip. Make the survey completion a scheduled activity, or incentivize feedback by holding a prize drawing in tandem.
• Ask employees to submit photos and captions to the marketing team for the company social media page
• Coordinate a social media takeover campaign where trip attendees schedule content for company social media channels
• Encourage attendees to tag posts on personal accounts with the company handle and a specific hashtag.
• Dedicate blog posts to the experience
• Compile a highlights reel of the trip by editing together video clips
• Allow participants to speak about the trip on a company podcast
• Invite attendees to speak at information sessions for future trips

Most folks appreciate having a platform to share their stories and experiences. This user-generated content has many uses both internally and externally, such as in recruitment materials, marketing projects, and employee engagement campaigns .

15. Offer alternatives to travel

Although travel is an enticing incentive, it is not a universal motivator for all employees. Familial obligations, health complications, fear of flying, or a distaste for travel are examples of conditions that might prevent staff from reaping the rewards of the program. To better suit the needs of your entire organization, offer alternatives to trips, such as material bonuses or more localized experiences. Examples might include a chartered day at a nearby winery, tickets to the hometown sports team game, or extra paid time off. Read the next section for more suggestions on non-travel incentive rewards.

Other corporate incentives besides travel

Travel is not viable to every employee’s circumstances. For a more universally appealing incentive program, consider offering alternatives to travel. The following list offers a few suggestions.

Bonuses are the most common employee incentive. Monetary rewards give employees more autonomy over their winnings, since staff has the discretion to use the extra cash as they see fit. Not to mention, a financial award sends the message that the organization shares extra profits with staff, thus compelling employees to generate more revenue for the company.

When introducing financial incentives, it is important to explain a clear bonus structure so that the staff has a solid understanding of expectations and performance metrics.

2. Extra paid time off

Instead of scheduling a trip for employees, you could offer extra paid time off so that employees can travel when, where, and with whom they prefer. Through this method, your staff may opt for a staycation instead, choosing to use the extra time to catch up on errands, develop side hustles, spend time with family members, or relax at home. This approach signals that the company values employees’ personal time and appreciates work life balance. Plus, offering extra time awards employees more freedom to customize their prize.

3. Concerts

Concerts are close-to-home adventures. Music and nightlife enthusiasts love the chance to attend live performances. Access to sold-out or exclusive events, good seats or entry into VIP areas, and other perks like complimentary food or merchandise sweeten the deal. Partnering with a corporate-facing event company or local concert venue can help you net discounts and special offers for your employees.

4. Sporting events

Tickets or company box seats at a sporting event are an enticing prize for sports fans, salespeople, and anyone who relishes the energy of a live game. Best of all, since seasons consist of many games, you can divide the performance period into multiple benchmarks, and employ ticket giveaways as an ongoing motivator. Also, sports inspire attitudes of camaraderie and teamwork which you can channel into your workplace.

5. Technology

New gadgets and upgrades hit the technology market daily. Keeping all gadgets updated can be a challenge, so technology rewards are tempting incentives.

A few suggestions for technology incentives:

• smartphones
• video game systems
• action cameras
• smartwatches and fitness trackers
• wireless earbuds
• 3-D printers

Consider offering technology upgrades for personal use, work use, or a mix of both. For example, promise to buy high-tech printers for the winning department.

6. Parking spots

Parking can be a surprisingly effective employee motivator, especially if you work in a city with scarce or expensive parking options. Even if the office building houses a company garage, employees may eye a desirable spot. Winning a prized parking spot or a complimentary pass checks one box off of the proverbial to-do list and makes the morning commute less hectic. If parking is not part of your employee benefits package, then consider offering the amenity as a prize.

7. Fitness classes

Fitness is important, but not always inexpensive. While many companies offer wellness credits, gym memberships, or exercise classes as perks, bonus fitness services can make attractive prizes.

Here are some ideas for fitness incentives:

• Home gym equipment
• Subscription to online Yoga classes or Peloton
• Personal trainers
• Workout wardrobes
• Fitness trackers and smart devices
• Unusual exercise classes like parkour or circus aerobics

Even if your company provides regular exercise options, an upgraded fitness experience can serve as extra motivation.

8. Charity donations

Monetary gain is not a universal motivator, and at times philanthropy can drive efforts more effectively than cash rewards. One alternative to material prizes is to donate an agreed amount to a charity of the awardee’s choice.

Pro tip: Allow employees to suggest charities that fall within prescribed guidelines instead of picking from a limited list to ensure that workers can raise money for a cause they are passionate about.

9. Task management services

While you may not be able to give your employees extra hours in the day, gifting task services is the next best option. Hiring professional errand-runners frees up time in your employees schedules for relaxation, self-care, and self-improvement.

Suggestions for task services:

• Grocery deliveries
• Laundry and dry cleaning services
• Cooks or professional meal preppers
• Cleaners or organizing consultants
• Childcare services

Consider gifting credit towards multiple-service providers like TaskRabbit and Thumbtack so awardees can choose the most useful options.

10. Meals with executives

Lunch or dinner with a member of the C-suite serves the dual function of providing a complimentary meal along with quality time with higher management. For best results, offer one-on-one meetings or small group experiences so that every awardee has ample opportunity to interact with the executive. Similar bonding opportunities include golf games, tennis matches, hikes, creative classes, winery or brewery trips, or video game showdowns.

11. Massages and self-care

Some workers might not treat themselves to massages, spa-days, and other self-love splurges, but will indulge if gifted an activity. Pampering experiences inspire employees to achieve a goal while emphasizing the importance of self-care.

Here are some examples of self-care incentives:

• Manicures and pedicures
• Salon appointments
• Meditation session
• Career consulting or meeting with a life coach

These prizes send the message that companies care about employee wellbeing as well as performance.

12. Extraordinary events

Though some folks use the term incentive events interchangeably with incentive trips, at-home events can offer the excitement of travel minus the forms, transportation costs, or downtime at the airport. Extraordinary events give employees opportunities to socialize, participate in new experiences, and make memories with colleagues.

Some examples of event incentives include:

• Improv or standup comedy shows and workshops
• Cooking classes with renowned chefs
• Laser tag tournaments
• Winery or brewery tours
• Cocktail party at the CEO’s house
• Amusement park trips
• Early access to a new venue
• Special sales or product trials

Limiting the number of spots at these events and awarding entry only to high-achieving employees makes the occasion feel more special and motivates staff to strive towards a goal.

Final Thoughts

Travel is one of the most common bullet points on bucket lists, which means that trips serve as a powerful motivator. By affording employees opportunities to travel, you expand their world views and supercharge their relationships with teammates, all while rewarding extraordinary efforts and results and assigning great value to your workers’ contributions.

Next, check out this list of employee wellness program ideas and this list of incentives to return to the office .

Book wildly fun team building events with expert hosts

FAQ: Corporate incentive travel programs

Here are answers to the most common questions about corporate incentive travel programs.

What are corporate incentive travel programs?

Corporate incentive travel programs are motivational campaigns that reward top-performing employees with trips or special experiences. The aim of these programs is to increase staff loyalty, morale, and productivity. Incentive programs typically target specific goals such as fulfilling sales quotas, meeting product development deadlines, or raising customer satisfaction scores.

What are some good corporate incentive travel program tips?

Some good corporate incentive travel program tips include:

• Ask your staff for ideas
• Determine the goal of your program
• Provide clear guidelines to staff
• Consult a travel expert
• Research multiple vendors
• Negotiate exclusives
• Use organizational resources
• Stick to a budget
• Be liberal with options
• Focus on the experience more than the destination
• Offer resources and assistance
• Use trips as an opportunity to expand employees’ worldviews
• Maximize team bonding
• Leverage employee testimonials and social media
• Offer alternatives to travel

Though travel programs require extensive planning and organization, following the proper steps can ensure that your program pays off by raising employee output and morale.

What are good companies to use for corporate incentive travel programs?

There are many providers who offer and arrange trips and engaging events for corporate incentive programs.

Here are some recommended companies to use for corporate incentive travel programs:

When selecting a partner organization, research multiple providers and choose an option that fits your company’s budget, company culture, and particular needs.

Do corporate incentive travel programs work?

Travel programs can be powerful motivators. Employer-sponsored trips are an attractive reward, especially when the experiences include exclusives such as exclusive tours, private accommodations, and company parties. Travel programs are an especially compelling incentive for sales teams, though the perk can motivate a vast variety of positions and departments.

Though travel is a hefty investment for organizations, the corresponding rise in productivity is significant. Plus, funding trips signals that employers value their workers efforts and personal growth.

What makes incentive travel programs effective?

