Three things determine the value of using an incentive travel trip to reward your company’s top performers: the uniqueness of the travel destination, activities at the destination and along the way, and assurance that the travel itinerary will go as planned.
Planning an incentive travel trip begins with choosing a destination that’s sure to please your travelers. If you’re in the process of evaluating unique travel destinations for an upcoming incentive travel trip, call us. We’ve traveled over 200 cities around the world in 97 different countries. We are sure to find a unique destination for your next trip.
Below are three cities are highly diverse in what they offer travelers.
Las Vegas, Nevada
We often think of New York, New York, as the metropolis that has everything travelers could want. New York truly has something for everyone. But in reality, this descriptor applies more succinctly to Las Vegas, Nevada — one of the world’s most unique travel destinations.
Las Vegas is best known for world class casinos. The city also offers plenty of other world class attractions, including various types of five-star cuisine, hotels with stunning suites, and just about any type of legal entertainment you can imagine, happening around the clock.
One of the nicest things about Las Vegas is you can easily customize the trip to your tastes. If gambling and burlesque shows aren’t your idea of great entertainment, maybe going to top-notch music concerts and soaking up ultra first-rate hotel service are. Not everything that happens in Vegas needs to stay there.
- Paris, France
Paris is similar to Las Vegas; it has countless entertainments on tap at any time. The difference is that Las Vegas absorbs other cultures to create its own culture, whereas Paris has been a cultural tastemaker for centuries, particularly in food and wine, clothing fashion, interior design, and art and literature.
Among unique travel destinations in the spring season, many consider Paris a prime destination. The weather is crisp and cool, beautiful vegetation has spread leaf and petal, and street life bustles with open-air cafes and sharply dressed Parisians.
In recent years, architectural restoration has increased the attractiveness of Paris even more. Centuries of particulate matter from coal smoke became embedded in the masonry of the city’s buildings, making them look dark and dingy. Today, many of the buildings have been restored to their former glory, looking pristine in spring sunshine.
- Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo is far enough away from the U.S. that we often forget about everything it offers as a travel destination. If you’re a saki, sushi, and sashimi lover, you won’t find better fare anywhere. If you enjoy the designs of the burgeoning Japanese fashion industry, you can shop for it in some of the best boutiques for Asian clothing. Then there’s indigenous Japanese architecture and theatre, which are copiously imitated around the world.
What’s more, because Japan is an ally of the U.S. in the South Pacific region, the Japanese tend to welcome Americans as friends instead of typecast tourists.
Like many European getaways, Tokyo offers cultural glimpses into its rich past, while providing something that many old world cities don’t: cutting edge art, fashion, cuisine, technology, and a “statist” approach to national politics that keeps the country’s historical values remarkably intact. As cities go, Tokyo is one of the most unique travel destinations.
About Our Company
Incentive Travel Solutions specializes in planning and executing incentive travel trips to unique destinations around the world. We plan all parts of the trip and send travel staff with you to ensure plans are carried out to the smallest detail. Our trips motivate employees to succeed and help bring those who qualify for the trips closer together as friends and team members.
To start planning a trip to one the world’s unique travel destinations, call us today at (704) 540-1482, or send us an email through our contact form. Your world class adventure awaits!
Ireland: An Incentive Travel Solutions Featured Destination
/in Featured DestinationsDromoland Castle
Perched on the northwest tip of Europe, this is the one place in the world where even time getting lost will be worthwhile… With ancient myths and legends to uncover, amazing landscapes to explore and locals who will be more than happy to reveal our hidden gems, just go where the island of Ireland takes you. Guaranteed, you’ll return home with memories that will last a lifetime.
