One of the most effective ways to motivate your team and improve the ROI of your company is offering incentive trips. Due to the competitive nature of today’s markets, incentive trips could even be considered essential to the success of your business. 

Below, you can find all the information you need to understand the importance of incentive travel. 

What’s incentive travel? 

The term “incentive travel” refers to trips in which the expenses are paid for by a company, typically used as a reward to motivate employees or business associates. Normally lasting for three or more days, an itinerary is scheduled in advance, allowing the participants to enjoy a gratifying holiday. While they can be utilized solely as rewards for individual employees, they can also be used to provide networking/team-building opportunities to a larger group. 

Key benefits of a well-designed incentive travel program

By letting them participate in customized events and experiences, you motivate your employees and increase their productivity. A study conducted in 2023 by the IRF showed that more than 90% of respondents found incentive travel to be a good source of motivation. 

Furthermore, by holding group trips, you can allow participants to bond with each other, outside of work. It’s through these shared experiences that teams will be able to work together and grow unified. 

Ultimately, you want to design a trip that is actively engaging to the participants, which can eventually translate back to the workplace. Ideally, the long-term benefits would include reinforced loyalty from employees, increased morale and productivity, as well as a longer employee tenure. Instead of rewarding people with material objects, providing them with heartwarming memories may prove to be the greatest way to show your gratitude. 

Top incentive travel strategies to boost motivation 

Choosing destinations that align with the preferences of your employees is essential, as this can keep them motivated and engaged. Additionally, you should make sure that the experiences on the trip don’t go against the values of both the company and the employees. At the very least, a basic amount of knowledge regarding what would excite them, and what wouldn’t, is necessary. Try catering the trip to employees’ preferences without compromising the purposes behind the trip (talent retention, team-building, etc.). 

By ensuring that the trip feels personalized, you can give them the feeling that it’s something they earned with their own hard work, and not just a reward borne out of pure luck. 

How to plan and execute a successful incentive travel program 

Step 1: Set a budget

Naturally, the first step requires a clear and precise understanding of how many resources you can use on the incentive trip. How much money can you reasonably spend on it? Based on that, you can begin to consider how you can try to fulfill your goals while staying within that budget. 

Step 2: Contact the relevant people 

By seeking help from professionals and experts, you can gain valuable input that you otherwise would have been unable to receive, solidifying the path to success. Furthermore, they can provide assistance with the execution of the travel program itself. 

Step 3: Handle the logistics

With the help of the aforementioned professionals, you can then move on to selecting venues and arranging accommodations and transportation. If you ensure that the planning is seamless, all that’s left is to make sure your employees continue to work hard until the day of the trip.

Case studies of successful incentive travel programs 

Global Produce has had a significant amount of experience in planning and executing incentive trips—these include but are not limited to: 

The 45th anniversary incentive trip for a company that we’ve worked with for multiple years, CP Cosmetics.

WORKS: CP Cosmetics Co., Ltd. 45th Anniversary Incentive Trip in Hawaii.

An overseas trip for JBCC Holdings Inc., including a team-building activity where participants had to work together to solve a mystery before the party began. 

WORKS: JBCCgroup HPC 2023 THE PARTY in Villa Miani- 60th ANNIVERSARY –

An internal party organized for the employees of PX Mart. 

WORKS: PX Mart 2023 in Japan

FAQs about incentive trips 

Q: What activities should be included in an incentive trip? 

A: This mainly depends on what the organizer wants to achieve, but common choices include luxury experiences, or activities that are more connected to the culture of the destination. 

Q: Are family members allowed to join incentive trips? 

A: Some companies allow family members to join, but there are also some that limit the participants to employees. It depends on what you can allow. 

Q: How long should an incentive trip be? 

A: Typically, incentive trips seem to be more effective when they last less than a week, but longer than a day or two. However, keep in mind that this is something that should be adjusted to suit the budget you have set. 

Q: When should I begin planning an incentive trip? 

A: Planning should begin about a year in advance, although it can also be earlier than that as well. Ample time is necessary to set up preparations and carefully select participants. 

Conclusion: how incentive trips drive business success

If you want to improve the ROI of your company, setting up an incentive travel program is a great method, as it can motivate your employees to work harder, and it can bolster teamwork. More specifically, setting up incentive trips located in Japan is a particularly good idea now that the yen is weaker, since other countries have more purchasing power. 

However, the results of success are something that can’t be determined by money alone. If you truly want your incentive trips (and by extension your company) to be successful, you need to take the appropriate steps and take various things into consideration. 

Contact Global Produce today to create your ideal event. For more information, Download our White paper.