Clear goals and benchmarks, measurable metrics, smart internal marketing, meaningful experiences, and attractive awards are all factors that make incentive travel programs effective. The best determinant of the operation’s success is the level of foresight, consideration, and communication that goes into the planning and execution of the program.

Besides travel, what can employers offer in incentive programs?

Some non-travel incentive program rewards include:

• Extra paid time off
• Sporting events
• Parking spots
• Fitness classes
• Charity donations
• Home services
• Meal with an executive
• Massages and self-care
• Extraordinary events

Not every team member is able to travel, yet providing alternate rewards allows dedicated employees to reap the rewards of their efforts.

What is the difference between a corporate incentive program and an employee benefits program?

Organizations offer employee benefits across the board to all workers, although benefits packages might vary depending on position and band level, and individual candidates may be able to negotiate a more attractive package. While benefits programs are ongoing, built-in rewards, incentive programs are auxiliary, often limited-time offers. Corporate incentive programs exist to motivate employees to hit specific targets within a particular time frame.

Author: Angela Robinson

Marketing Coordinator at teambuilding.com. Team building content expert. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses.

We lead wildly fun experiences for teams with 1,000,000+ players to date.

4.96 / 5.0 rating on

50,225 Google Reviews

Get our free team building tool box

$49 value at no cost..

• May as well check it out?
• 100+ tested icebreaker questions
• 24+ themed Bingo generators
• 5+ PDFs (including the 8% Rule)
• 2024 team building calendar and more...

Enter your email for instant access

Media Center / 2022 Incentive Travel Index Released

2 years OLD

2022 incentive travel index released.

Las Vegas, October 10, 2022 . The newly released 2022 Incentive Travel Index (ITI) reports that, overall, the incentive travel industry is strong. Recovery is progressing, program design is evolving and there is increased interest in new destinations. While industry-wide trends emerged, the study reflects variation by geography as well as by sector. The ITI enables incentive industry professionals to target the data they need to make decisions to meet their specific goals.

The Incentive Travel Index is joint initiative of Financial & Insurance Conference Professionals (FICP), the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) and the Foundation of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE Foundation) and is undertaken in partnership with Oxford Economics.

“We see good signs of recovery, but these signs vary. While 67% of North American buyers reported they have resumed international incentive travel, only 50% of buyers from the rest of the world are back to travelling internationally,” said SITE Foundation’s President, Kevin Regan , MBA, CIS. “From a verticals perspective, the 2022 ITI study is forecasting positive growth over 2019 for the Finance & Insurance and ICT sectors, but Pharma, Auto and Direct Selling are forecasting static or negative growth.”

“Program design continues to evolve, and we can clearly see shifting preferences impacting program inclusions as a more diverse workforce become qualifiers. For example, we saw wellness emerge as a key program activity,” said Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) President Stephanie Harris . “While activities that promote relationships was the top choice across the industry, we see some interesting differences across regions. A key difference is that sustainability and CSR opportunities were considered more important by industry professionals outside of North America.”

“The desire to travel to new destinations has increased for North American buyers, while the rest of the world indicated they will select destinations closer to home,” said Financial & Insurance Conference Professionals (FICP) Executive Director Steve Bova , CAE. “When it comes to destinations themselves, North American respondents’ preference for domestic and Caribbean destinations are up, with most stating that they will use these destinations more in the coming year than they did in 2019.”

For additional key findings from the 2022 Incentive Travel Index study as well as reports from previous years, visit https://www.incentiveindex.com/.

About the Incentive Travel Index

This is the fourth year of the collaboration between FICP , IRF and SITE Foundation on the Incentive Travel Index , formerly the Incentive Travel Industry Index . With research partner Oxford Economics, the organizations have again created an indispensable annual report on the state of incentive travel, providing data on current and future evolution.

The 2022 online survey, fielded globally from May – July 2022, was customized for five distinct incentive travel professional roles: corporate end user, third party agency, DMC, destination supplier and DMO sectors. More than 1,400 incentive travel professionals, representing 19 industry verticals and 74 destinations, participated in the survey.

The 2022 Incentive Travel Index is sponsored by:

Champion Level: Accor , Destination Canada

Prime Level:  Hilton, United

Principal Level: IMEX Group, Prezzee

Related Posts

View all news.

The 2022 Incentive Travel Index (ITI) reports that the incentive travel industry is strong overall. While industry-wide trends emerged, the study reflects variation by geography and sector.

IRF Updates Sign Up

Email Address*

First Name*

Industry Role* —Please choose an option— End-user / Program Owner Third Party Buyer Supplier Media Academic/Research Other

Supplier Role* —Please choose an option— Hotel Merchandise Gift Card CVB DMC Other

Where are you based?* —Please choose an option— North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America and the Caribbean Africa

I consent to receive IRF updates and announcements via email. For further information, please consult the Privacy Policy.

See how Cvent can solve your biggest event challenges. Watch a 30-minute demo .

Incentive Travel: the Best Way to Motivate Your Employees

Business travel isn’t quite back to pre-pandemic levels the way it’s complement, leisure travel, is. But there is a growing realization among senior level executives that the strategic use of employee rewards can increase profitability . And with much talk the past few years about increasing travel by outlets like Forbes , it’s no surprise that incentive travel is on the rise in the corporate sector. But does your organization really need one? Keep reading to learn the basics of incentive travel with tips and tricks from professional incentive travel planners you won’t find anywhere else.

What is incentive travel?

Incentive travel is any trip paid for by a company as a reward for employees with stellar performance. It’s often used to motivate and reward employees or partners.

Getaways typically last three or more days. Activities include everything from team-building exercises to networking opportunities to and free time to explore the destination.

And while they can be given to any department, incentive travel is most commonly used to motivate sales teams. As for who pays the bill, the company typically funds the majority of the expenses. Some incentive trips are offered separately or in combination with other perks.

Cvent interviewed Susan Shure of Susan Shure Travel who gave us some more thoughts on incentive travel.

“Incentive travel is also known in a lot of companies as employee reward programs,” she told us. “Companies can reward employees for years of service, employee of the month or year, and more. These rewards can include trips abroad [to places like] Europe, Caribbean all inclusive, [and] Hawaii, cruises and more.” They may include corporate meetings or some work-related events in addition to the vacation-like itinerary.

Incentive travel has been around since the 1970s, but it is often misunderstood due to the wide variety of forms it can take. But as non-monetary rewards, such as increased paid PTO, are becoming more prevalent in the corporate world, it’s no surprise that there’s a newfound interest in creating programs like these.

The incentive travel industry as a whole is rebounding from its recession years ago, largely due to the backlash it received from the media and politicians, and from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the 2019 Incentive Research Fund index, 84% of U.S. businesses used non-cash incentives to retain and motivate their employees, with incentive travel being a popular option before the pandemic. Now with the looming economic recession, non-cash incentives can be a great way to retain employees.

And it’s clear why.

Incentive programs offer a lot of benefits

Like other perks, incentive travel is used to boost employee engagement and productivity. It works by encouraging employees to improve their performance and reach goals. This is especially motivating for younger and mid-career employees.

As of 2020, Millennials make up half of the world’s workforce . And if there’s one thing Millennials love, it’s travel. They’ve reportedly made travel more of a priority than any generation before them . So it’s easy to see why incentive programs are a great fit for most organizations.

Not only that but a travel program helps organizations create a culture of collaboration and commitment to a shared mission. Unifying teams through experiences rather than monetary incentives alone promotes better relationships with the company and positive associations with the business they work for.

This level of customization is one of the most attractive benefits of incentive travel. Not only do businesses have control over what activities they offer but they can also stay within budget and book for their specific party size.

Ni Wayan, Editor and Contributor at Balipedia , adds that the benefits for employers don’t stop there. “I believe that incentive travel is one of the most famous non-cash prizes that’s used by companies to motivate sales staff, partners, and even consumers to greatly improve sales, keep their best reps from going, and motivate the remaining sales staff to pick it up,” says Wayan.  

Incentive travel is also a great way to tie in your company’s values. Christopher Hill of Hands Up Incentives told Cvent via email that his company “specializes in sustainable incentive trips that include a CSR component in order to engage employees, bring them closer together, and enhance their reputation.”

There are many examples of incentive travel

Shure shared with Cvent the following examples of incentive travel packages she has organized:

● An all-expenses-paid trip to Bungalows Key Largo ● All-expenses-paid trip to Maui for a week ● A three-day cruise to the Bahamas ● Four nights at an all-inclusive hotel or resort

And Hill provided another example of a Hawaiian incentive travel package they arranged recently. It “included two days of building a community cultural center in a low-income part of Honolulu.” They also booked a luxury hotel and gala dinners for the group.

