SITE
Travel deeper , not further
PÁDRAIC GILLIGAN , CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER , SITE , DESCRIBES A POSSIBLE NEW MODEL FOR SUSTAINABLE INCENTIVE TRAVEL
L ate of Lonely Planet , Oliver Smith found himself out of a job due to the pandemic . He quickly turned adversity into opportunity by visiting ancient pilgrim sites in the UK , eventually monetising his experiences in the form of , On This Holy Island : A Modern Pilgrimage across Britain , a book in which he states that his overall objective was to “ travel deeper , not further ”. What a brilliant statement , I thought , and what a tagline for sustainable incentive travel .
I ’ ve been juggling with the concept of ‘ deep travel ’ and interrogating what it might mean for designers of incentive travel experiences . Of course , the term ‘ deep travel ’ is not new , originating back in 2009 , it is attributed to Pauline Frommer , who introduced it in her book The New Rules of Travel : The Ultimate Guide to the World ’ s Best Destinations .
Frommer ’ s book explores the idea of immersive , culturally enriching travel experiences that go beyond surface-level tourism and advocates for travellers to engage deeply with local cultures , hence the term ‘ deep travel ’. ‘ Deep travel ’ could be the foundation for a new , more sustainable model of incentive travel but , equally , I think we need to be realistic . For some incentive travel qualifiers – and this is borne out in Participants ’ inSITEs ( 2023 ), SITE ’ s report on qualifiers ’ attitudes to incentive travel ( available for download on SITEGlobal ) – the trip is ultimately a great vacation earned as result of their exceptional performance in pursuit of company goals , not a deep dive into another way of life .
Designers of incentive travel experiences need to take this on board from the get-go : some qualifiers simply want to ‘ chill ’ on a beach in the sunshine and be served adult beverages on demand out of a hollowed-out coconuts . They like it safe and sanitised , and really don ’ t want to be challenged by hard-core ‘ culturally enriching experiences ’. And , you know , that ’ s all fine .
However , there ’ s a growing community of qualifiers who do
Above : Pádraic Gilligan
‘ vacations ’ on their own dime but want their companies to provide something truly extraordinary , something they couldn ’ t possibly ‘ buy ’ off the shelf themselves . They want deep travel .
So what might deep travel look like in terms of overall incentive travel programme design ? I ’ m suggesting some combination of these five filters or attributes – authentic experiences , personal growth , sustainable practices , cultural exchange and enduring memories : Authentic Experiences : Instead of generic tourist spots , incentive travel programmes can go off the beaten path and engage deeply with the local culture Personal Growth : Deep travel will always encourage self-reflection and foster personal growth through cultural immersion Sustainable Practices : Don ’ t leave a trace , minimise environmental impact and support local communities Cultural Exchange : This can include homestays , language lessons , or collaborative projects with local organisations Long-lasting Memories : Deep travel always leaves a mark . Incentive travel programmes that incorporate deep travel principles are more likely to be remembered , contributing to higher levels of motivation and loyalty .
A key dimension to deep travel , of course , is the fact that the travel is vertical , not horizontal , bringing you deeper into places that can be close to where you live and work . This eliminates the need for long journeys and the harmful CO2 emissions that necessarily accompany them .
Travel deeper , not further . A new model for sustainable incentive travel ? It certainly presents a convincing new value proposition for the growing number of conscientious companies who use / would like to use travel as part of their reward and recognition programme but feel that it compromises their people | planet | profit trifecta . n
ISSUE 130 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 13