Over the past few years as the world shut down and travel ceased, we fueled our wandering souls by watching travel documentaries, food tours, and more. Now that our global communities are slowly but surely resuming in-person events, one thing is for certain — a great number of the population is itching to get back out into the world of travel. So what better time than now to incentivize your team with taking a trip?

Feeling a little rusty and need some help getting started? Here are three key areas to focus on when choosing your next travel destination.

Seasonality

When choosing your destination, it’s important to think about the time of year that you and your attendees will be traveling. It may be summer on your side of the Earth, but if you travel overseas the climate may drastically change.

Start by preparing a list of 5-10 destinations you have top of mind for your incentive trip. Need some inspiration to get started? Check out Cvent’s destination guide to find new ideas.

After identifying the time of year you’d like your team to go, research this season for your top travel choices. This should give you insight on whether your team will be able to relax on the beach or be caught up in tropical storms all week.

Pro tip: It doesn’t stop at researching seasons. Also look into peak travel times. What time of year do travelers typically visit (enter destination name here)? Is there an “off-season” or “shoulder season” that can help you avoid crowds and reduce costs?

Hidden Costs

I know, I know — any planner worth their salt is running all the numbers! However, beyond the out-of-pocket cost of the trip, have you also thought about exchange rates? Or how about sales tax percentages? Failing to take non-obvious costs like these into account when planning your incentive trip can make a difference in going over budget versus having a slush fund to splurge on extra treats and surprises for your team.

Entertainment

Your employees have worked hard to earn their incentive trip, so let’s make this a trip to remember! Ask yourself questions like:

• What do the demographics of your team look like?
• Are they looking for outdoor adventures, or are they excited to relax and be pampered? Maybe both?
• Do you need someplace centrally located? Or is transportation not a huge concern?

Once you have a strong sense of what activities will appeal to you attendees, then you can look into specific options available at each destination. For example:

• Snorkeling in the Bahamas
• Hiking in Banff
• Ziplining through the jungle in Costa Rica
• Sake tasting in Japan

The possibilities are endless! And if a place with a diverse range of activities is needed, several resorts and excursion companies allow groups to create their own personalized adventures.

When picking the perfect incentive trip destination, it may seem overwhelming at first, but remember the effort will be worth it when you are able to make your hard-working team members feel valued and appreciated. Make the process a little easier on yourself by using Cvent’s Supplier Network. It’s a free tool designed to help planners find destinations and select venues that match their specific criteria: check it out today.