As for activities, Hill said they enjoyed everything from “cage shark swimming to mountain biking to a private tour of Pearl Harbor”.

Is incentive travel really worth the investment?

Annual incentive travel spending averaged $4,260 per employee in the U.S. before the pandemic. The return on investment that companies see in their travel programs is often measured in terms of profitability. This method helps determine if the program is working and, in turn, generating higher profits.

Many business owners are not convinced that paying for a perk is worth the intangible value it brings. Nevertheless, companies that choose to create incentive travel programs gain increased employee engagement, satisfaction, and profitability.

These can be measured through various metrics by department or by employee survey. So it is, in fact, more substantial than most executives believe.

And according to the IRF's Anatomy of a Successful Incentive Travel Program , “Examining the tenure and company performance ratings of 105 of the employees who earned the incentive trip, researchers found that 55% of incentive travel earners had top performance ratings and tenure of four years or more, showing a very real correlation between incentives, longevity and quality.” In other words, not only are incentive travel programs fun, they’re also impactful at a high level.

In a nutshell: incentive travel is an investment that's made to maximize business results.

Get to know the bleisure traveler

Wondering how to plan an incentive travel program employees will love?

It takes a little planning and forethought, but the process is relatively straightforward.

1. Have a vision

Set clear, achievable goals that are aligned with strategic business objectives. These goals should be measurable and specific. Even if your company isn’t ready to develop an entire program, you could still offer smaller perks such as plane tickets and a hotel voucher.

2. Know your team

Planners will also need to have a strong understanding of what motivates their employees. It should feel like an award that employees wholeheartedly respond to, so much so that they feel encouraged to develop new skills and ideas to unlock this achievement.

3. Make everything trackable

Adhere to a consistent communication style. Whether it's through a software system or an interactive leaderboard, employees must be able to follow their progress and prove it through detailed records.

4. Promote it often

Supporting the travel program is an integral part of a company's strategy. It should be promoted regularly and celebrated at all levels. During this qualification period, team members will work hard to reach their goals. The continuous effort and excitement management puts into building up the anticipation for the trip will motivate employees even more.

5. Evaluate your program

Continual evaluation of your program rewards and structure is key to sustaining this strategy long term. Use a combination of KPI data linked to goals and an end-of-event assessment to determine if the program is meeting its intended purpose. Simply by asking attendees to rate the events and their overall experience, companies can easily measure the program's success.

6. Reap benefits long term

In that same study conducted by IRF, employees who earned an incentive getaway continued to perform at an elite level after they returned which was inspired by their trip.

Why should you partner with a professional to create your program?

Companies like Shure’s help businesses organize, book, and manage incentive travel. “Susan Shure Travel can put together any kind of employee incentive you want,” says Shure. “We can even arrange for you to charter a cruise ship as a company incentive.” As you can tell by now, the only limit to incentive travel is your imagination.

Follow the road less traveled to secure deals

In an email to Cvent, Broke Backpacker Founder and CEO Will Halton said that there is one often overlooked department of any travel brand you should contact directly when looking for affordable incentive trips. “If you are passionate about travel, look to speak to the marketing team of certain companies to see whether you can work together. Please note that this does[n’t] mean free stays or travel. It means creating a relationship which will help you explore the destination but also help the company to attract new audiences. A relationship is way more valuable in the long term [than] a discounted stay for one or two nights.”

In other words, this long-term strategy is great for securing travel incentives as long as you develop a network of hospitality marketers.

Up next, check out these fabulous venues and destinations for your next travel incentive getaway in The Palm Beaches .

Cvent Guest

Cvent is a market-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider with more than 4,000 employees, ~21,000 customers, and 200,000 users worldwide.

More Reading

24 ai marketing tools to elevate your business, developing a hotel room block strategy, hotel information security: a guide to threats and prevention.

Subscribe to our newsletter

What is Incentive Travel? Planning, ROI, & More

by J.Shay Team | May 4, 2020 | Incentive Travel

A Comprehensive Guide to Incentive Travel Programs

Get this:  93% of top-performing companies’ executives believe that non-cash incentives grant their business a competitive advantage.

You read that right!

Almost every business leader of any company in the top 20% of their vertical has said they depend on  non-cash  incentives to out-win their competitors. And by far the most effective non-cash incentive is a travel incentive program. Why? Because incentive travel programs increase production from your staff, lower attrition rate, keep your top performers humming and attract top talent from your competitors.

If your business is not in the top 20%, you should be thinking of how you can launch and sustain an effective incentive travel program. And if you are already a top-performing business, you should be asking yourself how you can  improve.

Table of Contents

What is Incentive Travel?

Incentive travel, also known as an incentive trip, or incentive trip program, is  one of the most popular non-cash awards  that’s used by organizations to motivate sales staff, partners, and even customers to greatly increase sales, keep their best reps from leaving, and motivate the remaining sales staff to pick it up.

Every company names their incentive travel program differently, but common names you have likely heard are:

• President’s Club
• Winner’s Circle
• Achiever’s Club

These incentive travel programs are based on annual goals. For most organizations, it means achieving production that is significantly higher than what’s expected (or average). For sales, it could mean that your representatives must achieve 115% or 120% of their annual quota before qualifying for the trip.

Incentive travel involves a getaway trip lasting more than 3 days where (almost) everything is funded by the company. The trip is often hailed as the ultimate reward experience for your top performers within any department, although Sales is the most common department leveraging any incentive travel.

Now you may be thinking, “Sending X number of top performers on a 3-day all-expenses paid trip must cost a fortune!” But think of this: by requiring employees to significantly surpass their quota to qualify, your bottom line experiences a MAJOR boost. Incentive travel allows for a huge return on your investment !

What Kind of ROI Can You Expect from a Travel Incentive Program?

A professionally planned and executed incentive trip has an almost 20% increase in productivity  in the short term (<6-month mark) , creating an ROI of 112%!!

In the long term, the IRF has proven that productivity increases by  44-48% in the long term (> 6-month mark), f urther pointing to incentive travel as the most lucrative form of rewards.

Every year C-levels huddle together to talk about how they can improve sales by 3, 5, or possibly even 10%. If you aren’t already leveraging incentive travel, it can be one of the most straightforward ways to hit your annual goals, and then some.

What’s Included in Incentive Travel?

Most incentive trips are fully funded by the company – end to end. This includes:

• Lavish destination
• Luxury hotel
• Included allowance
• Nightly dine-around options
• Air travel & transportation
• Awards ceremony
• Central theme
• On-site staffing
• Entertainment

Incentive travel programs are an enormous amount of work to plan and execute, many times beginning over a year in advance of the trip… but the awards are enormous.

Why Host an Incentive Travel Program?

The  Incentive Research Fund (IRF) , through extensive study, has found that  non-cash rewards significantly increase production , lower attrition rates, and build a company’s culture.

When looking specifically at non-cash incentive methods, incentive travel stands out as the most lucrative option.

Tangible non-cash rewards, on the other hand, can linger in in a reward earner’s memory for years. Experiential travel rewards, for example, create lasting memories and positive associations with the organization that provided the reward (Jeffrey, 2017).

Lower Attrition Rate

If you haven’t seen our  master class video on the value of internal events , attrition rates are lowered by over 30% with a professionally planned travel program.

The average cost to replace an employee is 150% of their first year’s salary and is one of the most expensive costs for any organization: losing tenured top performers. A 30+% decrease in attrition is huge!

Build a Company Culture

Don’t let your company be known for the cubicles, the clock-in, clock-out 9-5 hustle, and year-end plastic trophies. There are plenty of others that already have that reputation locked up, and it’s not a label that employees are proud of. Implementing an annual incentive trip is one of the top events you can leverage to build a company culture!

An incentive travel program gives your employees an annual goal to strive for, creating teamwork and dedication from January through December. Additionally, it creates memories that extend beyond the 4 walls of your business, affecting your employees on a personal level.

Types of Incentive Travel Programs

While incentive travel programs are usually targeted towards sales teams, companies can offer the incentive to top individuals in other departments to create healthy motivation throughout the organization.

Sales Programs

Over 50% of companies that use non-cash incentives use a sales incentive travel program to boost revenue. Organizations will usually announce their destination and resort at the tail-end of their  sales kickoff , and set forth the requirements. This caps off  a rally event  with a powerful and motivational sales goal that a sales team will strive for over the next 12 months.

Channel Programs

Channel incentive travel programs are experiences provided by a manufacturer to a retailer for meeting their predefined goals. While a sales staff is an in-house source of income, a business often depends on a large source revenue from channel sources.

Channel partners often have multiple products or services in their portfolio,  even from competitors;  offering non-cash-based incentives are an amazing way to ‘move the needle’ in your favor.

