CHANGING TRENDS IN INCENTIVE TRAVEL

Purpose - As the economy has improved internationally, the same is true for incentive travel programs which are booming. Budgets are up, lead times are growing, and the destinations incentive planners are changing and expanding their offer. This spur increases supplier competition, but also forces suppliers to meet the heightened expectations of their clients. Suppliers recognize the need to improve their incentive travel services and over the years, they are finding more creative ways to add value. Design / methodology / approach - The main focus of this article is to identify trends in the incentive travel area over past few years. It is acknowledged that trends in tourism are numerous, and as such, a full review of the complete body of knowledge is beyond the scope of this article. Therefore, the article will review the formative literature and significant papers in the field of trends in incentive travels, with a view to identifying the key trends in the incentive travel industry. Findings - There is a demand for experiential program design, but quality cannot be compromised. It is important to offer a wide range of activities to the incentive groups as this rewarding experience is something that they will take back home to share with others. Technology continues to be at the forefront of incentive event trends because social technology has changed the way we communicate. In the future, incentive travel organizers will have to continue finding new and creative ways to add value and wow them at every touch point. Originality of the research - Given the lack of research in this area, an understanding of the components of incentive travel that may be perceived as attractive by employees is an important first step to research in this area. It is important to acknowledge that as a conceptual article, the limitations are clear. Nonetheless, it offers a foundation for future research in an area which, until recently, has remained without a strong theoretical underpinning.