Location is the biggest decision when planning a domestic or international travel incentive trip, and Australian and New Zealand groups are no exception. With our exact location on the globe, it can be tricky planning for an international trip with air travel taking up such a large portion of the itinerary, as well as the economic factors facing our countries now.
That’s why we’ve broken down a guide that covers some of the most important considerations when planning international or domestic travel incentives for Aussie and Kiwi groups! This is a broad overview, but if you’re looking for more, contact us to book an introductory meeting and pick our brains on a location or idea for your next travel incentive program.
The first step in deciding between international and domestic incentive travel programs comes from meeting with the brand. In this introductory meeting, we’ll explore a few factors that can help influence a decision.
These can be points such as the client’s needs – the occasion, budget, and other impactful factors that can potentially restrict what can be achieved within the program. These points will go together with discussions around the available budget, which can potentially make this decision for the client.
Then, it’s important to consider the group’s demographics and the time spent at the location. These can seem simple, but many clients may not consider these at first, and that’s why it’s important to have these locked down before setting forward into the planning stage.
Once the destination has been selected, it’s also important to consider the time requirements around visas for the location if required, and passports for the group. It’s important to allow a few weeks from deciding the participants attending to provide adequate preparation time. Some travel incentive partners will have connections to organise visas for the group, so check beforehand as this can remove some of the headaches (we do!).
Once these factors have been ironed out, the location decision will have been narrowed down to several potential destinations. However, that doesn’t mean the answer will be provided to you – you still have room to choose!
We mentioned budget earlier, but there are several important considerations to make at the destination selection stage that will impact your budget. Some locations will have differing economies, meaning your AUD or NZD will go further – or not as far. Exchange rate fluctuations can place limitations on groups, so it’s important that if you’re set on going international, your destination can ensure your program funds can go further.
There are ways around this that many incentive partners can help with. For example, we recently had a group that had decided on Japan, so we helped by hedging funds against the yen to allow their budget to go further.
If you are deadset on going with international travel, choosing a destination where your funds go further will allow you to reinvest the budget back into the trip for theming events and entertainment, which provides more of an aspirational and memorable trip, fulfilling the purpose of the incentive program.
Many of the points laid out in this blog have been for international travel, and that’s self-explanatory – international travel has more factors to consider than domestic. However, domestic travel will allow you more time at your destination, less budget spent on airfares and visas, and other necessary expenses.
It’s also important to consider the impact of the destination itself. By selecting an aspirational or “bucket list” destination, your program can sway groups into reaching targets and engagement within the program. Many international destinations will be home to unique venues for your incentive group to explore (examples include temples, palaces, caves, and safaris) that AU and NZ laws may place restrictions upon, meaning that selecting an overseas location could provide more memories for the average group.
Finally, it’s important to consider the risk of a potential destination. It can feel like a bit of a downer to think about, but many locations can provide unique risks for your group. Look into the destination – consider if natural disasters are possible, like volcanic ash in Bali. That doesn’t mean this is limited to international travel, either – there are chances of snowstorms in NZ or bushfires in AU which are just as important to consider for domestic travel.
If you’ve finished this piece and you’re ready to take the plunge on planning your next incentive group travel program, reach out today. Our experienced travel team has been leading the way for Australian and New Zealand clients since 1996, and we’re ready to elevate your brand’s next program.
Take a load off and put your trust in our experienced travel team – we can help your brand provide aspirational, bespoke incentive travel packages that will leave your guests thinking about your business for years to come.
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