5 Common Mistakes In Incentive Travel Program

An incentive travel program is designed with good intentions such as to increase sales, motivate employees and to reward good performance. But despite the good purpose, sometimes, the program fails due to lack of understanding on how to execute it and poor implementation. Hence, organizations that plan to offer an incentive travel reward should carefully consider each possible scenario and situation that can undermine the program.

A successful incentive program should yield positive results to the business. But too often, organizations succumb to any of these common mistakes which hinder them from getting much of a return on the efforts they’ve exerted to implement the program.

Neglecting The Goal Of The Program 

No program will succeed without a clear goal. Operating without a specific goal in mind is just a waste of time, resources, and effort, so the management should set challenging yet achievable goals when planning the program. The goal must be clearly and consistently communicated to all people involved from the top management to the employees or customers. When picking a destination, think of which place the participants desire to step foot or, at least, close to their dream destination. All participants must view the program as fair and unbiased, otherwise, they will feel it is not worthwhile and will not be interested. Structure the program accordingly once you have decided the ultimate goal.

Complicated Rules

Setting up rules will give the program a clear structure and provides a sense of fair play. But the participants may feel frustrated and lose interest if there are too many rules and guidelines being imposed. An incentive travel program will never gain traction if the participants feel that it is difficult to win the reward. Thus, it is of substantial importance to keep the rules simple and straightforward. Remember, complex rules often turn off participants making the program less effective.

Lack Consideration To Attendees 

In choosing an excellent location for the incentive program, it is crucial to consider the attendees. The organization may select a perfect destination for the program but the resort is too expensive that the attendees cannot afford to dine on the site. As a result, they won’t enjoy most of their time spent in the travel. So while planning, it is better to know the audience and what they want to do on a trip. For instance, the millennials are more into an adventure trip while the boomers prefer a relaxing day by the beach or a golf session.

Give Enough Time

In implementing an incentive travel program, the participants should be given ample time to work their way toward achieving success. The program should have a reasonable time frame to allow the participants to plan out their strategies on how to improve their performance. If the timeline is too short, some participants may feel they are at a disadvantage but if it’s too long, they might get bored waiting for the result.

Failure To Follow-up After The Program 

Never forget to make a follow-up after the program. When the employees go back to work after an exciting travel experience, there should be a proper communication as to how their achievements contribute to the continuous success of the business. Every aspect of the incentive travel program should be properly explained to employees or participants before and after the trip. Surely, they will look forward to another program in the future.

Top 5 Incentive Travel Destinations For 2016

Incentive travel is a reward subset of a business’ incentive program or loyalty program, which is designed to improve profit, employee engagement, cash flow and customer engagement. It is the ultimate reward when it comes to motivating employees and incentivising loyal clients. Needless to say, all of us enjoy the possibility to get away from the daily load of work, enjoy some sightseeing or to unwind and relax from the stressful daily work routine. Offering a holiday in return for hard work is indeed an excellent way to encourage productivity and high performance.

So, if you are thinking of giving away an incentive travel to your employees, here are five destinations you can consider this 2016.

Caribbean

Who doesn’t want to explore the Caribbean Islands? This region is one of the most anticipated destinations among travellers around the globe. For the many, stepping a foot on the islands seems not feasible especially with the cost associated to this plan. So, if the business is generous enough, you may consider having a Caribbean incentive travel reward to the best team or employee who can provide unparalleled performance. It is perfect for summer incentive program with activities like walk among ancient Mayan Ruins, swim with stingrays, zip-line through the jungle in Antigua, tubing down jungle river in Belize, swim with wild turtles and much more.

Sicily, Italy

Another popular destination for incentive travel is Italy, specifically in Sicily. Travelling to Sicily offers lots of activities to enjoy. This unique location combines Mediterranean Sea, Roman theatres and Grecian temples to pack a natural energy into stunning locations and exhilarating accommodations. Some of its popular tourist attractions include, Cappella Palatina, Valle dei Templi, Palazzo dei Normanni, Catacombe dei Cappuccini, Isola Bella, ancient theatre of Taormina and more. Taking a close up view of Mount Etna is surely a memorable experience.

New Zealand

Home to warm weather, magnificent scenery, relaxing beaches and awe-inspiring mountains, New Zealand makes an ideal destination to rejuvenate the body and mind of your employee or the entire team. An incentive travel to New Zealand boasts an unlimited list of activities and entertainment options, making it less hassle to plan and organise. This place is ideal for team incentive travel as there are lots of group activities to do, such as bungee jumping, hiking, rafting, skiing or zip lining. In addition, the team can enjoy the food, culture and wildlife in this picturesque travel destination.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Ranked as the ninth country with the largest economy in Latin America, Dominican Republic has slowly enticed quite a number of tourists. The coastline city of Punta Cana holds great promise for a memorable and exciting incentive travel experience. Punta Cana is home to the island’s primary attractions and activities, including snorkelling, diving, swimming, sailing, fishing and boating. Aside from water excursion, the team may opt for land-based activities like hiking, safari tours, cave expeditions, buggy adventure and others.