The Irish love traditions. So much so, in fact, that the country is full of them – from eating colcannon (a mixture of cabbage and mashed potatoes) on Halloween to wearing something green on St. Patrick’s Day. Two of the most enduring and internationally famed, however, are traditional music and Irish dancing. Northern Ireland also has its own unique Ulster-Scots culture, which is prevalent throughout the counties and is often expressed through music and dance. The Lambeg Drum, fiddle, fife and flute are just some of the melodic accompaniments to sessions of Highland Dancing, Scottish Country Dancing, Ulster-Scots Square and Country Dancing. And with Ulster-Scots cultural events springing up all over the place, you can watch from the sidelines or give it a whirl yourself.
Did you Know….The pub lies at the heart of cultural, social and musical life in Ireland. Not just places to have a drink, in an Irish pub you can philosophize on the meaning of life,
Lahinch Golf Club
ruminate on global politics, listen to a poetry reading, tap your feet to a traditional session, feast on delicious food or just enjoy the quiet settling of a pint of Guinness in front of a crackling fire. Sit at the bar if you fancy chatting to the locals, or hole yourself up in one of the old snugs – private little spaces, which were historically designed just for the ladies.
What?….Did you also know? Ireland has two capital cities. The capital of the Republic of Ireland, Dublin is one of Europe’s coolest capital cities. The city pulsates with energy thanks to its excellent restaurants, chic boutiques, legendary pubs, beautiful art galleries, verdant urban parks, elegant architecture, fascinating and turbulent history, plus its unique scenic location perched at the edge of the Irish Sea. Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, meanwhile, is legendary for its excellent nightlife – this is one city that knows how to have a good time. But beyond the pubs, bars and nightclubs, Belfast is also one of Europe’s most exciting city break destinations with critically acclaimed restaurants, smart boutique hotels and top shopping.
Incentive Travel Solutions Welcomes New Executive Vice-President, Sales and Operations
/in Press and News“My mission: provide measured success in what I contribute today, to build for a better tomorrow,” is just one statement from Bill that accurately depicts the type of person and employee he is. Bill immersed himself in the travel industry when he started with Maritz travel company in 1981, where he was employed for over 25 years. He continued in the industry assisting in marketing and sales, accomplishing an impressive 0 million in revenue over the course of his career thus far. Aside from Bill’s overwhelming success in the corporate world, he was involved with Patriotic Postcards, which grew in to a program for the USO called ‘Postcards to Home,’ as well as joining Mission 22, assisting in the prevention of suicidal Veterans with PTSD and TBI.
Kevin Devanney, President and Founder, was happy to announce “I am beyond excited about welcoming Bill to Incentive Travel Solutions. Bill’s enthusiasm and experience will bring tremendous support to our internal operations as well as perfect execution to our client’s important incentive travel programs.”
For more information regarding Incentive Travel Solutions, please visit our Home page.
Great Cities: 3 of the Most Unique Travel Destinations
/in Incentive TravelThree things determine the value of using an incentive travel trip to reward your company’s top performers: the uniqueness of the travel destination, activities at the destination and along the way, and assurance that the travel itinerary will go as planned.
Planning an incentive travel trip begins with choosing a destination that’s sure to please your travelers. If you’re in the process of evaluating unique travel destinations for an upcoming incentive travel trip, call us. We’ve traveled over 200 cities around the world in 97 different countries. We are sure to find a unique destination for your next trip.
Below are three cities are highly diverse in what they offer travelers.
Las Vegas, Nevada
We often think of New York, New York, as the metropolis that has everything travelers could want. New York truly has something for everyone. But in reality, this descriptor applies more succinctly to Las Vegas, Nevada — one of the world’s most unique travel destinations.
Las Vegas is best known for world class casinos. The city also offers plenty of other world class attractions, including various types of five-star cuisine, hotels with stunning suites, and just about any type of legal entertainment you can imagine, happening around the clock.
One of the nicest things about Las Vegas is you can easily customize the trip to your tastes. If gambling and burlesque shows aren’t your idea of great entertainment, maybe going to top-notch music concerts and soaking up ultra first-rate hotel service are. Not everything that happens in Vegas needs to stay there.
Paris is similar to Las Vegas; it has countless entertainments on tap at any time. The difference is that Las Vegas absorbs other cultures to create its own culture, whereas Paris has been a cultural tastemaker for centuries, particularly in food and wine, clothing fashion, interior design, and art and literature.
