Corporate Travel Destinations

Bulgaria is growing in popularity as a destination for business and leisure travel; however, it is still in its teenage years of this growth. This provides the perfect opportunity for corporate travel planners to take advantage of exceptional meeting planning packages and travel deals, while allowing attendees to enjoy a distinctive European culture without the crowds of more established tourist areas.

Bulgaria is one of the few places in Europe where travelers can still experience life as it was in old-world villages 150 years ago, while still being just a short drive away from major cities, seaside resorts and all of the modern conveniences to which we have grown accustomed. Coastal resort towns along the Black Sea are ideal for corporate travel, with new resorts springing up on a regular basis. There are several options with rooms and meeting spaces for large groups, as well as many that can accommodate smaller groups of attendees.  In addition, the Black Sea is an excellent destination for an incentive cruise.

Aside from the glorious beaches on the Black Sea coast, there are also mountain ski resorts offering skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and other snow sports, as well as luxury spas, including the two most popular mountain resorts: Bansko and Borovets. Bulgaria is also perfectly positioned for excursions to nearby countries, including Turkey, Romania, Serbia, Macedonia and Greece, making this affordable destination a great choice for international corporate travel.

Switzerland is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, particularly for those interested in skiing and other mountain sports. Well-known for its exceptional ski resorts, luxury mountain spas, breathtaking natural beauty and well-established tourism infrastructure, it is easy to see why so many travelers return to Switzerland year after year. This thoroughly developed infrastructure based around tourism, coupled with the important business centers of Zurich and Geneva, make Switzerland an easy choice for corporate travel and meeting planners looking for a European destination.

Switzerland offers quaint, traditional villages; major metropolitan areas with exceptional dining, shopping and entertainment; world-renowned watch-making, chocolate and cheese industries; and magnificent scenery that your participants will find appealing and memorable. English is spoken throughout the country, which provides an even higher level of convenience for your travel participants.

Berne, the capital city of Switzerland, is particularly enticing as a destination and is located just 152 kilometers from Geneva and 122 kilometers from Zurich. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Berne is filled with sites of historical and cultural importance, including the Clock Tower, Prison Tower, Parliament House and Munster Cathedral. This medieval city is also well-known for Emmental cheese and Toblerone chocolates, and for being a central location for the work life of Albert Einstein. With numerous options for small, medium and large groups, Berne is an excellent choice for your next corporate travel destination.

Spain is a popular choice for both leisure and business travel, largely due to the warm climate, sun-soaked beaches, rich history, vibrant culture and world-class meeting facilities. It is also extremely popular with those in search of a golf vacation in Europe, making it an ideal destination for corporate travel planners planning incentive travel, corporate events or meetings for a group of participants that happens to have a good number of golf enthusiasts. Many of the upscale golf resorts located in Spain also offer amenities and attractions that will appeal to non-golfers, including exceptional dining, entertainment, shopping, sites of historical or cultural importance, and luxury spa facilities.

Within Spain, planners will find several golf vacation hotspots and well-known courses. Some examples include Madrid, which is home to the Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro, the Real Sociedad Hipica Espanola and the Club de Campo Villa; Alicante, which is home to Alenda Golf, Alicante Golf and Golf & Spa Bonalba; and Valencia, where visitors can enjoy a round of golf at Campo de Golf El Saler. There is also a variety of options available in Barcelona, Malaga and Mallorca, allowing for plenty of choices when selecting a destination that will meet your event needs and be of interest to your participating golfers.

Travel gifts are a great way to enhance your corporate travel participants’ experience and make your event or incentive travel package more memorable. This will, of course, reflect well on you and will help your participants remember you as a great, thoughtful corporate travel planner. Whether your budget is limited or allows you to spend somewhat freely, there are many gift options in a variety of price ranges that are sure to meet your needs.

Here are just a few ideas for affordable travel gifts that can be easily incorporated into your corporate travel planning:

• Personalized carry-on luggage
• Personalized garment bags
• Toiletry bags
• Personal care kits
• Digital cameras
• Sunglasses
• Guidebooks relevant to the destination
• Travel wallets
• Passport and document holders
• Beach towels
• Beach bags
• In-flight entertainment kits with magazines, crossword puzzle books and snacks
• Discount cards for public transportation and area attractions
• Tickets to local attractions

It is a common practice to give pillow gifts to participants of certain types of corporate travel; therefore, it is often expected that some sort of gift will be distributed. If you are a corporate travel planner that regularly includes gifts, you can use the above list for new ideas to switch things up a bit. This is particularly important if you have many repeat travel participants.

Ensuring that your meeting or event attendees, or incentive travel winners, have a satisfying, memorable experience during the corporate travel you have planned for them, involves much more than scheduling venues, renting equipment, booking a block of rooms and negotiating prices for airline tickets. Of course, you already know that your job entails much more than that, but many planners sometimes leave out a few details that can make all the difference when it comes to the experience your participants have.

This is particularly true if you are planning corporate travel for folks who may not travel frequently for business or in their personal lives, or who have not previously traveled to this destination. For example, turning them loose without any information about the area might be seen as okay by some, but planners who want to make sure every detail is taken care of and who want to be known for going above and beyond to meet their participants’ needs would never consider doing that. Gathering and distributing information about the destination does not have to take a lot of time and effort, and is sure to be seen as an appealing extra that your attendees will appreciate.

A simple list of attractions, eateries, transportation options and other types of useful information is sure to be greatly appreciated, and it will only take you a short time to find all of this information online.