Vietnam

Vietnam is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Asia due to its exotic beauty. It boasts tropical forest, spectacular waterfalls, enchanting caves and stunning views that can offer a breath of fresh air to the recipient of the incentive travel reward. Thrill seekers can enjoy rock climbing and kite surfing, or go swimming in its underground rivers. There are lots of pristine beaches in Vietnam where the team can relax and indulge in panoramic scenery. Enjoy Vietnam Tour Package with special offers.

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Top 3 Team Building Companies In Singapore

One vital activity that every organisation must have is team building. It is part of a psychological discipline called organisational psychology. It motivates groups of workers to collaborate and communicate through a series of planned events that are fun and inspiring. With several team building companies in Singapore, it’s now easier to plan a team building activity, either locally or internationally.

Needless to say, a large percentage of those successful companies these days consist of happy and satisfied employees. The management is able to determine the needs of their employees and to inspire them through the team building activities. Team building can be used to determine strong points in an individual’s personality, such as strong communication and leadership skills. It can benefit the individual by offering greater job satisfaction and opportunity to progress to their full potentials. So, are you planning to conduct a team building activity for your employees?

Here are three team building companies in Singapore you may get in touch with.

Prime Travel & Tours

Backed with more than 35 years of experience in travel management, Prime Travel & Tours has helped several clients who sought their assistance in organizing team building program. The agency employs an adaptive approach towards technology, allowing them to communicate and process any information quickly and effectively. They can arrange the team building activity based on client’s requirements without unnecessary costs.

Prime Travel offers a wide array of activities that the employees will surely enjoy and have fun, including the infamous Grand Prix, which will test the team’s creativity and coordination. Some games will challenge the team members’ strength, leadership, problem solving skills, endurance and strategic planning. There are more activities to choose from that will strengthen the team’s spirit and bonding.

Team Bonding

Established in 2010, Team Bonding started with a simple goal in mind - to help members of corporate teams to bond effectively.  It aims to provide customers with extraordinary activities in a way that will suit the client’s preference and budget. The company offers a broad range of team bonding activities where employees can indulge in various challenges, such as music video challenge, formula 1 challenge, cooking challenge, dragon boat, sky diving, amazing race and more.

Team Bonding is composed of experts who can handpick the most ideal activities and partners for a particular client. The company is committed to provide its customers with highest quality customer service. Since its creation, Team Bonding has helped numerous Singaporean firms and MNC’s improve team collaboration.

Room Raider

For Room Raider, entertainment is their game. They aspire to provide their customers with a fun and immersive team bonding experience. This team building company hosts 6 Escape rooms in its 3,000 square feet space wherein each room has its own theme that has been carefully and meticulously crafted to bring their customers to another world. The real escape room games are inspired from the famous “Escape the Room” video games and the classic point and click adventure and mystery computer games.

Teams will be transported to a fantasy world and will engage in an exciting adventure. Each room has a completely different adventure, such as Sci-Fi “Hyperion”, spooky “Dark Mansion”, cute adventure “Where’s Cuddles” and more. The vast array of puzzles will challenge the team members’ observation skills, logical thinking, as well as the ability to think out of the box.

No matter what type of team building activity you have in mind for your employees, you can easily plan it out by seeking the service of the best team building companies in Singapore.

Other related articles:

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5 Exciting Things To Do In Boracay

Whenever someone thinks of visiting the Philippines, the first destination that most likely comes to mind is the infamous Boracay.  Why not when there are lots of tour packages to Boracay from Singapore?  Boracay has retained its fame as one of the top island destinations in Asia despite of the growing popularity of other islands in the country.  Boracay is widely known for its dreamy, magnificent and world-renowned white sand beaches.

With its white powder sand beaches and beautiful emerald blue waters, it’s given that you can indulge in typical water activities like swimming and snorkelling. If you are looking for more fun and exciting activities to do in Boracay, here is a list of exhilarating things to do in this awe-inspiring island.

Helmet Diving

Have you heard of helmet diving? This activity gives non-certified scuba divers a chance to promenade the marvellous ocean floor and see what lies underneath the crystal water. In this activity, you will descend about 10-feet below the water surface and stand on the seabed. A helmet will be placed over your head wherein the air is pumped to allow you to breathe normally under the water. You will be provided with some bread to feed the fishes. So, even if you are not a licensed diver, you can still come in contact with live fishes through helmet diving. 

