Corporate Travel Destinations

The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) has released data from a 2010 survey showing the top destinations for summer travel in the United States. Topping the list for eight years running, Orlando, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada continue to be the most popular summer travel destinations, which will surely come as no surprise to travel planners. These hot summer destinations offer sun, warm weather and a wide variety of attractions that appeal to couples, business travelers and families, making them a good choice for both corporate and leisure travel. Due to their popularity, choosing one of these cities as a conference venue or incentive travel destination is sure to increase interest in the event or award.

In addition to Orlando and Las Vegas, other cities in the top ten include San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, Honolulu, Seattle and Washington, DC. ASTA also provided data showing the most popular summer travel destinations for 2010 at the state level, which included:

1. Florida
2. Nevada
3. California
4. New York
5. Hawaii

These destinations prove to be among the top summer travel spots year after year, which is important information for corporate travel planners. Knowing the trends regarding the most popular destinations provides valuable insight into which locations will likely be most enticing when selecting destination cities for corporate events, business meetings or incentive travel programs.

If you are planning corporate travel to the Seattle, Washington area, you will soon find that the vast array of local attractions makes planning excursions and entertainment easy and convenient. Because the Puget Sound area is home to several major corporations and leaders in a variety of industries, Seattle continues to gain popularity as a top choice for conferences, international corporate meetings and conventions. The nearby cities of Renton and Bellevue are quickly growing into major business centers in their own right, which is further increasing the need for corporate travel planners to become familiar with the Seattle area.

While much of your planning will undoubtedly be centered on the event itself, if you will also be providing organized excursions for participants, optional outings or a list of area attractions to include in welcome packets, here are several options that participants are sure to enjoy. As an added benefit to you as the planner, each of these Seattle excursions can be easily planned and are surprisingly affordable.

Must-See Seattle Attractions and Excursions

1. Space Needle
2. Pike’s Place Market
3. Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour
4. Savor Seattle Food Tours
5. Ride the Ducks Tours
6. Museum of Flight
7. Seattle Science Fiction Museum
8. Chinatown Discovery Tours/Wing Luke Asian Museum
9. Seattle Art Museum
10. Seattle Asian Art Museum
11. Seattle Aquarium

European river cruising is generally considered a summer affair, largely due to the inclement weather that is common across much of Europe during the winter months. When most travelers are considering a cruise, they are most often looking for sunny, warm weather that allows them to explore ports and lounge in the sun when on board. While this is not an option in much of Europe during the dreary months of winter, Spain is still enjoying sun and welcoming weather, even while some countries are covered in snow or experiencing freezing winter rainstorms.

This makes Spain group river cruises an ideal option for corporate travel planners who like the idea of European river cruising, but need to plan winter travel. It is particularly appealing for those who are planning a corporate cruise for participants that live in areas that have cold winters. The participants will enjoy having the opportunity to escape the cold and spend time in warmer weather, while the travel planner will enjoy the ease and convenience of planning a corporate cruise on one of Spain’s rivers.

River cruising is most appropriate for smaller groups, since river barges are considerably smaller than oceangoing vessels. Group river cruises are particularly appropriate for executive retreats, incentive travel programs and small corporate meetings.

The Caribbean is generally one of the first places that come to mind when people think of cruising and most folks who have been on cruises have cruised the Caribbean at least once. With so much emphasis placed on cruising the Caribbean, does this take away from its appeal as an incentive travel or corporate travel destination?

Some well-traveled cruisers may not find a Caribbean cruise event particularly motivating, but the ongoing popularity of the exotic beaches, intriguing cultures, fantastic weather and crystal clear waters that the Caribbean offers continues to make this region one of the most visited areas in the world year after year. With the sheer number of travelers partaking in Caribbean cruises and resort vacations, it is clear that the distinct allure of the Caribbean has not waned over the years. This continues to be one of the most popular cruise destinations for both business and leisure travel, and also continues to be a region that offers great deals for corporate travel planners.

