Incentive travel on an upswing in 2016

For the past eight years, the Incentive Research Foundation has surveyed incentive industry professionals on a regular basis. The IRF’s Fall Pulse Survey 2015 found that budgets are up, lead times are growing and destinations are farther afield. Around 67 per cent of respondents said they are increasing their incentive travel budgets for 2016. For the first time, the Caribbean is tied with the U.S. as the most popular incentive travel destination, with 50 percent of respondents saying they will travel to the Caribbean for their programmes in 2016. While 39 per cent of respondents anticipate no change in the destinations they will book for incentive travel programs in 2016, nearly one-quarter said they are shifting from domestic to international destinations. Lead times have increased. A full 45 per cent of respondents said they book more than a year out, while 41 per cent said they book between seven and 12 months out.