Among unique travel destinations in the spring season, many consider Paris a prime destination. The weather is crisp and cool, beautiful vegetation has spread leaf and petal, and street life bustles with open-air cafes and sharply dressed Parisians.
In recent years, architectural restoration has increased the attractiveness of Paris even more. Centuries of particulate matter from coal smoke became embedded in the masonry of the city’s buildings, making them look dark and dingy. Today, many of the buildings have been restored to their former glory, looking pristine in spring sunshine.
Tokyo is far enough away from the U.S. that we often forget about everything it offers as a travel destination. If you’re a saki, sushi, and sashimi lover, you won’t find better fare anywhere. If you enjoy the designs of the burgeoning Japanese fashion industry, you can shop for it in some of the best boutiques for Asian clothing. Then there’s indigenous Japanese architecture and theatre, which are copiously imitated around the world.
What’s more, because Japan is an ally of the U.S. in the South Pacific region, the Japanese tend to welcome Americans as friends instead of typecast tourists.
Like many European getaways, Tokyo offers cultural glimpses into its rich past, while providing something that many old world cities don’t: cutting edge art, fashion, cuisine, technology, and a “statist” approach to national politics that keeps the country’s historical values remarkably intact. As cities go, Tokyo is one of the most unique travel destinations.
About Our Company
Incentive Travel Solutions specializes in planning and executing incentive travel trips to unique destinations around the world. We plan all parts of the trip and send travel staff with you to ensure plans are carried out to the smallest detail. Our trips motivate employees to succeed and help bring those who qualify for the trips closer together as friends and team members.
To start planning a trip to one the world’s unique travel destinations, call us today at (704) 540-1482, or send us an email through our contact form. Your world class adventure awaits!
How to Create a Sales Incentive Program
/in Employee MotivationImagine your company’s sales have dropped or become stagnant over the past year. Or imagine sales are doing well, but you want to push them to a higher plateau. Creating a sales incentive program could be the best solution for both situations.
But first things first: What comprises an effective a sales incentive program? How should the program be executed? This is what we look at below, exploring four building blocks that are essential for creating almost any type of sales incentive program.
Before you choose the incentive for sales performance, determine how much you can comfortably spend. The prospect of revenue growth is a major reason for incentivizing sales performance. But you don’t want to break even after delivering the incentive. You want a sizeable chunk of income leftover that goes straight to the bottom line and grows your company’s wealth.
The schedule on which a reward is given is determined mostly by the type of reward. For example, say the incentive is additional commission for closing a sale within two weeks. It would be a short-term incentive structure that should ideally pay out bimonthly.
On the other hand, if you use a large reward that involves more than adding another digit to a paycheck, you’ll probably deliver the reward after a few months have passed. For instance, if the incentive is a travel trip, you’ll probably offer it once or twice a year for two reasons: cost, and avoiding spending too many would-be work hours on pleasure activities.
A sales incentive program requires salespeople to reach a revenue plateau before the incentive is triggered. Products and services are sold at different costs, and it’s important to consider this fact before choosing the reward. For example, selling a new B2B software solution to a single client would probably be more lucrative than closing the deal on a new type of office blinds with the same client.
Additional reward requirements sales incentive programs use include: feedback from new customers that is placed in a performance scoring program, revenue generated from selling in region-specific sales zones, and the time it takes to transition a lead to a customer.
Rewards for a sales incentive program entail various types of attractive offers, from cash bonuses, to new vehicles, to company stock. What you offer is up to you, but keep in mind that you’ll probably be rewarding a high earner who may already enjoy these things.
One thing the person doesn’t enjoy yet is a unique travel trip — with heavy emphasis on uniqueness — to a world class destination. Using unique travels as a reward also makes sense in another respect: Practically everyone loves to travel to great destinations, which means everyone should be highly motivated to qualify for the reward.