If your company has offered an incentive cruise to the Caribbean as your incentive travel package for the last 20 years, then perhaps your staff would appreciate seeing another option available and might find a change to be more motivating. However, aside from this particular situation, cruising to the Caribbean has maintained its popularity over the decades for a reason. Sure, it is one of the most common cruise destinations, but that is simply more evidence of its allure.

When it comes to corporate group cruise planning, the Caribbean is and always will be a popular option that will likely never lose its appeal.

Corporate travel planners are well-versed in working with budgets and are pros at finding exceptional deals and negotiating their way into cost savings for their events. Now more than ever, saving money wherever possible is critically important, particularly as many small businesses and large corporations are facing shrinking budgets and closer public scrutiny. It can be a bit of a challenge to cut costs without cutting quality, but with a little time and effort it is completely doable.

One of the keys to successfully cutting costs without losing quality is properly determining which aspects of your event can weather some cutbacks without being significantly affected. Once you have determined which components can handle some cutbacks, the trick is to find ways to cut these costs that will not be noticeable to your attendees.

For example, you might opt for a lunch event, instead of a dinner event, or you might go with an off-brand digital camera, rather than a name brand camera for an incentive travel pillow gift. You can also opt for business class for flights, or bypass flying entirely and opt for train travel, or a bus charter if the event is close to home. Some planners have also found having servers pass appetizers, rather than having a buffet-style set up, provides significant savings, as folks tend to eat less when they are served in this manner.

When planning incentive travel packages, travel planners are always looking for great travel deals, tools that make planning easier and more convenient, and ways to save money without cutting quality. On top of all of the normal planning duties that corporate travel planners face, they must not only ensure that incentive travel packages are well-organized and the trip will go off without a hitch, but also that the trip will have the appeal needed to serve its function as a motivator for employees. In order to achieve this, the incentive travel package must have certain qualities.

One important thing to keep in mind is that the trip must be affordable for winners. Just because your company is footing the bill for transportation, accommodation and some additional expenses, that does not mean the trip will automatically be affordable to the winners. This is why it is important to pick a location that is enticing and exciting, but not so high-end that some winners may not be able to enjoy the destination.

One way to ensure that all winners, regardless of their level in the company, can enjoy incentive travel is to opt for a group cruise event. All-inclusive group cruises provide a fun, luxury vacation, while also ensuring that all of your participants will be able to fully participate in the incentive travel awarded to them. Because all-inclusive group cruises cover accommodations, meals, drinks, onboard entertainment and activities and many extras, your winners can choose to spend on additional activities, tours and souvenirs, or can simply enjoy everything that is included in the price of the cruise.

The island of Aruba is part of the Dutch Antilles located in the Caribbean just north of Venezuela. Every year, tourists are drawn to its sun-soaked shores to enjoy relaxing beachside vacations filled with water sports, long walks on sandy beaches, sipping cocktails under a beach umbrella and SCUBA diving in the crystal clear waters of the nearby coral reef off of De Palm Island. A cruise terminal and international airport are located on the island, allowing corporate travel planners and event planners to include this Caribbean paradise as part of a group cruise, or as a single corporate travel destination. The Reina Beatrix Airport (AUA) is just 2.5 miles from Oranjestad, which is also the home to the main cruise port, which is located just a short five-minute walk from the city center.

The main cities on the island are San Nicolas and Oranjestad, each of which offers a variety of meeting and event venues, with two of the most popular resort hotels on the island being the Aruba Gold Coast and the Occidental Grand Aruba. Popular attractions and activities available on the island include water sports, horseback riding, biking, bird watching at the Bubali Bird Sanctuary, the weekly Bonbini Festival at the Aruba Historical Museum and an 18-hole championship golf course.

Whether you are planning a group cruise, incentive travel package or corporate event, you simply cannot go wrong with Aruba.

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.

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.

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.