Although we all have secret answers for where we would like to send some of them, if it involves our jobs as travel planners we want to do our best. Regardless of our own politics, we often have to send someone to a tropical island resort when we would rather send them where there is plenty of brimstone. Ah, well.
So where are the best destinations for politicians? Chances are that if you have been in government travel planning for awhile you already have some favorites picked out. However, if you’re just starting out in government or non-profit event planning and have been asked to plan a politician’s trip, there are some things to consider.
First, what does the group want the politician to see? Would it be better for the person to witness the downtrodden side of the destination, or would the organization prefer that she see the beautiful sights in the area? This may depend on for what reason the organization is having her travel.
Second, what do they want the politician to do while he is there? If they need a great deal of his time, they may want him close by. If they just want him to have a more relaxing trip, perhaps an outlying suburb with golf courses–and plenty of contact with the right people–is in order.
Of course, there are other considerations as well. For instance, how long will the person be staying? What else would she like to get done while she’s there? What sort of transportation and security will be required? All those things will have a bearing on how you approach a destination for politicians.
It’s been some months since we found out our economy is not only breakable, but quite cracked. This has placed an enormous burden on the backs of meeting and even planners who have been entrusted with creating reasonably priced but effective incentive programs. Well, here’s one solution: the cruise.