When it comes to improving business results, motivational travel incentives continue to be more desirable than other forms of external motivators and rewards, concludes the Society of Incentive Travel Executives (Site), which last week released the results of its first Site Index: Annual Survey, an annual analysis and forecast for the motivational events industry.
According to the survey, 62 percent of incentive travel professionals expect an increase in motivational travel use in the next six to 12 months, with 84 percent predicting improvement in a one- to three-year span.
"The Site Index: Annual Survey results indicate the marketplace is improving," Site International Foundation Vice President and Research Committee Chair Steve O'Malley, vice president and general manager of Maxvantage, said in a statement.
Other key findings, according to Site:
• 75 percent of incentive travel professionals believe that the power of external motivators has stayed the same or increased over the last three years.
• 87 percent of incentive travel professionals agree that the effectiveness of various motivational tools varies depending on the generation of those being motivated.
• Current trends in green incentives and the inclusion of business meetings in motivational travel programs are expected to continue and consistently rise over the next three years.
"With each study we seem to unlock new nuggets of actionable information, such as that 87 percent of respondents agree that the effectiveness of any motivational tool varies based on the generation being engaged," O'Malley said. "Every practitioner and user of incentive travel needs to include more elements of choice in their programs to appeal to the diversity in today's workforce. That's what the Site Index project is about, triggering meaningful conversations about the way we go to market."
As part of the Site Index, Site also asked incentive travel professionals about the effectiveness of destination marketing techniques and found that 83 percent rated e-mail newsletters and telephone calls as most effective, followed by familiarization trips and — in last place — destination websites.
"Site wanted to investigate the effectiveness of destination marketing to understand what it is that best captivates attention for destination choice," said Site International Foundation President Fay Beauchine, president of engagement and events at Carlson Marketing. "While it was predictable that relationship-building opportunities like trade show representation and familiarization trips came out on top, there was a surprising consensus that Internet websites are viewed as the most ineffective medium by respondents. This is an area that destination marketers should focus on since so many people do use the Internet for information. Website marketing is critical for new generations of incentive planners."
For more information about the Site Index: Annual Survey, including complete results, visit www.siteglobal.com.