Incentive Destinations: Exotic vs. Dependable

One of the more challenging decisions for an incentive travel planner to make is the choice of location. More specifically, this choice can be boiled down to either a dependable, tried-and-true incentive destination, or one that is a bit more exotic and thus a bit more unknown, though a brand new, exciting experience.

An example of the a dependable destination might be Florida or the Caribbean, places where hundreds of trips have gone before (and for good reason). An exotic destination might entail sending a group to the Maldives or the Azores or whisking them away on an African Safari in Kenya.

The choice can be a tricky one. On the one hand you want to excite and inspire the participants of the trip. Offering to send them to an enticingly far-flung and exotic incentive destination can certainly be the right way to generate these positive reactions. On the other hand, you need to be careful not to overreach. The truth of the matter is you and your business have limits – both financial and logistical – to your resources. Finding yourself on the wrong end of these limits can mean the difference between a successful trip and a disaster.

What then, are some of the key components to making the right incentive destination decision?

To pick an incentive destination, think about the sponsoring companies’ past history:

• What is their travel history?
• Where have they been during past incentive trips?
• What are their expectations?

Next, consider the participants:

• What are their basic demographics?
• Are the younger or older?
• What is their socioeconomic status?

Finally, get a grasp of the current economic situations in the various incentive destinations you are considering and use this information to your benefit. If a country’s struggling economy is causing hotel prices to plummet, why not send a group there and use the cash you’ll save to add an incredible adventure to the group’s itinerary? That’s called making your money go farther.

Finding it hard to pick an incentive destination? We’ve got a guide for that! Get your copy here.