Corporate Travel Destinations

While internet booking options may offer some advantages, such as saving money, there are several disadvantages to this type of travel planning. The first and greatest disadvantage to internet travel booking is the lack of personal or direct knowledge in regard to the services being booked. Businesses are not provided the opportunity to speak with an experienced travel agent or meeting planner to assist them with their service booking when using internet booking options. Additionally, businesses are often faced with a limited itinerary that are further restricted by certain conditions. This is especially true if the business is looking for discounted travel options. Furthermore, there are no free perks with internet booking.

For those that still prefer to book corporate travel using online options, it will be important to use an experienced and dependable online travel planning service. Those wishing to book corporate travel will benefit from the expertise of skilled and trustworthy online travel planners. While there are many sites that businesses may use to plan their own travel itinerary, using an online travel service will ensure that businesses get the best prices available and that all travel needs are taken into consideration. Online travel planners can help make booking corporate travel less stressful and more affordable.

A recent survey conducted by MeetingNews found that most meeting planners expected meeting budgets to increase or stay the same over the first six months of 2010, when compared to meeting budget trends over the last six months of 2009. This optimistic outlook may be further proof that companies across the country are beginning to recover from the recent recession. The survey, which included 220 participants, found that only 19% of responding meeting planners anticipated further budget cuts or smaller meeting budgets in the first six months of 2010. Additionally, seventeen percent of respondents actually reported increased spending in the last half of 2009, showing that some companies continued to prioritize meeting spending during the economic downturn or were already beginning to enjoy financial recovery at that time.

Just over half of the survey participants (51%) expected meeting budgets to stay the same during the first half of 2010. These results support the hope that deep budget cuts are now behind us for the most part and indicate that things may start looking up for the corporate travel and business meeting industries. This is good news for meeting and travel planners who learned tips and tricks for cutting costs without losing quality during the economic downturn and will now be in an excellent position for providing exceptional planning services with increased budgets.

As a single stop on a corporate cruise or a standalone destination for your next corporate meeting, conference or event, San Francisco has a wide variety of offerings and is sure to delight your participants. Most famous for the Golden Gate Bridge, the island of Alcatraz and cable cars, some of San Francisco’s other popular attractions include Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Pier 39, Golden Gate Park, the Cable Car Museum, Ghirardelli Square, Mission Delores and the Historic Ships Pier. Visitors will also enjoy world-class cuisine and shopping, as well as a wide variety of productions housed in historic theaters.

Each of San Francisco’s neighborhoods has distinctive characteristics, such as Lombard Street that zigzags down a steep hill in the Russian Hill neighborhood, the lively nightlife and rainbow flags in The Castro, and steep staircases leading to amazing views in the Telegraph Hill neighborhood. Affordable tours are available and can be arranged with group discounts as part of your event itinerary, and an excellent public transportation system makes getting around this diverse city a breeze.

There are three major airports and a cruise terminal servicing the San Francisco area, offering expanded options for transportation, and corporate event and travel planners can choose from historic hotels or major chains when selecting a venue and accommodations for attendees.

Hosting meetings in the South has increased in popularity in recent years, particularly with numerous large companies, such as Boeing and several auto manufacturers, increasing their presence in southern states. States like South Carolina are working hard to provide exceptional deals and incentives to encourage meeting and incentive travel planners to consider their states as viable destinations, which increases the appeal of these already affordable options further.

Columbia, South Carolina is one city that is poised for growth as a strong competitor vying for the business of meeting planners across the country. New hotels are springing up throughout the city, which is expected to result in a total of 13,000 guest rooms by the end of 2010. With its central location within the state, a major university and its well-known affordability, Columbia, South Carolina is one destination option that should not be overlooked. Regional and national conferences are taking place in Columbia at a steadily growing rate, as are regional and national meetings hosted by major corporations located in the South, as well as those headquartered elsewhere.