Cliff Diving

Are you up for super thrilling adventure? The cliff diving will surely get your adrenaline rush pumping! Thrill seekers should consider this extreme sport in Boracay, specifically at Ariel’s Point, which is a popular cliff diving spot on the island. Cliff diving involves a slight risk of danger, susceptible to weather and tide conditions. However, if you want to experience this nerve-wracking adventure, you should be ready to jump over 13 to 15 metres above the water cliff.  There are also lower platforms like 7 metres, 6 metres, 5 metres and 3 metres high. 

ATV Ride

Want to see the exotic beauty of Boracay from higher area? The ATV ride is a fun land-based activity to try wherein you can explore Boracay in a swanky way. You will be driving a motor vehicle without needing a license. Most of the ATV trips go to Mt. Luho which is the highest peak in Boracay, so you can have an aerial-like view of it as a whole. Operating the ATV is easy, you just need to switch on the engine then control the accelerator and brake. There isn’t much skills required but you need to focus on keeping your vehicle at the centre lane. Helmets are provided for safety measures. If you want to experience this activity, check with the agency of your Boracay from Singapore package.

Paraw Sailing

One of the most relaxing activities in Boracay is the Paraw Sailing. Basically, paraw is a sailboat with two outriggers to keep it afloat on sea and sturdy nets extending from both sides that serve as hammocks. You can sit or lie down on the nets and enjoy the cool sea breeze while your legs dangle above the water. It is a great way to enjoy the waves and magnificent view of Boracay. For the most memorable view, you should try this during sunset.

Fly Fish Ride

Another must-try activity in Boracay is the Fly Fish ride. It is perfect for a wild wet ride with friends!  In this activity, you will be riding a huge inflatable that looks like a “flying fish” and it will be pulled by a speedboat at a fast speed.  The ultimate goal is to hang on and stay on the inflatable as the speedboat tries to spin you around at the sea.  But being thrown out off the “fly fish” is part of the fun, so you can let yourself thrown out.

Aside from these activities, there are various fun things you should try when you visit the island.  A travel package to Boracay from Singapore is worth it with all these activities that can create lasting memories.

Tips To Make Corporate Travel Less Boring

Receiving phone calls from prospects to discuss business matters are fine, but talking in person then giving handshake still seals the deal. This is why corporate travel remains an essential part of every business these days even though video calls are already available. Problem is, business travel can be gruelling, tiresome and boring. Jetlag and homesickness can leave even titans of business industry slumped over their laptops in airport lounges. Business trips can make you look haggard especially if it’s a long haul flight.

But there are things you can do to make your business trip more fun and enjoyable rather than boring. Here are some tips that might help you in your next corporate travel.

Make It An Adventure

Today, many business travellers want to discover and explore local neighbourhoods while on a work trip. So, instead of meeting a client in a typical fancy restaurant or in a boring conference room, why not choose another interesting venue for the meeting? Search for a non-traditional space in an area with stores and bars where you and your client can enjoy the life of the city. You can pick a different location each time you meet the client. It is a good way to discover the place and maybe learn new things.

Go Where The Good Food Is

A good rule of thumb when embarking on a business trip is to get a decent meal. There’s nothing more depressing than coming into a new city, being ravenously hungry and not having any clue where to fill your hungry stomach, except for the hotel or airport restaurants. Use mobile apps to determine what restaurants are “open now” (especially if you arrive past midnight) and if they are a quick walk or a short drive away. In addition, you can use the app to sort by type of cuisine and by ratings to ensure you are looking at the best. If you want to try out local food, don’t book your accommodation near the airport. Whether it is a meeting and incentive travel or a mere company travel, always go for hotels within the city area to taste good food. 

 

Bring The Family

Oftentimes, business trips entail being away from loved ones and family in an unfamiliar places for certain period which can trigger homesickness. So, why not take your family with you when you travel? You don’t really have to bring your entourage (if you have a big family) rather you can just take your wife or husband to spend some quality time together. But if you want to bring your kids too, apartment rentals provide attractive alternatives to cramped hotel rooms and make cheaper option. Your kids can enjoy the vacation while you meet up with business prospects.

Meet Up With Friends

If you are a frequent business traveller, chances are you have made new friends, networks or connections in your destination. So instead of just staying inside the hotel after the client meeting, it is a good idea to visit some friends in the area. Invite a couple of friends for a coffee, catch up with a good conversation and may be exchange business insights or ideas. Who knows you might acquire new perspectives from them and vice versa. Or they might be able to recommend new prospects for your business. Whether it is an incentive travel, exhibition or a conference, don’t forget to go out and breathe fresh air to help you relax. Besides, who says corporate travel should be less fun and boring?