How to plan an incentive trip: a step-by-step guide

Corporate incentive travel programs are more than just a travel trend. Designed as a perk or employee incentive, the travel experiences you provide can improve employee engagement and retention, boost productivity, and in turn, deliver business growth. 

When it comes to successful incentive trip planning, the devil is in the detail. If you want the lowdown on how to plan an incentive trip for your organization, this quick guide lists everything you need to consider.

What to consider when planning an incentive trip

Setting clear goals for the trip 

The first step in planning incentive travel trips is defining what outcomes your organization wants to achieve by delivering such a memorable experience. 

As much as incentive trips are designed to reward top performers, you’ll also want to keep your company goals in mind. When rewarding employees with travel, you might also want to consider how the trip will foster better teamwork, motivate employees to work towards specific business goals, or inspire loyalty. 

With these goals in mind, you’ll have a better idea of what type of incentive trip you want to plan, including how to determine the types of destinations and activities that align with the objectives. 

Setting a budget

Determining your budget for the incentive trip is the next important step in creating lifetime experiences for your employees without breaking the bank.  

As well as taking into account how many employees will be traveling and how long the trip will last, you’ll also need to consider travel expenses including flights, trains, accommodation, meals, activities, and insurance costs.  

Plus, bear in mind that incentive trips might also have tax implications for both your business and employees. 

Choosing the destination and dates

With your objectives and budget firmly established, Your next task is choosing when and where the trip will take place. Remember to take into account the seasonality of the destinations, the availability of hotels or resorts, and any potential conflicts with other corporate events or holidays.

While there are plenty of incentive travel destinations to choose from, you’ll want to research places that align with both your trip objectives and budget. Choose options that include activities that align with the interests and preferences of your team members -- after all, incentive travel is distinct from business travel, and you should prioritize rewarding and motivating employees, rather than imposing itineraries that may not suit their preferences.

You’ll also need to consider the region or country’s local culture, safety, and suitability for both your trip objectives and team members. 

Finally, once you’ve finalized the destination and travel dates, make sure to plan the trip in advance. This will enable you to secure better booking rates for travel and accommodation, ensuring availability while also saving you money in the process.

Planning the itinerary and activities

A detailed itinerary makes for a successful trip. When planning activities consider the duration of the trip -- striking the right balance is key -- ensure that the itinerary includes enough activities without overwhelming travelers. You’ll also need to ensure that employees will be able to enjoy free time and wellness experiences in addition to team-building exercises. 

Consider the diverse interests, preferences, and demographics of all employees and incorporate activities that are enjoyable and engaging for everyone. Plus, make the trip extra special by planning unique experiences and activities that employees wouldn’t be able to do at home. 

Coordinating logistics and travel arrangements

Now that your itinerary is set in stone, you’ll need to arrange accommodation and transportation for your employees. 

Look for hotels or resorts that can accommodate your group size, provide a range of activities, and offer excellent guest services. Additionally, make travel plans that cater to the needs of the entire group, regardless of where they’re traveling from, and make arrangements for employees to move around when they reach the destination. 

Planning group travel trips can be daunting, and even with the expertise of professional travel planners and travel companies, it's normal to feel overwhelmed by the logistics involved.

Luckily, corporate travel platform TravelPerk is on hand to simplify incentive travel planning processes. We take care of every detail -- including sourcing destinations, making hotel and flight reservations, managing check-ins, arranging ground transportation, and even making prepaid restaurant bookings -- to make trip planning a hassle-free experience.

Communicating and engaging with participants

Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful trip. Once arrangements have been made, provide regular updates to employees, communicate details about the itinerary and activities, and remind them of what documentation they’ll need to prepare - especially for international travel.

If you’re planning an incentive trip for less than 9 people, don’t get lost in long email threads and endless calendar invites; the TravelPerk Events solution enables you to both arrange travel and accommodation and collaborate and communicate plans all from one place. From here, you can easily share trip details, logistics, agendas, and itineraries with attendees and keep them updated on details or changes to the plan. 

Measuring the success of the incentive trip 

Finally, think about how you’ll measure the success and impact of the trip once it’s over. Asking employees to evaluate their experience will not only help you iron out any logistical details, but will also help you create benchmarks for any subsequent trips. 

Ask employees to provide feedback on the experience via a short survey; ask them what was done well and if they have suggestions on any opportunities for improvement. Some time after, ask senior leaders to evaluate the impact of the experience on your initial trip objectives to help better align goals and experiences in the future. 

Provide memorable experiences with successful incentive travel management

How you plan incentive travel trips can make or break the experience. A solid plan will result in improved productivity, loyalty, and engagement, and also help boost company culture and morale. On the other hand, a lack of a well-prepared plan results in a waste of time, money, and effort.

If you need help booking and managing your company’s incentive trips, TravelPerk can help you save both time and money by using the combined buying power of our clients to negotiate exclusive discounts on your behalf.