When considering opportunities to motivate employees, increase productivity and encourage staff retention, an incentive travel program can be one way to engage your team and boost morale.
What Is Incentive Travel?
An incentive travel program rewards top-performing employees with a specially crafted and curated vacation, paid for by the company. An employee typically qualifies for the trip by meeting a specific goal, which could be tied to an increase in sales, production, customers, etc.
According to Anne Albright, executive vice president for MCI USA’s Strategic Events, Meetings & Incentives (SEM&I) business unit, “The primary goals [of an incentive travel program] are to motivate your team and to drive sales. An effective incentive trip pays for itself, while increasing profits.”
Benefits of Incentive Travel Programs
Being able to drive sales and increase profits is just one benefit of incentive travel. Another, Albright says, is building camaraderie and “esprit de corps” — or a shared feeling of fellowship and pride — among the team, even those who do not receive the trip especially if they know they can try again for it the following year.
“[Through incentive travel], you are creating a special club that people become aware of, and as time goes on, the club becomes more and more important,” she says. “People really want to be part of it.”
The trips are also one of the few times top salespeople are able to interact on a one-on-one basis with senior management in a social setting. Albright explains, “There’s extreme value that comes from that type of interaction that you don’t get with someone sitting across your desk or, these days, behind the screen of a monitor. You’re building shared memories, and there is something very strong about having shared experiences with people with whom you work.”
Considerations for Planning Incentive Travel
Incentive travel programs can widely vary from company to company based on budget, corporate culture, size of the team, destination and more. Because there are so many factors to consider, most organizations outsource a specialist like Albright to coordinate their program. She offers these five considerations for getting started planning an incentive trip.
- Think about the experience of the employee — and their spouse. “Most of the time, if the employee has a partner, this trip is for both of them,” Albright says. “You truly want the spouse to be equally invested because their partner is likely putting in a lot of time to earn that trip, and you want them to share in the reward.”
- Select a destination that is motivational and aligns with your company culture. “You want people to long to go on this trip,” Albright says. That starts with knowing your team and what kind of destination may incentivize them the most. For instance, a team comprised of seasoned professionals who regularly travel may warrant an international trip with more amenities and special events offsite. Think about how you can maximize your incentive program’s budget to ensure everyone has a unique and enjoyable experience they’ll be talking about for weeks to come.
- Ensure you’ll have sufficient lift and ease getting to the destination. “If you have large numbers of people coming out of one city, you’ll quickly fill up the aircraft, and we live in a world of capacity-controlled inventory,” Albright explains. “You're going to drive the price of your air travel up if you don't have proper lift going into a destination.”
- Determine the best time of year to travel. “You can extend your dollars and offer a lot more for less if you can consider the time of year you're traveling,” Albright says. Traveling during a shoulder season or off-season is one way to extend the budget. It’s also beneficial to think about the geography of your employees when determining when to travel. For instance, those based in the north may favor a tropical destination during the winter months.
When it comes to incentive travel, it’s important to build a program that team members look forward to participating in year after year. Not only will your company reap the rewards of their efforts, but employees will have the opportunity to engage in an experience developed especially for them as a result of their hard work.
Are you ready to curate incentive experiences that go beyond mere rewards? Embark on a travel experience that will be talked about for years to come. Connect with MCI USA today, and let us show you the power of incentive travel in motivating performance.
