Corporate Travel Destinations

There are two extremes to consider when planning corporate travel: all-inclusive options or planning every single detail. Here are some points to consider when deciding which way to go:

If your sole purpose at the company is to plan travel and there are really no other tasks to perform, all-inclusive travel options can still be used at the end of research if they are viable. Using all-inclusive options as a go-to option every single time might be a quick way to end up on the unemployment line or with a promotion, depending on the situation.

All-inclusive travel is often a great way to save time and money, but it sometimes lack in options. This is generally not a problem for the vast majority of people, but those with special needs will probably need to plan at least some of the details. Since many all-inclusive incentive travel options are all or nothing, this means that a few custom options that are above and beyond the call of duty might require planning every single detail.  An all inclusive incentive cruise is a great way to save and thrill your attendees.

Planning every detail might seem like a great way to save money, but it often ends up being more expensive. Add to this the time and effort put into planning and it is easy to see why all-inclusive travel options are so popular with so many business travelers.

It is imperative that a meeting planner have good understanding of what type of incentives will motivate the individuals employed by an organization. The travel incentives that work for one organization's employees may not always work for another. Therefore, a meeting planner has to use all of the meeting planning resources available to them when conducting business travel planning. According to some estimates, at least 10 percent of eligible trip participants chose not to take advantage of a business travel incentive because the trip was either unappealing or they experienced a timing conflict.

One way to ensure that incentive travel is appealing to the greatest number of eligible employees is for a meeting planner to do his or her homework. Simple surveys may not be adequate to determine those destinations that will truly motivate employees. A meeting planner will need to devise unique ways in which to tap into the desires of an organization's employees. Business travel incentives that seem impersonal and generic may not be appealing to the masses. Organizations need to make certain that the greatest number of their top performing employees are being rewarded through incentive travel, and a meeting planner can help organizations ensure this happens through superior planning.

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.

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.

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.

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.