Why Incentive Travel Works

A professionally executed program alters human behavior. As we all know, motivation is a powerful thing. It can completely change our perspective on why something is important and how bad we want it.

The benefits of an incentive travel program are numerous, and affect behavior through several angles:

Recognition & Trophy Value

As a sales guy, making the club is the ultimate goal. Everyone’s quotas and associated ‘earnings packages’ usually vary, so hitting the qualifying mark for President’s Club is universal for all sales staff (ex. 115% of quota).

This creates a competitive nature that reps, as well as management, actively discuss. It doesn’t matter what level you are as a sales rep, on the lead generation team, inside sales, field sales, or management. Because of this, almost every salesperson trying to hit the qualifying mark for their incentive trip thinks of the actual status first, and the money comes after.

Sentimental/Memories

Cash evaporates quickly, but trips create memories as well as bonds. Those memories and bonds get tied to your business creating loyalty, motivation, and appreciation.

This is a large reason why top earners tend to stick around longer at companies that provide incentive programs.

Incentive Travel Program Mistakes to Avoid

Not all incentive travel programs get rave reviews from your attendees. If you’ve been a part of even just a couple, you are aware that top-performers can be hard to please. There are high expectations and if you want to meet and exceed them, it’s important you avoid making some common mistakes.

Here are the 3 of the biggest mistakes we see organizations make with their incentive travel programs:

• Incorporating Too Many Work Functions

In our experience, the most negative feedback from trip attendees is the number of work programs that are inserted into a trip. Companies need to remember that while you absolutely should incorporate key company get-togethers, they should not involve actual work, and be  extremely  limited.

• Ignoring Group Dynamics

10 of your sales team members hit it out of the park and qualified for your annual incentive trip. Awesome! What’s not awesome, or very helpful, is assuming all 10 people will want to go on a golfing trip to the Dominican Republic or an Alaskan cruise.

Before you put a deposit down and start booking rooms, it’s a good idea to take the temperature of your attendees before making any concrete plans. Simply send out a survey providing a few choices to understand the needs and preferences of your group.

• Not Choosing the Right Destination

When adding those potential destinations to your survey form, be sure you brainstorm to come up with good ones. What makes a BAD destination? A couple of things:

• A) It’s one that’s not easy to travel to for most participants (multiple stops and long travel days required), or…
• B) The destination isn’t exotic or unique. The entire goal of an incentive travel program is to  motivate  your staff to perform better than they ever have. You can’t send your top performers to San Diego or even London and expect it to have the same revenue-boosting effects as if you had chosen Iceland or Argentina!

Having said that, domestic incentive trips still produce a positive ROI because the overall expense of your company is lower.

Speaking of great incentive travel destinations…

Top Incentive Travel Destinations

It can feel overwhelming trying to decide which destinations are worthy enough for your top earners. What should you do, throw darts at a map?

From our experience, here are the top incentive travel destinations that appeal to a majority of people:

West Ireland

Rugged coastline, friendly locals and rustic pubs, Ireland has a charm all its own. While Dublin is a top tourist destination, cities on the Western coast such as Galway and Clare offer a more authentic feel.

Lisbon is breathtaking, there is no denying. Incentive travel programs we’ve planned that sent their teams to Portugal were wildly successful. From touring rugged mountains to stunning palaces and quaint wineries, Portugal has something for everyone.

How can you send your team to another planet but not have them leave this one? Send them to Iceland. The landscape is other-worldly. Blue lagoons, Northern lights, geothermal baths, an incentive trip to Iceland is a trip your team won’t soon forget!

West Indies

From Antigua to St. Kitts & Nevis, the West Indies are glorious. We’ve never met one person that didn’t say yes to a trip to an absolute tropical paradise, replete with 5-star luxury accommodations!

Final Thoughts on Incentive Travel Programs

If your company is not already in the top 20% of your business vertical, incentive travel should be one of the first items your sales leadership discusses for their annual goal-setting meetings.

A professionally planned trip produces 112% ROI on average, and an increase in almost 20% of productivity.

Don’t be the company that has the mindset of, ‘We can’t afford to have a President’s Club this year’.  Based on study findings , your business should be asking,  ‘How can we afford not to have an incentive travel program this year?’

If you are looking for assistance with in creating the perfect incentive travel program, we’d love to wildly impress your executives and sales team!  Click here to get a call scheduled  with our expert incentive travel team to discuss further.

You might also like…

Hot Destinations for Incentive travel in 2024

There are certain priorities every incentive travel program should include: luxury accommodations,...

Top US Cities for SKOs in 2024

Choosing the right destination is important for any corporate event, but it’s particularly vital...

Best European Destinations for Presidents Club 2024

Planning your 2024 President’s Club getaway? Wondering where in the world to send your team that...

Domestic vs International – Which is Best for Incentive Travel?

One common question we often get from event planners is, “Should we host our incentive trip...

Risk Management for Incentive Travel Programs

The world can be a dangerous place. Natural disasters, contagious outbreaks, political upheaval,...

7 Common Questions when Planning a President’s Club

Incentive programs are a great way to motivate employees and reward top performers. These...

J.Shay Team is the generic alias for our event staff that want to submit work anonymously.

About Author

Subscribe for the Weekly!

Connect with us, looking for something.

Privacy Overview

What Is Incentive Travel? Definition & Benefits

It’s no secret that offering an incentive to employees is a key factor in boosting performance, sales, and engagement.

So with that in mind, we answer the question, “What is incentive travel?” with a definition and the top benefits of offering an incentive trip program.

What Is Incentive Travel?

Incentive travel is a specific trip or tour offered to top-performing employees as a way to motivate them to make more sales, gain more customers, and/or improve overall performance. By offering an incentive trip, companies are able to drive their business goals and recognize top performers.

An incentive trip can be taken as a group or an individual vacation for the employee and their families.

Benefits of Offering an Incentive Trip

Offering an incentive trip has plenty of benefits, so we’ve outlined the top reasons why your company should start an incentive trip program today.

1. Company growth and increased sales

To reiterate, people like rewards. Employees respond to incentives and, in return, target sales are more likely to be met and there could be an increase in business growth. By giving employees a goal to strive for, it promotes productivity gains that could potentially be seen across the board.

The increase in sales and productivity driven by the workforce will far outweigh the cost of offering an incentive trip. Additionally, by making employees feel valued, this will also likely increase sales and overall performance.

2. Stronger relationships and increased loyalty

Not only will employees be incentivized to sell more or boost their overall performance, but companies that offer incentive travel are also able to build stronger relationships with their employees.

Everyone wants to be rewarded for their hard work and employees recognize when companies offer those rewards. Offering an incentive trip will not go unnoticed.

Additionally, employees may be more likely to stay with a company that offers these rewards. Company loyalty is extremely important in long-term employee retention and incentive travel can help with that.

3. Extra professional development time

During an incentive trip, many companies opt to use some of the time to promote additional professional development through workshops and seminars.

Certainly, one of the most important parts of an incentive trip is to allow employees to relax and reap the benefits of their hard work, but by setting aside a couple of hours for professional development, employers are given the opportunity to blend leisure and learning.

4. Family time leads to a better support network

Many companies offer incentive trips for employees and their families. By allowing their families to join, companies are also promoting a healthy family support system.

Travel creates long-lasting memories and hard-working employees deserve to take some time out with their families to enjoy these memories together. This will hopefully promote high productivity for years to come.

5. Company bonding

Some companies treat incentive travel as more of a retreat for their employees to get to know each other, network, and team build. Whether you are getting the entire team together or a select few of the top sellers, this is an excellent opportunity to allow for some intercompany bonding.

This could also lead to higher sales or company growth because employees are able to get to know each other better on a much different level than they normally would in the office.

This is especially beneficial for companies spread out across the country or those that mainly work remotely. There’s nothing like an in-person connection and an incentive trip does just that. And it’s a lot of fun for everyone!

At the end of the day, offering incentive trips for employees is a win-win for everyone. Employees are encouraged to grow their productivity while they are also shown that their company values them and rewards them for their hard work. The company benefits from this hard work by hopefully seeing growth in the bottom line.

As a travel agency specializing in incentive travel, contact us and let us help you plan an incentive trip to motivate your employees and bring your company to a whole new level!

You may also like...

6 Best Resorts for a Destination Wedding in the Dominican Republic

How to Travel for Free by Booking a Group Trip

10 Best Resorts for a Destination Wedding in Cancun, Mexico

Request a Free Quote

• Skift Meetings
• Airline Weekly
• Daily Lodging Report
• Skift Research

Business News

6 Must-Know-Now Travel Incentive Trends

Sue Pelletier

September 19th, 2022 at 7:57 AM EDT

Are you ready for the return of incentive travel? Here are six data-based trends to help you plan ahead.

