The Joy of Travel.

Incentive travel has long been a trusted way to motivate and reward staff. In fact, when designing their budgets, 53% of senior leaders consider incentive travel a ‘need to have’ with 48% calling it an ‘essential strategic differentiator’.

The motivational appeal of group travel, which has traditionally been aimed at Gen X and Baby Boomers, continues to be exceptionally strong with 91% of respondents describing it as ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ motivating.

This positive trend is also reflected in younger generations with 64% of Gen Z and Millennials citing group travel rewards to be ‘extremely motivating’. As the workforce gets younger, event designers must work hard to appeal to these employees, who have values and preferences often very different from previous generations, to ensure they are meeting their different needs and motivators.

With those surveyed, there is a strong drive to travel to new or off the beaten track destinations with 71% of respondents citing this as a priority. The challenge, though, is to balance this curiosity with incentive-level standards, and unique destinations cannot come at the expense of luxury.

Those who have experienced incentive group travel are significantly more likely to prefer it as a reward choice. Incentive programmes incorporating local culture make a long-lasting impact on guests, continuing to motivate them long after they return home and deliver ROI for clients.

Authentic experiences also allow winners to share their stories, creating excitement, anticipation, and FOMO for future incentives.

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The COVID years left us isolated and disconnected. Sadly, more than six out of ten people surveyed still agree that “there’s no sense of community anymore”.

As humans, we crave connection and people are actively seeking out experiences as sources of emotion such as joy, happiness, and awe.

There is an appetite globally for fun and adventure and 89% of the audience surveyed said awe-inspiring experiences made them feel good. We also love the element of surprise with 75% of people agreeing that they enjoy a sense of mystery in the things they do.

This need for joy continues into what people want from a brand, with 45% saying they are likely to buy from brands that surprise and delight.

Airbnb have recently capitalised on this trend, with the release of their Summer Icons. Going way beyond just an overnight stay, they have created extraordinary experiences which take guests inside worlds that only previously existed in their imagination.

Whether it’s a stay in the house from Disney/Pixar’s Up!, sleeping in the iconic clock tower at the Musée d’Orsay, or a gaming night in a Milan penthouse with TikTok star Khaby Lame, each experience has been curated with incredible detail that will evoke the sense of joy and delight that people are looking for. Unsurprisingly, the experiences are selling out almost immediately on release.

Consumers are more mindful than ever when making decisions about how and where they travel. 96% of those surveyed believe that sustainable travel is important and this belief runs across all generations.

74% of those surveyed want travel companies to offer more sustainable travel choices (up from 66% in 2022) and the interest in green modes of transport is growing. 31% of respondents said they planned to take fewer flights and over 57% said they planned to travel responsibly, even if it inconveniences them.

More people are choosing to travel by train, often more expensive than flying, with 42% of people saying they would be willing to pay an additional £100 to reduce their carbon footprint. However, 49% of global travellers still think sustainable options are ‘too expensive’ and would welcome discounts and economic incentives to help them opt for better choices.

Whilst method of travel and choice of accommodation are the biggest ways people are making more conscious choices, travellers are also seeking out activities that ‘do good’ in the destinations they visit.

66% of travellers want to limit the impact their stay has on a destination with the same number wanting to leave a place ‘better’ than when they arrive. Whilst many already adopt small energy-saving practices, turning off lights and re-using towels, (as they would do at home) travellers are becoming more thoughtful about their activity and impact beyond their accommodation. 52% said they wish to support local, community-led and sustainable businesses and 43% of travellers plan to walk, cycle or take public transport whilst they are sightseeing (up by 10% from 2022).

‘Travel Transformers’ are incredibly passionate about mitigating further damage to the planet and driving positive change through travel. In the future, travellers will hold themselves accountable for their impact and by 2040 it will be unusual to see members of Generation Alpha without a carbon footprint tracker on their smartphones.

With mobile check-in, smart rooms, and virtual concierge now a given when we travel, guests are looking to AI to transform elements of how they plan their trips.

Automated personalised itineraries, predictive pricing to analyse the best time to book, and enhanced searches to produce more relevant results are some of the ways AI is adding value. Couple this with intelligent chat bots for 24/7 booking assistance and language translation for location communication, and AI becomes highly valued by modern travellers seeking unique and customised journeys.

Globally, 44% of travellers are using AI to plan and research trips, but its use varies wildly depending on the market. For example, 63% of American travellers are already using AI on their phones compared to just 8% in the UK. The UK market is open to AI though with 42% eagerly integrating or willing to integrate AI into their travel planning.