Corporate Travel Destinations

If you plan your next business meeting or conference anywhere in Fiji, you can be fairly certain that it will be a very well-attended event. There is something about the South Pacific in general, and the islands of Fiji in particular, that holds a distinctive allure for travelers of any sort. This makes Fiji an ideal option for incentive travel, an international business meeting, an executive retreat or a convention. When you select Fiji as a corporate travel destination, your attendees will obviously enjoy resort living, pristine beaches and excellent local dishes, but also incorporating more traditional components into your corporate travel plans will make the trip much more meaningful for your participants.

Fiji has a rich history and culture, including traditional ceremonies, dances and arts, many of which are still practiced today either in welcoming guests or in everyday Fijian life. You can add a whole new dimension to your corporate event in Fiji by arranging to include some of these traditions. For example, you may want to consider opening your event with a meke, which is a traditional dance most often performed as part of celebrations, social events and religious ceremonies. Fijian women perform fan dances, while men use spear and clubs, and each movement tells the story of Fijian folklore.

Opening your event with a meke will make your event more memorable and will set the stage for a fantastic meeting or conference that pays respect to Fijian heritage.

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.

Historic walking tours are available in most destinations and can be a fun, educational way to spend an afternoon or personal day during a corporate event. If the weather is nice, this is a great way to spend time outdoors participating in a leisurely activity that can be enjoyed at one’s own pace. Depending on the city and the type of tour you select, historic tours may or not be appropriate for some attendees with disabilities, so be sure to look into this before adding it the itinerary, or if you are simply listing it as an optional self-guided activity, you should include a note about accessibility.

If your corporate travel destination is in a city with a rich history and interesting architecture, guided or self-guided walking tours are particularly enticing; however, even newer cities often have maps available for visitors pointing the way to important monuments, interesting sights or other points of interest.

Guided tours are sometimes more enjoyable, due to the information and stories shared during the experience, and are usually rather affordable, making this an easy option to add to your travel planning. If guided tours are not available in your destination, or if you are looking for ways to save even more, check the website of the area’s visitor’s center or tourism board to see if there are self-guided walking tour maps that you can download, print and distribute to attendees.

Santo Domingo, located on the coast of the Dominican Republic offers the perfect blend of modern amenities and rich history and culture. Christopher Columbus first came upon this region in 1492, with his brother, Bartolome Colon, founding the city of Santo Domingo de Guzman in 1498. As the first city in the New World, UNESCO naturally awarded it status as a World Heritage Site and visitors can still walk along the cobblestone streets of the original city, now called Colonial City, where the first university, church, hospital and monastery constructed in the New World can still be seen.

A popular destination for the cruise meeting industry, the Port of Santo Domingo has two cruise ship terminals: the Don Diego Terminal and the San Souci Terminal. Each of these terminals allows passengers convenient access to nearby Colonial City, as well as a number of important historical sites and landmarks, many dining options serving scrumptious local cuisine and nightspots that come alive each evening with the vibrant sounds of merengue. Santo Domingo is considered one of the most important cultural capitals of the Americas and offers a wide variety of entertainment, dining, shopping and cultural attractions, such as the museums of the Plaza de Cultura, the Columbus Lighthouse and the Parque Colon.

A well-established, modern public transportation system makes getting around this historic city a breeze, which will allow your attendees to take in all that Santo Domingo has to offer between scheduled meetings and events.

Cartagena, Colombia was established in 1533 and was one of the richest ports in the New World during its heyday. Ideally situated on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, Cartagena has a diverse, rich history that includes its ongoing importance as a bustling seaport, as well as times when pirates and privateers had to be held off by the construction of the still-standing walls poised to guard the Old City.

Beautiful blue-green waters and sandy beaches have long drawn travelers to this port city, which grew into a tourist mecca with trendy clubs, fashionable hotels and enticing boutiques. This beautiful city is where the world-renowned author Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote Love in the Time of Cholera and where socialites and celebrities from around the world choose to vacation.

Of course, there was a dark period for Cartagena where tourism dropped off significantly and we began to hear stories of powerful drug cartels and a general unsavory element throughout the city. During this time, corporate meeting planners began to avoid Cartagena as a possible destination, both for safety issues and to avoid marring the image of their client companies. However, now that these days have past, Cartagena’s charm is once again drawing in travelers from around the world, where they find breathtaking emeralds, a vibrant nightlife, beautiful handmade crafts and a plethora of cultural attractions.

Colombia is growing in popularity, but remains an affordable option for companies in search of an enticing locale for their next meeting location.

When you think about the “Pacific Coast,” you are likely thinking of the seaboard of the western United States. Maybe even Hawaii makes it into your mental fray. However, if your client wants to book Pacific business travel you may be dealing any one of a host of other countries.

Asia

While Asia encompasses many different countries, a great deal of the business travel happens in China, Japan, India, Thailand, and a few other smaller countries (many of them Islands). These days Indonesia stands out as an Asian destination, as do several other of the beautiful islands in that area of the world. Continue reading »