• LinkedIn icon
• facebook icon

With today’s staffing crunch, recruiting, retaining, and engaging employees is again rising to the top of the agenda for companies looking to remain competitive in this tough job market. And that means travel incentives, which pretty much ground to a halt over the Covid pandemic, are starting to rev up again.

In fact, according to the Incentive Research Foundation’s Industry Outlook for 2022 , overall incentive budgets for North American companies were expected to jump by more than a third this year to provide incentive award winners experiences that just couldn’t be replaced by Covid-era virtual events and cash rewards. In Europe, that overall budget increase was anticipated at an even higher rate — 44%.

During a recent webinar held by SITE Global , Scott Siewert, president of Fab at Incentives , and Scott Lockey, senior director of sales and third-party partnerships with event tech provider Cvent , outlined some of the critical changes that are reshaping the incentive travel landscape, from sourcing and destination trends to the number of qualifiers and what’s happening with lead times. As Siewert said, “2021 was a qualifying year. 2022 is a liftoff year.”

Based on that panel, plus some additional new research, here are six trends incentive professionals should be thinking about as they start to plan their programs for 2023 and beyond.

1. Destination Bucket Lists Filled Mainly With Easy-To-Reach Spots

North American destinations are still at the top of most incentive planners’ lists — at least for now. According to data from Cvent and the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF), Hawaii and the Caribbean are still the biggest draws, closely followed by the Western U.S. Rounding out the top five are Western Europe, the Southern U.S., and the Eastern U.S. Other top spots include Alaska, Mexico, Canada, and Central America.

In fact, the top three destination types right now are beach/sunshine, adventure, and mountain areas. This isn’t surprising, given that incentive award winners have historically tended to prefer warm and beachy destinations, along with golf and ski locales. The rising popularity of some of the more adventurous destinations — which already was heating up pre-pandemic — could reflect the entry of millennials and Gen Z qualifiers, the webinar panelists said. Cruising also is on the comeback, said Siewert during the webinar.

While the list hasn’t changed much over the years, it may in the future. According to an IRF survey measuring incentive travel destination preferences, 67 percent of qualifiers want to go someplace they’ve never been before, so those tried-and-true destinations may soon bump up against some more out-of-the-way places that once may have seemed out of reach.

2. Lengths of Stay on the Rise

Just 8 percent of incentives are sticking to a short one to three-day pattern, according to data from Cvent that was highlighted during the webinar. The majority, at 50 percent, were four to six days, though seven to 10 days was not far behind at 38 percent — the latter, said Siewert, “are probably dealer programs, rather than employee incentives…these tend to be longer-haul incentives.”

3. Lead Times Starting to Normalize

Pent-up demand immediately after the worst of Covid passed caused some headaches for planners and destinations alike, both of which found themselves scrambling to satisfy that pent-up demand and meet short lead times. However, on what the webinar presenters called the “great news slide,” the distribution of event start dates for RFPs sent in June this year, compared to 2019, was starting to normalize.

4. Meeting Size “Sweet Spot” Continues to Grow

The sweet spot for travel incentive group size — 11-50 qualifiers — has not just recovered from its pandemic drop-off but has increased from 44 percent in June 2019 to 51 percent in June this year, according to Cvent data shared during the webinar. While the other group sizes have fluctuated a bit, the only actual drop-off between 2019 and 2022 was in very small groups of up to 10 qualifiers, which started at 34 percent in 2019, then gained ground throughout the pandemic to 39 percent last year, and now is holding at just 22 percent, according to the Cvent data.

5. CSR Magnifies the Transformational Potential of Incentive Travel

According to the recently released Leadership inSITEs, Edition 1 , from SITE Global, corporate social responsibility, or CSR, programs are gaining in popularity for good reason — they make the travel incentive experience more meaningful for qualifiers. But they must have a real community impact, not just be a cute public relations feel-good stunt. “The positive returns of CSR incentive programming are clear for C-suite leaders,” the report stated. “The challenge now will be for companies to ensure activities are responsive to community needs and offer authentic benefits.”

6. Qualifiers Gain an Appreciation of the Upside of Downtime

While the temptation may be to cram as much fun into the trip as possible, what qualifiers really want is completely unstructured downtime. In fact, an overwhelming 87 percent of respondents to the recent IRF participant preferences study said they just wanted to gear down and relax on a travel incentive. That hang time even outstripped being able to bring their spouse (81 percent) or staying in ultra-lux accommodations (80 percent).

Incentive travel is coming back — and while some of the old patterns are re-emerging, there are also some new twists that can help translate that revived passion for travel into more qualifier satisfaction and, ultimately, a renewed commitment to achieving a company’s strategic and sales goals.

Brandlive Acquires Notified’s Virtual Events Business

Brandlive is acquiring Notified's virtual event and webinar business, but Notified is holding on to the version of the tool used for sensitive investor relations calls.

Industry Celebrates Its Purpose in April

Between the PCMA-led Business Events Industry Week and the U.S. Travel-led Global Meetings Industry Day, there is plenty of opportunity to celebrate the industry in April.

Event Tech News Roundup – February 2024

It's been a relatively quiet month for event tech. Still, there were some significant updates to the event tech landscape worth exploring.

Event Tech Business Tracker

All you need to know about the most significant investments, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships connected to the event industry. We disclose the companies involved, the numbers, the details, and more importantly, why it matters.

Convene Adds Hotel Room Block Sourcing

Convene is looking beyond offering premium meeting and event venues in the U.S. and UK. Through a new partnership, it now offers complimentary hotel room block sourcing.

Get the Skift Meetings Standup Newsletter

Our biweekly newsletter delivers fresh, original content – straight to your inbox, every Tuesday and Thursday.

Looking to Plan a Company Retreat?

Request a complimentary proposal from for  custom offsite, anywhere in the world!

“The trip literally brings the group together. Most importantly people are connected, which helps make it clear what we want to accomplish as a company.”

"Everything was flawlessly planned from beginning to end. Can’t thank you guys enough for the help and creativity you brought to the Uber Canada Winter Retreat!"

Thanks for organising, it couldn't have been an easy task to co-ordinate so many people and events but you pulled it off and everything seemed to run so smoothly!

Incentive Travel Planners

Top Performers Trip in The Amalfi Coast, Italy

We Plan Luxury & Bespoke Travel Incentive Programs

We're an award-winning and top corporate incentive travel company focused on creating unforgettable and truly one-of-a-kind experiences around the globe. ‍ With over 250 trips under our belt, it's safe to say we've got the planning chops to put together the most memorable incentive trips that will truly "Wow!" your top performers. With past trips to exotic places like Dubai, Morocco, Amalfi Coast, and Thailand, we have the know-how to make any destination work. Pair an incentive travel program with a sporting event like a Formula 1 Race in Monaco, or tie in a festival like the Royal Ascot in London or Carnival in Rio - we've got you covered!

Inspiration for Your Next Incentive Trip

Imagine sailing on the

Play capture-the-flag from a heli in.

Soak up the Sun in

Enjoy Apres-Ski in the Alps

See an F1 Race in

Let Us Help Plan Your Travel Incentive Program

5-Star Hotel Accommodations

We leave no stone unturned to find the right 5-star accommodations. The hotel should be a highlight of the incentive program, which is why we go above and beyond to source the most glamorous and unique properties around the world.

Luxury Travel Arrangements

We specialize in booking charter flights and luxury transportation for our discerning clients. We understand that your journey getting to the destination can be just as important as the destination - so travel in style!

One-of-a-Kind Experiences

From private behind-the-scenes access to elite cultural and sporting events, to exclusive dining experiences and private performances by world-class musicians, we have a vast selection of experiences that are guaranteed to wow your guests.

World-Class White Glove Service

We pride ourselves on delivering the absolute best in class service on our incentive travel programs. Our dedicated team of travel experts are always one step ahead to deliver unforgettable experiences that cater to your every need.

What Else We Can Help You With

Custom Trip Websites

With an in-house web designer, Moniker can design a custom retreat website that will manage registration, agenda details, flight bookings, and FAQ's. We'll even include a packing list to take all the stress out of the process!

Attendee Communication

Our team will set up and manage a dedicated inbox and serve as the main point of contact guests with questions about the trip, flight change requests, or anything else that may come up.

Budget & Expense Tracking

You'll have 24/7 access to your incentive travel program's budget and see updates every step of the way, along with all the back-ups and vendor invoices/contracts in a shared folder on the cloud.