Need a Sales Incentive Reward?
If so, Incentive Travel Solutions can help you plan an unforgettable trip that rewards your top performers and brings them closer together through shared experiences. The trips we plan aren’t like the average vacation. The destination and activities are truly amazing, and a travel staff goes with you to ensure the itinerary goes precisely as planned.
To start planning an incentive travel trip, call us today at (704) 540-1482, or use our contact form. We look forward to helping you plan an amazing trip that motivates your team!
Evolution of Incentive Travel: 4 Emerging Trends
/in Incentive TravelTravel trends are similar to celebrities. Some make a big splash, then sharply decline in popularity, while others make a big splash but far outlive the lifespan of a trend.
This phenomenon happens in the incentive travel industry and other business markets, year after year. So, which of the four incentive travel trends here will be around next year, or the next? Using our experience in incentive travel, we take a look and offer some predictions.
Experience-Based Travel
Technically speaking, all incentive travel is experience-based. You come away with a unique travel experience permanently etched in memory. However, trips that are literally described as “experienced-based” usually entail one or more activities you wouldn’t normally enjoy outside the context of the trip, such as riding rare horses in a pristine, mountainous location, or dining in an impeccably maintained German beer hall from the 15th Century.
One of the primary goals of incentive travel is to make trips memorable, so employees will be motivated to qualify for the reward. Experience-based travel can help stoke that motivation and should become more than a passing trend.
Wellness Travel
The goal of wellness travel is to be healthier after you take the trip than you were before. Rather than focusing on recovery from medical conditions, wellness travel normally promotes a holistic approach to wellness, teaching travelers health strategies they can use everyday to improve and sustain quality of life. Nonetheless, plenty of fun and relaxation is to be had on the trips, as they usually revolve around spa and resort activities.
Wellness is currently a major incentive travel trend , one that rides on the coattails of the natural health remedy movement. If you live in a flourishing metropolis, almost any treatment you can receive during a wellness trip can probably be found just as easily near home.
Incentive travels should be highly unique, and wellness travels simply aren’t that unique. They may offer better scenery than the spa down the street, but physical surroundings are an aspect of incentive travel that doesn’t deal explicitly with wellness. The trend of wellness trips may end up being just that: a trend.
Bespoke Travel
A bespoke jetplane is like a bespoke business suit: It appeals to the customer based on his or her unique preferences. For trips that involve air travel, bespoke private jets have become a popular way for successful companies to add another ripple of excitement to incentive travel trips.
Private jet flights have been a luxury ever since engineers could put one in the sky. As companies that have recovered from the Great Recession abandon recessionary spending habits, bespoke travel should become increasingly popular. It appears to be one of the incentive travel trends that will stick.
All-Inclusive Luxury Lodging
Like bespoke travel, all-inclusive luxury lodging has been around for awhile, but travelers remain fond of it because what denotes luxury is continually changing across various contexts. This points to a trend that will evolve with incentive travel instead of getting left in the dust.
Here are some things an all-inclusive luxury lodging might include, just to name a few: a stay at a five-star hotel or a startup resort that offers the same level of luxurious lodging, shopping at premier boutiques within the hotel, dining at five-star restaurants within the hotel, and enjoying spa treatments in the hotel.
Even if travelers have enjoyed these things in the past, the luxuries have added attraction when part of an incentive travel trip: Travelers don’t shell out a dime, except for personal purchases — such as clothes and jewelry — that aren’t included in the travel budget.
Contact Incentive Travel Solutions
Do any of the incentive travel trends above sound appealing? If so, Incentive Travel Solutions can help you plan a trip that includes them. We can also plan and execute all other aspects of your trip, from booking travel and hotel arrangements, to planning unique activities at the destination, to sending travel staff with you to ensure all goes as planned. We’re not happy with your trip unless you are.
To start planning an incentive travel trip for your top performers, call us today at (704) 540-1482, or refer to our contact form. We look forward to helping you plan an unforgettable adventure that includes your favorite incentive travel trends!