Corporate incentive travel is meant to be fun, memorable and a bit on the luxury side. Above all else, it should truly feel like a reward for the hard work and loyalty of staff members, and should make them feel appreciated and acknowledged. As a corporate travel planner, this is likely already at the top of your list when planning incentive travel packages; however, you are likely also always on the lookout for small, inexpensive ways to improve the experience of incentive travel winners, while still being able to easily stay within your predetermined budget.

One easy way to do this is through the use of incentive travel gifts that are related to the destination. Many gifts of this nature can be purchased affordably and are a nice addition to travel packages that will surely be appreciated by the recipients. Gifts can be as simple as a map of the local area or a guidebook listing attractions and information of interest to visitors, or they can be more extravagant, such as gift cards to upscale area restaurants, tickets to the ballet or opera, or personalized luggage. There are also many fun options that can be location-specific, such as sunglasses and beach towels for beach destinations, or hats and scarves for trips to ski resorts.

It is one thing to know your way around your favorite venues that happen to be on land, but corporate travel planners who incorporate cruises into their corporate meeting and event planning, incentive travel planning or other corporate travel endeavors should pick up a bit of shipboard lingo to show that you know your stuff, or at least to help you fake it ‘til you make it while planning your onboard events.

Here are a few of the terms that it is helpful to know when onboard:

Aft – toward or at the rear of the vessel
Amidships – toward or at the middle of the vessel
Below – Beneath the main deck
Bow – the front of the vessel
Bridge – the navigational control center of a ship
Companionway – interior staircase
Free Port – a port with no customs or duty
Galley – ship kitchen
Gangway – ramp or stairway between the ship and dock
Helm – steering apparatus
Port – the left side of the ship when facing the bow
Starboard – the right side of the ship when facing the bow
Tender – a small vessel for passenger transportation when at anchor

Of course, these are just a few examples of the many terms used on ships, but this should be enough to get you started on the road to immediately understanding what the cruise ship staff says when discussing the location of your attendees’ rooms or meeting rooms, or where they will meet you to show you around your event venue.

Seasite.com is designed for meeting and event planners who want more control in the cruise sourcing and planning process. It’s the fastest and easiest way for group organizers to master the world of cruising, building on all that’s been learned by Landry & Kling, who are credited with being the first distribution channel between the cruise industry and corporate America. Now, 28 years since their startup, they have responded to changing times by creating Seasite.com, with innovative cruise sourcing tools that enable meeting planners and other travel intermediaries to be more pro-active and confident in booking group cruises. Seasite group pricing is the same as booking direct, with the advantage of impartial Cruise Advisors to assist as needed.

For a different kind of group cruise experience, you may want to consider barge cruising on rivers in Europe. This type of laidback cruising is ideal for groups of 12 or less and offers a casual, intimate atmosphere that is perfect for an executive retreat, a teambuilding experience or small-scale corporate meetings and events. Barges are often captained by the owner and cooking is often taken care of by the owner or the spouse of the owner, with local foods that are purchased daily before leaving the night’s mooring spot in the morning. This adds to the houseguest feel of barge cruising, and generally also makes for wonderfully outfitted barges that show distinctive pride of ownership.

During the day, guests will enjoy slowly making their way down Europe’s inland waterways, and then will have the opportunity to go ashore to visit quaint villages or wineries before heading to bed each night. Many barge cruises include tours of sites of historical or cultural importance and sometimes have eclectic, impromptu entertainment during the evening. Some barge cruises also offer optional extras, such as hot air ballooning, which can make your corporate travel even more memorable. Exclusive ship charters allow you to organize an intimate awards ceremony or relaxing incentive travel package that is sure to appeal to your attendees.

When planning an incentive cruise for your next corporate travel destination, you may want to take into consideration the possibility of including time on a private island. Several cruise lines now offer trips to private islands, particularly in the Caribbean, as part of their cruise itinerary. While the cost of food, beverages, water sports equipment and other items will almost always cost more on a private island than they would at a typical location for an onshore excursion while in port, there are many luxurious benefits to opting for cruise lines that include stops at private islands.

Private islands may be populated with other tourists, but they are not filled with hustlers or pickpockets, as are some public beaches, which creates a more relaxing situation for visitors. Security is always present to ensure that visitors will have no worries about being mugged or having their belongings stolen as soon as they turn their backs, and visitors can rest assured that the beaches will be spotlessly clean and always pristine. Banana boat rides, scuba diving, snorkeling, massage and spa services, beverage bars and cafés are common offerings on private islands, making them an ideal choice for day-long beach parties, and possibly even organized events, depending on what kind of deal you can negotiate with the cruise line.

Nearly all corporate travel destinations will have numerous museums that have permanent historical exhibits, host art exhibits or provide access to rotating cultural exhibits and events. Many cities even have a particular district that is home to several museums within walking distance of each other, such as Tacoma’s Museum District, San Diego’s Balboa Park, Cape Town’s Green Point District and Houston’s Museum District. With many options in close proximity, your attendees will have increased choices and the ability to select the exhibits that are of the most interest to them. This makes museums an easy, convenient option for adding to a list of local attractions given to attendees; however, you may also want to consider this low-cost entertainment option as part of your scheduled activities.

Museums usually offer rather affordable admission rates, making them a cost-effective option for corporate travel planners. But, savvy planners know that they can save even more by looking into group discounts or looking for free admission days that coincide with the dates of their corporate event. It is quite common for museums to offer at least one free admission day each month, with some entire districts offering free admission to all of the museums on a particular day. If this day happens to fall during your planned event, this is a great opportunity to offer an educational, enticing activity that will appeal to your attendees and help you stay within budget.