White Glove Concierge Service

As a top incentive travel company, we'll work with your attendees to book all transportation, flight reservations, and support them with any special requests, such as extending their trip or ensuring their needs are catered to every step of the way.

Attendee Swag & Gifting

Moniker will assist with the sourcing, design, and distribution of unique and functional swag and/or gifting to your attendees both before or during the incentive travel program. Whether it be company-branded swag or a destination-themed gift to surprise them on arrival, we've got you covered.

Video Production

Capture the memories with a professionally produced trip video, filmed throughout the entire event. A great tool for recruiting and showcasing your company's culture!

Ready to start planning your incentive travel program?

Sample itinerary of a top brokers trip to st. tropez & monoco.

Starting the Trip off in St. Tropez

Kicking off in St Tropez with a welcome soiree at the prestigious Lily of the Valley Hotel before the group made their way to L’Opera in the heart of St Tropez. Occupying prime real estate L’Opera has become the place to dine, famed for its exceptional gastronomy and enthralling evening entertainment. Making it the perfect place to kickstart a week of celebrations!

Exclusive Beach Club Experience

After a short presentation and work session the group was given the opportunity to spend the day at leisure, enjoy spa treatments, take a walking tour, shop or meet up for lunch and an afternoon at the chic La Réserve à la Plage Beach Club.

Surprise Heli Ride to Monoco

After breakfast, the group was surprised with a day trip to the glamour city of Cannes via helicopter or Van Dutch Speedboats - with glasses of Veuve Clicquot to sip along the way. On arrival, the itinerary was kept simple, with the option to take a walking tour, relax at a beach club or stroll around at leisure. Tonight everyone checked into the one and only Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo.

Luxury Cars in Monte Carlo

Today was about seeing, tasting and fully experiencing Monte Carlo, world-famous for its luxury, casinos and super yacht-lined harbour. The group had the option to try their hand at a custom perfume blending workshop or a luxury car driving experience. The week came to a close with a glamorous Le Dîner en Blanc inspired dinner party complete with synchronized swimmers and a violinist arriving via helicopter.

Past Incentive Travel Programs

Here is just a handful of some of the amazing incentives we've planned for our clients in the recent past:

Top Producer's Trip Featuring the F1 Race in Abu Dhabi

Number of Participants: 60 Number of Days: 4 Location: Dubai, UAE

A condo developer brought their Top Producers together for a 4-night bucket-list worthy adventure in Dubai & Abu Dhabi to celebrate their recent achievements on a successful project launch.  With an itinerary anchored around the F1 race in Abu Dhabi, the group had a front-row VIP seat as Max Verstappen won a thrilling finish over Lewis Hamilton in the final race of the season. They also toasted to their success atop the world in the Burj Khalifa, bashed through sand dunes before dining under the stars at a bedouin desert camp, skydived over the Palm Islands, and explored old Dubai's famous spice and gold souks to learn about Dubai's rich history and culture. Definitely a trip to remember!

President's Club Trip to Cartagena, Colombia

Number of Participants: 120 ‍ Number of Days : 5 ‍ Location: Cartagena, Colombia

A direct sales beauty company brought 120 people from around the globe for 5-days set in one of Latin America’s most enchanting seaside cities, Cartagena, Colombia. The group spent the week immersing themselves in the local culture, enjoying the diverse Colombian cuisine, and also participating in a full-day CSR volunteer project that transformed a local primary school and women's community. They also managed to get outside of the city, sailing by catamaran to a more private island to soak up some sun before returning to Cartagena for a final night of salsa under the stars, at a beautiful venue set right on the historic fortress walls of Old Town.

Top Brokers Trip to The Amalfi Coast, Italy

Number of Participants: 45 Number of Days: 5 Location: Amalfi Coast, Italy

A real estate developer took its top agents to Italy within the stunning Amalfi Coast, as part of an incentive program aimed at promoting a new residential development project. The program featured a 5-night stay at a stunning Italian hotel, with a private sailboat ride out to the famous island of Capri. Every night was a toast to the brokers success and their continued excellence to contributing to the real estate developer's projects.

Why companies choose Moniker to organize their retreats

Keith Valory

Allison Dean

Caroline Yost

Dr. Wayne Mullen

Request a Incentive Trip Package

We'll provide you with an array of hand-selected destinations and exclusive activities to choose from. Additionally we'll showcase approximate budgets and flights costs for each proposed location.

We are an award-winning corporate culture agency, focused on helping companies come together, virtually or in-person on imaginative incentive trips, retreats, and off-sites around the world

Latest Posts

ITA Group acquires Cooleaf to form industry-leading employee engagement solution Learn more

Alert banner message text goes here... Text CTA >

Incentive travel that redefines extraordinary

An incentive travel program is about more than just a cool vacation or hot-spot destination. 

For stakeholders, it’s about inspiring peak performance. For attendees, it’s about the reward and recognition they strived for. It’s about creating personalized, authentic experiences all over the world and strengthening relationships with colleagues while immersed in local communities. 

Get ideas that redefine extraordinary

An incentive trip like they’ve never experienced .

We personalize each part of the attendee journey. Like taking trip earners to a surprise lunch on the Great Wall of China. Or making sure ginger ale and crackers are waiting on the plane for the attendee with a fear of flying.

Our event design approach considers:

• Stakeholder care  – Investing in the right places to meet goals
• Attendee wonder  – Making them feel known, appreciated and inspired 
• Novel experiences  – Motivating performance with “never done anything like it” moments 

Global destination expertise

Impress even the most well-traveled attendees with an undiscovered locale.

Our tenured buyers have traveled the globe (most recently Fiji and Cairo!) and have first-hand knowledge to source U.S.-based and international destinations. We’ll help select the perfect place and negotiate a transparent and fair contract.

Immersive brand experiences

Turning already incredible surroundings into larger-than-life experiences is what we do. 

From arranging jaw-dropping technical events (like a 300+ synchronized drone show) to delivering meaningful special touches throughout the trip.

Motivating communications

Inform and inspire your attendees leading up to the trip and long after they return home.  

Our award-winning communications team crafts campaign strategy that includes theming and brand development, digital and print elements, and pre-trip creative promotions that excite attendees. 

Thoughtful gifting

Make your event their trip. 

We collect attendee preferences upfront to curate gifts they’ll appreciate. This includes supporting local artisans to align with your brand values and creating hands-on gifting experiences.

Dependable event management

Our event managers work behind the scenes to deliver events that feel effortless. Full-time travel directors care for all the on-site needs so you can feel confident about the experience you are giving your attendees.

Concierge air travel

Have peace of mind we’ll help get your top performers booked and landed. 

In-house group air experts monitor flights 24/7. And we’re the first in the industry with a proprietary online tool for participants to have a consumer-like experience booking their own travel. 

Unwavering safety and security

Attendee well-being is top of mind. 

We contract with vetted global security partners to continuously monitor risks pre-trip and at the property. Our certified on-site team creates emergency plans and are trained to support crisis management situations.

Expert event analytics

Like you, we want to know which trip details should be repeated or refined for the next year. 

Our analytics team knows events first-hand and can make sure your pre- and post-event surveys  deliver insights that lead to smarter decisions.  

ITA Group incentive travel event awarded best incentive program

We're proud to be recognized as a BizBash Event Experience Award (EEA) winner for our Google Cloud program in Koh Samui, Thailand. This culturally immersive event brought attendees together to thoughtfully celebrate the energy and vibrancy of the local culture through décor, food and art!

Our behind-the-scenes incentive travel magic

Since the day we opened our doors, we’ve led the industry in incentive travel—creating small, thoughtful touches and big, unforgettable experiences to make attendees feel special. 

See how these leading brands created exceptional experiences

Cultural immersion inspires a world-class incentive travel experience.

How Conga connected its top performers to organizational culture amidst the vibrancy of Marrakesh, Morocco.

Creative problem solving and solid partnership elevates incentive travel programs

Our global incentive travel partnerships are built on trust, innovative solutions, financial transparency and amazing experiences for participants.

Quick and easy pivot from incentive travel to alternate rewards

How offering world-class awards experiences helped a company achieve their incentive travel recognition goals.

Health risk mitigation ensured incentive travel success

How one super regional insurance carrier operated an incentive travel program that successfully delivered on expectations while ensuring peace of mind during a global health crisis.

Incentive travel that takes independent retail stores from good to great

How this aftermarket parts distributor drove sales growth and organizational culture with an incentive travel program.

I’m amazed by and appreciate the knowledge ITA Group brings to the table. We wanted an engagement plan to maximize relationship building with our most important customers, while letting them enjoy their hard-earned trip. From a relationship building, customer engagement, impacting our best customers standpoint, this was the best trip in our history! Client, VP of Marketing

Our experts

Monica fasse.

