Destination Canada’s Mark Zanetti led a fascinating late September discussion on emerging incentive travel destinations.

Mark was joined by industry experts Kristal Cardone (Liberty Mutual Insurance), Benoit Cavard (Global DMC Partners) and Paul Bugge (Destination St. John’s). The group shared their insights on where to venture in 2024 (and beyond) and how to make sure incentive travel qualifiers trekking to lesser-explored locales still have a standout time.

How to find “wildcard” destinations

Right off the bat, discussion focused on how to define and understand what constitutes an “emerging” destination. Benoit framed “emerging” destinations as ones that are not always truly unknown or largely undiscovered, but can also include destinations that’s hitting new peaks or has re-emerged, after being a popular choice in decades past — especially with a refreshed and younger workforce now in play.

Ben also noted that now is a time when many destinations might be “re-emerging,” after years of pandemic-driven shutdowns, and with organizers now having to wrestle with higher costs and tighter availability, especially when looking at more traditional incentive travel hot-spots.

Know where to go

Top of mind for everyone too was what places and spaces are trending right now — especially ones with less compression and that offer something new for even the most seasoned of qualifiers who feel like they’ve seen and done it all.

Benoit named a handful of destinations currently atop his emerging and re-emerging lists based on client demand. He highlighted higher-than-usual interest in Egypt, Istanbul, and second-tier European destinations (with clients looking to skip Paris in favor of Marseille or the South of France, or try the Canary Islands or Seville in lieu of Barcelona). 

Kristal added that all-inclusive resorts are an in-demand option she’s looking to source for right now, and that tapping all-inclusive properties opens up options for her groups that she wouldn’t have necessarily considered before — like Costa Rica or the Dominican Republic.

What to do if you’re an emerging DMO

Paul used Destination St. John’s as a perfect case study of how to compete for more market share as a successful emerging incentive travel destination. He stressed the need to align stakeholders around a clear strategy and roadmap for all stakeholders to then track their progress and gains against.

Also key though, said Paul, is knowing and then staying true to your “place DNA.” Do the deep discovery work so you can then collectively showcase the history, geography, people, culture, and climate that makes your destination unique.

Insights for curious planners

Kristal closed out the session with a few thoughts on how organizers can match the right groups with emerging (or re-emerging) destinations.

The definition of what kinds of places fit the “emerging” descriptor varies group to group itself, Kristal elaborated — what feels unique or different will vary based on experience level and overall group mix, with savvy planners keeping an eye on this first to create standout transformational experiences.

You also need to know what your group will tolerate and their relative comfort level, Kristal continued. Knowing these parameters then gives you leeway as a planner and helps you work most effectively with in-destination partners and with your incentive participants, too.

Catch the full webinar session here for more insights from this panel.