There are two driving forces behind the push for stay-cations: the current economic crisis and the green movement. As individuals and families are feeling the pressure of financial hardships and increasing numbers of people are committing to lowering the impact their lifestyles have on the environment, the world of vacations and travel is changing. More and more people are opting for cost-effective day excursions or nearby travel destinations that require less transportation and inflict less damage on the environment, while still being filled with fun activities and opportunities to make lasting memories. This new form of vacations is being called stay-cations by some, and companies are beginning to jump on the bandwagon to apply this idea to their incentive travel programs and corporate events.
The benefits for companies that opt for incentive travel destinations and corporate event locations that are nearby include significant cost savings, particularly in regards to transportation costs, and a positive public image that shows a commitment to limiting your company’s carbon footprint. Both of these can be very enticing and are often enough to convince a company to bypass exotic locations and opt for staying close to home. This can certainly help a planner keep things under budget, but it also puts additional pressure on the incentive travel or event planner to come up with an enticing nearby destination and appealing entertainment options that will please participants who may be accustomed to boarding a plane and heading to an exotic locale.
Incentive travel planners may find themselves arranging travel packages for a variety of winners, including some with high salaries and others with more moderate incomes. Because of this, planners must ensure that all of their participants will be able to enjoy their travel awards equally, particularly if staff members at different pay rates will be traveling to the same destination at the same time. Fortunately, there is a very simple, convenient way to accomplish thus that is sure to appeal to all of the participants that receive travel awards: cruises.
Incentive cruises are an excellent option for incentive travel and provide an all-inclusive travel package that will allow each of your winners to fully enjoy their travel incentive, regardless of their personal budget. With included meals and snacks, complimentary room service, first-run movies at no charge, use of fitness facilities at no additional cost, free onboard activities, nightly entertainment and duty-free shopping, travelers at all income levels will find incentive travel cruises an appealing, enjoyable experience.
Opting for incentive cruises also provides additional benefits to the incentive travel planner and the company paying for the travel awards. As a cost-effective option that is simple to organize and sure to encourage employees to perform, cruises are an ideal choice when it comes to planning incentive travel.
As an incentive travel planner, you are likely always looking for ways to augment your incentive travel programs and add meaningful extras that will enhance the traveler’s experience. From entry-level travel gifts to luxury luggage sets, there are many options from which to choose when selecting merchandise to include in your incentive travel package.
Luggage is an obvious choice and can range from a simple carry-on to an entire set, but there are also many other fun gift options that your travelers are sure to enjoy. Quality digital cameras, particularly those by big name brands, are another popular choice that travelers are sure to appreciate, as is sporting equipment that is appropriate for the destination or iPods, headphones and other gift items for making their flight more enjoyable.
If you are planning incentive travel on a budget, you can also opt for more affordable options, including:
• Discount cards for area attractions and transportation • Tickets to local attractions or entertainment venues • Organic, high-quality personal care and toiletry kits • Messenger or laptop bags • Travel wallets • Luggage tags • Travel pillow, eye mask and blanket sets • Executive travel stationary sets • Travel alarm clocks • Travel jewelry or tie cases • Travel shoe shine kits
Also, to make these gifts even more meaningful, keep in mind that each of these items can be imprinted with your company logo.
Incentive travel programs are one way corporations reward star employees. One of the best things about being a corporate meeting planner is the added perk of incentive business trips. If you are wondering how to plan a corporate incentive trip, it is not all that difficult. These days there are so many options available for business travel destinations that you could be hard pressed to decide on one.
In fact studies have found that incentive travel programs are one of the main attractions of event planning jobs- it is one of the main reasons why most people opt for careers in event planning and stick to it.
If you are not familiar with what an incentive program is, the answer is quite simple- an incentive program is an all expense paid trip for a group of corporate individuals as a bonus for excelling in the work force. For example, a food processing company could offer an incentive travel program to its sales staff for meeting desired goals. This is a great way to motivate employees and ensure that they retain their interest in the work, looking forward to more of such trips. Read the rest of this entry »