Industry & Partner Relations Manager

Director, Travel Direction

Event Design Leader

Jodi Swailes

Lead Buyer, Event Purchasing

Use data to personalize the attendee journey

People expect personalized experiences—and incentive travel is no different. Asking the right pre-trip questions will give you the data you need to deliver curated, meaningful experiences that reward attendees’ hard work. 

• Why GoGather
• All Our Services
• Corporate Event Planning
• All Event Solutions
• Conferences
• Corporate Meetings
• Incentive Trips
• Sales Kickoffs & National Sales Meetings
• Preferred Properties
• Success Stories
• Buying Guide
• Pricing Guide

How to Choose the Right Destination for Your Incentive Travel Program

Why location matters.

Incentive trips offer a unique chance to connect and inspire your top performing employees. You've spent a lot of time planning out the details of the program, but have you given enough thought to the location?

What goes into choosing the destination for an incentive travel program is more than just a "cool" or pretty location. Travel times, budgets, access to activities and cultural connection are all important factors to consider.

Choosing the right location will help ensure your incentive trip is not only fun but also stays within budget, matches your company goals, and ultimately incentivizes your team to continue to perform. 

This article will cover the key things you should consider when choosing your next incentive travel destination, including:

• Understanding your audience
• Defining your budget and goals
• Researching and selecting a destination based on your goals
• Creating tailored itineraries
• Seeking local partnerships and resources

Understand Your Audience

Who is attending your incentive trip? What are their motivations, interests and goals?

It's important to deeply understand WHO is coming on your incentive trip before you decide the where. It's more than just choosing from a list of top incentive travel destinations.

• If your team likes getting outside and participating in activities, a luxury spa escape will hardly suffice.
• Or if most of them are used to temperate climates, sending them to a hot and humid climate in the middle of summer may not be ideal.
• If they want to relax, bustling cities might not be the right fit, but if they want to explore the history of a location, a capital city might be best.
• Or maybe they like unique trips that take them to places like a UNESCO World Heritage site.

If most of your attendees work remotely and will be meeting for the first time in person, it is also important to consider what kinds of activities and venue layouts will help them connect.

If you're not sure what your audience likes to do, survey them before you select a location. Ask questions around how much time they want to relax, what kinds of activities they like, how often they want to network with their colleagues, dietary restrictions, and more.

Lastly, it's important to consider where your team is mainly located. Are they open to long flights or travel days to get to experience a new place, or would they prefer something a little closer to home?

By better understanding what your team prefers, you can narrow down your initial destination options.

Understand the benefits of incentive travel for your team.

Define Your Budget and Goals

Now that you have an idea of what your team likes, you can start to map out your budget and goals for the incentive travel program.

Your goals should include things like:

• What impression do we want this trip to leave with our team?
• How do we want our team to connect with executives or senior leadership?
• This can include things like employee retention, YoY sales, etc.
• What survey results do we want to receive after the trip?
• How do we want this trip to create excitement for trips in years to come?

Things to consider while planning your budget include:

• Consider how much travel time and timezone adjustment is needed for each attendee. The program needs to be long enough to make that worth it.
• Will each person be allotted a plus one?
• Will you cover travel expenses, including flights, meals en route, etc.?
• Give enough variety that your attendees don't feel stuck choosing something they don't want to do - or worse, just skip out to tan at the pool.
• Will you need transportation to take guests to different locations throughout the trip or will everything be kept on-property?
• What types of gifts will you be providing throughout the trip?
• What kinds of awards will you be giving out?

Your budget and goals should guide everything that comes after (with your audience in mind at all times, of course). 

Research and Select Your Destination

Now comes the fun part: finding a location.

Your incentive travel program should feature a location that teams want to travel to - ideally somewhere they haven't been before or wouldn't easily book a trip to. If your team lives in San Diego, a trip to Orange County may not exactly motivate them. But a trip to the Bahamas? Now we're talking.

Several things need to be considered when looking at properties and incentive travel destinations:

• What is the level of luxury at which you're looking to host your incentive trip?
• Are you looking for an all-inclusive stay or a la carte options?
• And how far does each team member have to fly?
• Do you need secure transportation to your site? Any other safety measures you need to consider?
• What types of visas are required for travel into the countries you're considering?
• What types of activities can the resort offer? What types of locations or activities are near the venue?
• Things to consider here: language, communication style, currency, cultural norms, etc.
• Will they allow you to conduct a site visit prior to the trip?
• "Best" can have a lot of meanings. Things to consider include: weather, prices, holidays (local to the country and your team), company deadlines, etc.
• Does the venue have availability for the timeframe you're looking at?
• What kinds of rooms and how many rooms are available?
• What branding are you allowed to have at the venue? 
• Can you bring entertainment onsite?
• What types of dietary or other accommodations are needed for your guests? Can the venue accommodate those requests?

Laying out a list of your top priorities will be key here. Weigh all these points against one another to help you select not only the location but the right venue.

Wondering where to start looking? Our recommendations for top incentive trip destinations include : 

• Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
• Mallorca, Spain
• Florence, Italy

Overwhelmed with the possibilities? GoGather can help you research and select the perfect venue for your trip. Inquire with us here.

Tailor Your Itinerary

Once you've narrowed down your venue options, it's time to craft your itinerary.

We recommend selecting 3 venue options to create mock itineraries around. 

Remember how we said a week at the spa probably wasn't ideal for an outdoorsy team? This exercise gives you the opportunity to really hone in on which venue will be best for your guests.

Tailored itineraries are important for multiple reasons. They offer a structure to your event to ensure your guests are getting the most out of their time. They also help you make sure you're hitting your goals with each aspect of your trip.

Things to consider as you create your itinerary:

• When do guests need to arrive and depart? Do you need buffer days for guests traveling further? What transportation can the venue help you coordinate?
• What small moments can you create to allow guests to connect?
• How much downtime do your guests want or need?
• And are those activities offered by the venues you selected?
• How much time is needed to get between events?
• Are there areas of the venue that guests can go to for downtime? How about central areas for them to congregate for smaller events or casual get-togethers?
• What kinds of evening events and entertainment are best for your guests? What spaces are available for these events at each venue?
• What local culture can you incorporate into your event? Can you provide day trips to areas around your venue? Or bring in cultural events to your venue?
• Are there any educational, networking or volunteer moments you want to incorporate into your agenda?

Overall, it's important to keep your agenda interesting yet flexible so guests can enjoy some time to themselves to relax while still feeling like they're experiencing everything they want to. 

Some of our favorite activities we've hosted on incentive trips:

• Wine tasting
• White water rafting

Need help crafting the perfect itinerary for your incentive trip? GoGather can brainstorm with you on the best options for your team. Inquire with us here.

Find Local Partnerships and Resources

There's nothing like a local to help you discover the best hidden gems and rates for your trip. Try to leverage an events company with resources or connections in the area you're looking to host your incentive trip. 

These resources can help you source venues, find local gifts, discover exciting outings, partner with local charities, and more. Plus, they can help translate where needed.

Choose Your Incentive Trip Venue in Style

So much goes into the planning of an incentive trip that it can often get overwhelming. But making sure to select venues based on your overall goals and budget, while keeping your attendees' needs in mind, will help you narrow down options.

We recommend keeping a checklist of questions to compare venues, from their location to price to abundance of activities. This will help you stay focused and choose venues that actually make sense for your event.

If you're still overwhelmed by the prospect of choosing the right venue, reach out to our team to discuss your incentive trip and brainstorm potential properties. 

Your incentive trip, managed. From venue sourcing to every last detail, GoGather helps companies create memorable and effective incentive trips. Our team of event experts will help you identify your goals, craft your budget, source your venue, and plan all the details from agenda to gifting. We do all this so you can spend more time focusing on your attendees, and less time sweating the small stuff.

Katie Moser

Related articles.

• Our Company
• Media Gallery

• Loyalty & Incentives
• Engagement & Recognition
• Travel & Events
• Global Rewards

How to Plan an Incentive Travel Program

It’s been a while, but they say it’s like riding a bike – you never forget how to plan an incentive travel program. And because of a late-in-the-game staffing challenge, I landed on the Big Island of Hawaii after six intense weeks of working side-by-side with my colleague, Travel Experience Producer Heather Graver. Together, we planned and executed a program to be proud of for nearly 1000 people at the Fairmont Orchid, my new favorite hotel. I admit it took me a few days to get in the groove, but there were some principles that got me through:

Start with the Big Picture

It’s easy to forget the point of it all. A planner can get so focused on how many hors d’oeuvres per person are included in the Banquet Event Order that they forget what the program is all about.