If you choose Columbia, South Carolina as a destination for your meeting or incentive travel planning, those in attendance will have a plethora of attractions and amenities at their fingertips, including the Robert Mills Historic House and Park, South Carolina State Museum, Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden, and the Columbia Museum of Art.

Barcelona, Spain is among the most visited cities in Europe, and with good reason. It is home to a well-preserved medieval district, sensational architectural landmarks by the world-renowned Antoni Gaudi, fabulous Catalan cuisine, a newly finished waterfront promenade, numerous museums and a wide variety of shopping opportunities that appeal to any type of traveler.

With so much to offer and an exceptional climate throughout the year, it is no wonder that this magical city is a top destination for both business and leisure travel.

Barcelona is well connected to major cities via air or rail and boasts a reliable, safe public transportation system, as well as plenty of taxis and car rental agencies. Hotels range from upscale and fashionable, to affordable and comfortable, with options to fit any company’s travel budget.

Business meeting and incentive travel planners should also keep in mind that Barcelona Cards are available, which begin at just $25 per person and provide discounted admission to museums and attractions, as well as free use of Barcelona’s public transportation system. This is a nice addition to a travel package, or simply a friendly tip to pass on to your participants.

More information on the Barcelona Card, as well as general tourist information, can be found at www.barcelonaturisme.com.

Meeting and incentive travel planners have many destinations from which to choose for hosting your event; however, there are some that stand out among the options as ideal choices for a variety of reasons. For example, New Orleans is a hotspot for travel these days, particularly among those who understand the importance of tourism dollars to the revitalization of the city as it continues to recover from Hurricane Katrina.

New Orleans has managed to retain and regain much of its charm, and is home to historical and cultural attractions that appeal to travelers in every age group. Historic hotels, museums, antebellum homes and jazz clubs are plentiful, as are exceptional dining and entertainment options. With a business community that is dedicated to restoring New Orleans to its former glory, enticing meeting and incentive packages are readily available. This allows companies to enjoy an exciting destination, while also showing their support for this resilient community and its renaissance.

New Orleans attractions include the Audubon Zoo, the Aquarium of the Americas, Mardi Gras World, swamp tours and the World War II Museum. There are also many free, family-friendly attractions available, such as walking tours of the French Quarter, dedicated evenings for free admission to galleries in the Arts District and enjoying artists’ works and free shows in Jackson Square.

Support the revival of New Orleans and offer attendees an exciting travel destination by incorporating New Orleans into your meeting and incentive planning.

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.

Staying closer to home was the trend in this year's Incentive Travel Buyer's Handbook survey.  Although, domestic destinations such as Florida, California, Arizona, Hawaii, and Nevada are still popular, many planners are going the urban route with incentives to Washington, DC, Chicago, New York City, or regional destinations like North Carolina, Kentucky or Michigan.

The recession has hurt the travel industry, creating a buyer's market for many destinations.  Planners with a budget are being enticed with lower than average rates, "stimulus" packages, and individual attention that was often lacking in good times.

Global destinations did not fare as well as in previous years in the survey.  However, there are incentives to travel internationally, too, such as a stronger dollar, special group travel promotions, and the prospect of smaller crowds in popular cities such as Rome, Paris and London.  

The bottom line for incentive travel planners is to do your homework, and look for the bargains in destinations that will thrill your attendees.

There is a lot of fraud going on these days in the world of contractor and freelancer business. Every day someone else gets cheated, sometimes for a lot of money.  Is it any wonder that businesses are nervous about hiring contractors to plan and book their incentive travel?

Perhaps an insurance instrument is the way to go for many incentive travel planners today. Especially if you are just starting out, it will be difficult to get people to trust you. Here are ways that insurance instruments can help you.

Bid Bonds

A bid bond is simply a document that holds you, the contractor, to an obligation to perform the work if you are the successful bidder. This is a popular instrument in the construction world, but it might also help the planner secure the confidence of a business owner who is a little nervous about hiring someone for big ticket travel. Continue reading »