SITE, the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence, has released new findings from its latest SITE Pulse Survey, revealing that local expertise, authentic insight and trusted relationships remain the defining factors when incentive travel professionals select a destination management company.
The survey, completed by 286 industry professionals in May 2026, found that local expertise and authentic insight ranked highest overall, closely followed by reputation and relationships. Together, these factors scored 4.6 times higher, on average, than the six lowest-ranked selection criteria, including technology, organizational scale and financial stability.
The research reinforces the role of DMCs as strategic local partners rather than simply logistics providers. Responsiveness and agility, together with service breadth, creativity and customization, formed a second tier of decision-making factors, while technology and systems capability, organizational scale, financial stability, legacy and market presence ranked lower overall.
The findings suggest that, even as incentive travel programs become more complex, buyers continue to place greatest value on the human and destination-specific qualities that DMCs bring to program design and delivery. In a climate shaped by rising costs, geopolitical uncertainty, shifting qualifier expectations and growing demand for authentic destination experiences, the findings underline the importance of local knowledge, trusted relationships and operational agility.
In a media statement, Annette Gregg, CEO, SITE, said: “This SITE PULSE survey confirms something many incentive travel professionals instinctively understand: the value of a great DMC lies in their ability to open up a destination with insight, creativity and confidence. Technology, systems and scale all have a role to play, but they do not replace the depth of local knowledge, judgment and relationships that make incentive travel programs genuinely memorable and effective.”
Hasan Dinc, CITP, President, SITE and Managing Director, ODS Turkey, added: “As someone who has spent much of my career working as a DMC, these findings feel very personal. A DMC’s value is not simply in knowing which venue to use or which supplier to call. It is in understanding the rhythm of a destination, the culture behind it, the people who make it work and the small details that can transform a program from well organized to unforgettable. That kind of knowledge is built over years, through relationships, trust and lived experience.”
The Rankings Defined
Across all respondents, Local Expertise and Authentic Insight scored 3.47 average weighted points (out of 5) per respondent, narrowly ahead of Reputation and Relationships at 3.32. By comparison, the six lowest-ranked criteria averaged just 0.75 points per respondent, meaning the two leading factors scored 4.6 times higher, on average, than this lower tier.
- Local Expertise and Authentic Insight – 3.47
- Reputation and Relationships – 3.32
- Responsiveness and Agility – 1.95
- Service Breadth, Creativity and Customization – 1.82
- Attitude and Cultural Fit – 1.46
- Market Presence – 0.86
- Legacy and Longevity – 0.66
- Financial Stability – 0.62
- Technology and Systems Capability – 0.47
- Scale and Organizational Reach – 0.40
First-choice selections reinforced the same picture. Reputation and relationships was the most common number-one priority overall, selected by 42.3% of respondents, while local expertise and authentic insight followed closely at 33.6%. No other factor was chosen first by more than 7.7% of respondents.
Gregg continued: “There is a strong shared view across the industry that DMC selection starts with local insight and trust. However, different audiences look at DMCs through slightly different lenses. Corporates are thinking about program design, agencies are thinking about delivery confidence, DMOs are thinking about destination representation, and suppliers are often seeing DMCs through the lens of reputation and partnership.”
The results suggest that technology and scale, while useful, are not primary decision-making factors for most respondents.
See the full report, including responses per organization type.
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