The program is about the client’s goals, and about celebrating the people who have achieved them. That’s a big accomplishment, for the company and for the individual guests. It is essential to understand how the program fits into the company’s broader business strategy and to plan every experience and every event to live up to the expectations that inspired a year of hard work and commitment.

Only by understanding the relationships between the company and the guests, and by making the client’s priorities your own, can you really craft an experiential reward that lives up to the hype and represents the brand.

Write It All Down

When I’m planning, I start with the agenda. This operational document can easily run to over 100 pages. It’s the only way that I can see the gaps in what we’re planning. It also automatically highlights decisions that need to be made or details that need further thought. It’s how you work out where to station the photographers or what time your team will need to advance the VIP reception. Heather and I used the agenda to communicate to each other, adding and answering questions, making sure we had it all covered.

By capturing all of the thinking in one place, you provide the on-site operational team with everything they need to know to execute the program as you intended. And, most importantly, you free yourself up to deal with challenges as they arise because everything else is taken care of and delegated.

Check Your Data

Most programs have a lot of data flying around – registrations, dietary preferences, optional activity selections, tax information, guest changes, and VIP invitations. It gets complex very quickly.

It’s important to commit time and resources to making sure that changes are making it through all of the lists. The implications of one guest name change can reach far and wide, from printed materials to seating charts. And when we’re striving for perfection, it’s worth it to stop, take a moment, and be sure that we’ve thought things through.

Just as important is being sure you understand the numbers. When working with nearly 1000 guests, even a small change in cost gets large quickly. Miss a $1 addition to breakfast and over six days, that becomes a $6,000 loss. We check, double-check, and negotiate to obtain what our clients need, on budget.

Rely on Talented People

Particularly with large program, one person really can’t do it all. This is tough to take for many planners, who tenaciously prefer to remain in control of every detail through the life of the program. But with all of the moving parts – flights, people, guest rooms, meals, activities, special requests, emergencies, weather, and even volcanos (yes, volcanos) – it’s just not possible to avoid delegating.

As a full-service incentive house, we can rely on our colleagues. In the weeks leading up to our program, 17 people in the office worked with us to bring the event to life, from IT to Marketing Communications. On site, we brought in our best trip directors, each of whom was assigned a role and responsibilities. All together, it took nearly 40 people from Next Level to deliver the program, not to mention the local vendors and talent we brought in for their expertise. It really does take a village.

A few months ago, we wrote an article on The Top Five Reasons You Need an Incentive Travel Company . This was #5: Depth on the Bench. It’s an absolute essential for a successful program.

We had a great program. Amazingly the volcano blew on the night we had a lava themed event, but we were otherwise not impacted by the seismic and volcanic activity 70 miles across the island. Guests went exploring every day – snorkeling, riding ATVs, taking helicopter excursions, and playing rounds of golf by the ocean – on this gorgeous island. They came back to the Fairmont every night to tell us of their adventures, often a little sunburned, but always excited about the experience. Two weeks later, they’re still adding updates on the event app, sharing pictures, thanking the client for the opportunity, and extending the networking at home.

I’ve gone back to Marketing, where, as a colleague once told me, “There are no Marketing emergencies!” (Thank goodness!). I’ll miss the thrill of working so hard on the planning and seeing the event come to life. But mostly, I’ll miss the happy people, enjoying a well-deserved reward and being treated with more care and thought than they’ve ever experienced before. It’s pretty awesome to be able to give that kind of joy to 1000 guests.

If you’re planning a program, do yourself and every person attending a favor: bring in an incentive travel specialist. They can take on the hard work and the stress, anticipate the challenges, tap resources, and treat every person on your program like the important individual they are. It’s worth it.

• Loyalty and Incentives
• Engagement and Recognition
• Travel and Events

Unique & Memorable Incentive Travel

Incentive Travel House, Inc. is a full-service travel company that has specialized in Incentive Travel and Meetings for more than 35 years.

Why Clients Choose Us

Superior client support.

A wide range of services to assist you in creating trips.

World Class Service

Rewarding top performers with unforgettable experiences.

Attention to Detail

Covering all areas of onsite management.

Testimonials

Our company believes in our incentive travel programs. We believe that this helps set us apart from our competition. We have been fortunate enough to work with Sandra and Dan, and their terrific team, for the last 6 years. They know the resorts that customers like ours want to experience all over the world. We have been privileged to go to numerous islands and countries, including Europe. Our groups are large, which creates problems in itself, but their attention to detail, and knowledge of the local industry services available, make it all work without problems. Besides the fact that they have now become more than a business partner, and have become friends, I think the biggest reason that we enjoy working with them is that they think of everything…in advance.

Sandra is an expert in the travel industry and is familiar with the finest destinations for personal or business travel. She manages both large and small trips for our dealer members. All aspects of the trips and every detail for the travelers comfort are coordinated professionally. Feedback that we receive from our dealers that have participated is always the highest quality. Sandra also manages many of our dealer members incentive travel trips for their independent companies in which I hear very high praise. I would recommend Sandra and her staff for any types of travel plans, either on the business or personal side.

I have worked closely with Sandra and Dan Robinson from Incentive Travel House for the past 5 years. Their entire team is made up of dedicated professionals whom take the utmost care and attention to detail to ensure your event and trip go off without a hitch. They have a disciplined approach to ensuring your attendee’s feel valued and recognized for their hard work, which in turn creates a culture amongst your team of wanting to achieve the next trip no matter what. Both Sandra and Dan are in tune with what’s happening in the industry and have traveled extensively to ensure the properties they recommend have been thoroughly vetted by them and their team. As someone that has traveled most of the world as an organizer of incentive and recognition trips, I can highly recommend Incentive Travel House as your only source for one-stop professional Incentive Travel Services.

I have been using Incentive Travel House for years to book trips for both my business and family. The entire team goes above and beyond with their services. They will handle every step of planning your trip while making sure all details of your vacation go off without a hitch. My experience with Incentive Travel House has been nothing but excellent and I would recommend using their services for any of your travel needs.

My Company has entrusted Incentive Travel to be our exclusive travel reward provider for over 20 years. As a business owner, the most important thing to me is making sure my customers feel special and are well taken care of on each and every trip, and Incentive Travel has always exceeded my expectations! I found there is no better way to build a loyal customer base than traveling with them. In addition to being extremely loyal and trustworthy, Sandra, Dan and April go above and beyond when catering to our customers needs or request, their attention to detail is impeccable, and with constant and clear communication they make the process easy from start to finish. We are very fortunate to have Incentive Travel House as a vendor partner.

For over 25 years, Sandra and her great team have handled our company’s incentive travel needs. We love the way they treat our customers before, during and after our trips and so do our customers. They always design great customer incentive programs for us that our customers talk about for years afterwards. I highly recommend their professional and friendly service.

Sandra and her team at Incentive Travel are the consummate professionals of the travel industry. What differentiates Incentive Travel is their meticulous attention to detail and their wealth of knowledge of world destinations. Whether we take our customers on an incentive trip or travel with others, we fully trust Sandra to design a trip that meets our needs. From food to hotels, from transportation to guides, from entertainment to exploration, Sandra demands excellence in every trip detail. We have traveled with Incentive Travel for over 15 years now and we have always had extraordinary trips.

I have had the pleasure of working with Sandra on many of our travel programs for the last 25 years. Incentive Travel House and their team provide us with the best options at an incredible value. They take the time to understand our needs and tailor each program accordingly. The team goes above and beyond in planning every minute detail and they consistently provide a “wow” experience. Our trip participants love our programs and appreciate the on-site customer service ITH provides. There is nothing cookie-cutter about the ITH experience!

Sandra, Dan and their team are absolutely the best in the business. We’ve used an incentive travel program for many years and prior to learning about Incentive Travel House, we used another company. There is simply no comparison. We pride ourselves on offering our customers a higher level of service and the folks at Incentive Travel House clearly understand that concept and apply it to our travel program. They treat our customers as their own. The level of attention to detail, follow up, sense of urgency and overall positive attitude are unique. The program Incentive Travel House designed for us has produced astounding results in building loyalty and growing our business with our customers. I can’t say enough about the knowledge and experience demonstrated by the Incentive Travel House team. Working with them is a true pleasure.

I have been on many trips with Incentive Travel House and never been disappointed. Sandra and her staff know what customer service is and what their customers expect from them. They never fail to do whatever it takes to satisfy any need you might have. Everything about their operation is first class.

The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

Check out our new Moscow Indie Travel Guide , book a flight to Moscow and read 10 Bars with Views Worth Blowing the Budget For

Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission

Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.