Incentive planners are sharing a clear message: The landscape is shifting, and cost pressure is leading the charge.
Prevue’s annual Incentive Travel Trends Survey—deployed between Nov. 5, 2025 and Jan. 30, 2026—revealed that if there is one defining tension shaping incentive travel today, it is this: Planners are being asked to deliver more, with less.
Rising costs remain the dominant issue. Inflation has driven up airfare, room rates, F&B minimums and service charges, while client budgets often lag behind. As one planner put it, “Budgets don’t increase, but all travel elements do.” Another noted that it is becoming “increasingly difficult to maintain the quality of programs with rising costs,” citing escalating resort fees, administrative charges and service percentages that can climb as high as 28 percent.
Air travel also has become a significant area of concern. “[It] has become a major pressure point,” one respondent explained, describing reduced routes, limited schedules and higher fares that complicate logistics and destination flexibility. Others pointed simply to “air flights” or “availability” as shorthand for a growing operational hurdle.
Yet the challenge goes deeper than the budget spreadsheet. Planners are also balancing elevated attendee expectations and ROI demands. “Deliver more with fewer resources,” one respondent summarized. Another noted that higher prices often come with “reduced service levels, fewer inclusions and diminished benefits,” making it harder to create programs that feel truly incentive-worthy.
Safety and geopolitical uncertainty are also influencing destination decisions. Concerns around “location safety/security,” visa changes and global unrest are prompting planners to weigh risk and accessibility more carefully than ever.
Innovation Still Paramount
Still, innovation remains a key catalyst for progress in the planning industry, survey respondents concluded.
Looking ahead, planners anticipate greater use of AI and data-driven personalization, deeper integration of wellness and sustainability, and programs emphasizing cultural immersion and unique experiences. Bleisure extensions and flexible structures are also gaining traction as attendees seek more autonomy and balance.
Not everything in incentive travel is feeling the squeeze; cruises, for one, are actually on the rise. Close to half of planners say they’re booking more of them, and it’s easy to see why. All-inclusive pricing, minimal logistical headaches and onshore experiences that genuinely wow attendees make cruises a good go-to when budgets feel uncertain.
The bottom line from survey respondents? Budget smart, and make every dollar count creatively. When costs are climbing and nothing is simple, the planners who come out ahead are the ones who figure out how to do more with less…without letting the magic drain out of what they’re building.
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