The just-released 2022 Incentive Travel Index, a collaboration between Financial & Insurance Conference Professionals (FICP), the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) and the Foundation of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE Foundation), included respondents from 74 countries.
Here are 10 Top Incentive Travel Index results:
- 91 percent of all buyers predicted the use of traditional, qualification-based incentive programs will continue or increase.
- The top two site selection criteria for buyers was value for money (98 percent), followed by safety (87 percent).
- A significant number of programs are staying close to home: 53 percent of North American buyers plan to increase their use of destinations in the United States, 51 percent in the Caribbean, 47 percent in Mexico and 43 percent in Hawaii.
- 67 percent of North American buyers have already resumed incentive travel programs in international locations.
- More than 50 percent of North American buyers expect incentive travel activity to fully recover by 2023.
- 66 percent of buyers reported that they are shifting future programs toward a greater focus on “soft” benefits, such as company culture, engagement and relationships. 91 percent of all respondents agreed that, with a dispersed workforce, these benefits have become key to program success.
- 80 percent of all survey respondents cited rising costs/inflation as a future challenge facing incentive travel professionals.
- 72 percent of all survey respondents said activities that promote relationship building are key to successful programs, followed closely by 66 percent who cited group cultural sightseeing experiences and 58 percent who cited luxury travel/bucket list experiences.
- 91 percent of all buyers predicted the use of traditional, qualification-based incentive programs will continue or increase.
- 80 percent of all respondents said that incentive travel is gaining strategic importance. 69 percent said it is increasingly important for meeting professionals to have a “seat at the table.”
