Incentives are as much a reward for the qualifier as for his or her spouse or partner who attends. Every promotional mailing, every email blitz, amps up the anticipation and brings them one step closer to winning a dream trip.
But not always.
Melissa Van Dyke, senior vice president, integrated marketing & innovation at Creative Group, reports increased anxiety around border crossings and customs, especially among less-frequent travelers. “Seasoned, multi-year qualifiers generally continue to take these challenges in stride. However, first-time international travelers are showing heightened stress levels, which, in some cases, has led them to decline participation.”
Samantha Marie, chief experience officer at OmniEra, has also faced concerns from some incentive clients about travel to certain destinations. “Being from the San Francisco Bay area, I have a lot of attendees who are LGBTQ+ and minorities. Everyone wants everyone to feel safe and comfortable.”
Fear of Flying
The recent spate of deadly plane crashes and near-misses have also instilled fear in some travelers. A poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that travelers’ confidence in flying is beginning to waver.
For Mary S., the wife of an incentive qualifier, it was the Newark Airport air traffic control blackouts in May that were the tipping point. “I just don’t feel safe flying right now,” she said.
Nonetheless, incentive companies contacted by Skift Meetings reported little or no incentive trip cancellations. “The horror stories about bad experiences while traveling internationally tend to dominate news headlines, but we’ve seen remarkably little disruption,” reported Maritz CEO David Peckinpaugh.
It’s the same at Unbridled Solutions, where Amy Quigley, regional vice president, reported seeing “only encouragement and excitement” from the partners of incentive qualifiers.
Easing Traveler Fears
The first consideration is that the destination is the right fit for the specific group. “If we identify a collective sense of heightened anxiety in the group collectively overall, we often pivot to destinations like Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, which don’t require passports for U.S. citizens,” said Van Dyke. “This removes the customs and immigration anxiety from the consideration set.”
Nicole Raudabaugh, senior customer success manager at Meetings and Incentives Worldwide, relies on a network of on-the-ground “insiders” for real-time feedback regarding any concerns about the destination. “Then, knowing the facts, we can confidently advise on next steps for the safety and physical/mental security of all.”
BCD Travel just introduced a guide, Travel Guidance: Planning, Education and Duty of Care for LGBTQ+ Travelers, with advice on how companies can identify destination-specific risks and implement safety practices.
Kelly Bishop, founder of Wellevate Experiences, added airport services. “Our attendees were escorted from ‘curbside’ straight through security and through the back of the house of the airport to get them out of risk at the ticket counters. That eased their fear of curbside attacks.”
Van Dyke says it’s important to acknowledge that international trips can be more stressful for the less-seasoned traveler. “We love sending first-time travelers on their first incentive and international trip, but it requires extra care.
“We build in extra time for passport processing, expand our communications on entry requirements, and in some cases, even add first-time traveler concierges to help ease the experience.”
Learn, connect, and get inspired — with the event industry’s who’s who.
September 15 – NEW YORK CITY
