You don’t see a lot of nonprofits sponsoring incentive travel programs.
It takes money to make money. Although incentive travel programs today commonly feature expanded objectives of team building and retention, they continue to predominantly be used to motivate sales reps and channel partners to hit their numbers.
The Incentive Travel Index chart of top industries using incentive travel features the biggest moneymakers in terms of profits — finance and insurance, technology, pharmaceuticals and automotive sales.
The majority of incentive travel budgets go toward hotel, travel and food — cumulatively accounting for 66% of total spend.
The incentive travel industry is expected to expand further in the coming years, as many buyers expect activity and per person spending above 2024 levels over the next two years. By 2026, 45% of buyers expect incentive travel activity to be above or significantly above 2024 levels, with 55% expecting spending increases to match inflation or to improve programs.
