{"id":3757,"date":"2025-03-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siteglobal.com\/not-your-dads-incentive-trip\/"},"modified":"2025-08-27T14:17:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T14:17:10","slug":"not-your-dads-incentive-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siteglobal.com\/blog\/not-your-dads-incentive-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"Not Your Dad\u2019s Incentive Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"

Programs are changing to meet the needs of new generations<\/strong><\/span> <\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/h2>

With most<\/span> <\/strong><\/span><\/em>of the Boomer generation officially retired, incentive travel programs are changing to reflect the new reality of Generation X (age 44-59) and Millennials (age 28-43) now making up <\/span>the majority of<\/span> attendees. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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The recently released Incentive Research Foundation\u2019s 2024 Attendee Preferences for Incentive Travel shows that these two cohorts make up 86% of today\u2019s incentive travel groups. The survey was conducted in March of 2024. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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Beverly Read, sales director with Wynford, an incentive house based in Toronto, says this demographic is not the country club and golf set that was the norm when she started out. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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Wynford\u2019s clients represent a broad range of industries spanning finance, legal and telecommunications. \u201cThis group,\u201d says Read, \u201cis well-travelled, and is looking for adventure, luxurious accommodations, hip nightspots and more time to relax when they go on an incentive trip. Pickleball has replaced golf as a top <\/span>priority<\/span> and they are more vocal about what they want.\u201d It\u2019s not enough now to do yoga on the beach. You need to have yoga with goats\u2014 or in one instance, Read notes\u2014yoga with flamingos. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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Read and her colleagues note this group is also changing programs in other ways. The focus is not about being noticed and having peer recognition anymore. \u201cThese attendees are not really into sit-down dinners\u2014they get restless. They prefer stand-up action stations, so they can mix and mingle and stay as long as they want. This group is also very culinary savvy. They go to the newest <\/span>restaurants<\/span> and they are looking for creative and innovative food stations and buffets. This cohort is also into fancy cocktails.\u201d <\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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According to the survey, the top three drivers of an incentive travel program are ample free time to relax, unique experiences that you otherwise could not have and luxurious accommodations and experiences. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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Survey respondents were also asked to rank the top three drivers that would motivate them to earn a trip. These included: an appealing destination (up 10% from last year\u2019s survey), being allowed to bring a guest or companion (up 6%) and having expenses related to the trip covered (up 8%). <\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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Hawaii, Las Vegas and Florida were the top three North American incentive destinations preferred by respondents. Canada ranked tenth, just above Mexico. Western Europe (France, Italy, Germany), Central America (Costa Rica, Panama) and the Middle East (Egypt, Dubai) are the top three international destinations. Interestingly, Cvent recently reported that nine of their top ten 2024 bookings are heavily weighted in Mexico and the Caribbean: Playa Del Carmen, Nassau and San Jose del Cabo remain the top three booked destinations for the third year in a row.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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And this may reflect attendees\u2019 personal choices as well: When Read asks her clients where they go on their personal holiday, \u201cThey say, \u2019Oh, we took the kids hiking in Chile\u2019\u2014when I was a kid,\u201d says Read, \u201cmy family went camping in Ontario.\u201d <\/span> <\/span><\/p>

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Article originally published in<\/span> <\/strong><\/span>Ignite<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/em> Magazine\u2019s Sweet 16 Fall 2024 Issue<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/a> by writer, Sandra Eagle. <\/span>Ignite<\/span><\/em> Magazine is a free industry resource, providing insights and inspiration to the business events industry. Visit <\/span>ignitemag.ca<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/a> for your free subscription.<\/span> <\/span><\/p><\/div>

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