Free time is king: How incentive travel is embracing personal freedom

by Pádraic Gilligan, Co-founder, SoolNua Consulting & Chief Marketing Officer, SITE

At IMEX America this year, SITE and our partner, the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF), launched the 2024 Incentive Travel Index (ITI) to a packed room of eager attendees in Las Vegas. Each year, the ITI gives us a clear snapshot of where incentive travel is headed, and this year was no exception. For me, one trend stood out above the rest—North American planners have dramatically shifted their approach to program design, and it all comes down to one surprising element: free time. The fact that this shift is limited ONLY to North American planners is also interesting and definitely worthy of further analysis and commentary – stand by for that one!

The Surprising Rise of “Free Time” in Incentive Travel

Incentive travel, by its very nature, taps into the psychology of human motivation. Any changes in how it’s structured reflect broader societal shifts and transformations in human behavior. This year’s ITI data reveals a change in what planners prioritize, and perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the rise of “free time” as the top-ranked element for program success. North American planners now rank “free time” as more important than bucket-list experiences or cultural immersion, an unprecedented shift that sets them apart from their counterparts in other regions.

Why North American Planners Are Prioritizing Free Time

Traditionally, incentive travel was about offering an extraordinary, curated experience as a reward for extraordinary workplace performance. Success was measured by the exclusivity of the destination, the creativity of the itinerary, and the “wow” factor of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Planners loaded itineraries with activities, from private tours of art collections to after-hours access to iconic landmarks, and sought out local celebrities for meet-and-greets.

But in 2024, North American planners have flipped the script. The ITI shows that “free time” now outranks these exclusive experiences, with 30% more North American planners prioritizing it over the cultural or bucket-list items that once defined incentive travel.

But why is this happening?

Cost Concerns or Cultural Change? The Factors Driving Free Time’s Popularity

A plausible explanation could be tied to another significant headline from ITI 2024: budgetary concerns. For the first time, cost is the leading program consideration, with 74% of North American respondents citing it as their top concern. (In contrast, and totally out of step with all other global regions, only 18% of North American respondents noted that lowering carbon footprints was becoming more important). “Free time” has the allure of being a budget-friendly option—it doesn’t require a line item or special coordination. When hospitality costs are soaring, as we’ve seen with hotel and F&B budget increases of 8% and 12%, respectively, it makes sense for planners to lean into a lower-cost, seemingly effective option like “free time.”

How Participant Preferences Are Changing Incentive Travel Planning

However, to attribute this shift solely to cost-saving strategies would be an over-simplification. There’s more to this than dollars and cents. Research from SITE’s 2022 Participants’ InSITEs study found that qualifiers themselves rank “free time” and “time with a spouse” as their top program preferences. So what we’re seeing in 2024 is really the planners catching up with the participants. The focus has shifted from impressing with a packed itinerary to providing space for personal time—probably in response to the broader cultural movement towards work-life balance, wellness, and autonomy.

Incentive Travel’s Future: Personal Freedom Takes Center Stage

This preference for personal freedom—both physical and psychological—reflects a deeper societal shift. As the demands of modern life increase, professionals increasingly value flexibility and downtime. Incentive travel participants may crave unique experiences, but not at the expense of their own well-being or ability to spend quality time with loved ones. In today’s world, the freedom to choose how to spend one’s time is, in itself, a reward.

So, what does this say about the future of incentive travel? As North American planners embrace this new priority, it’s likely we’ll see continued emphasis on personalization, flexibility, and the inclusion of unstructured time in program design. This isn’t the end of extravagant, bucket-list experiences, but rather an evolution towards recognizing that the best incentives might just be the ones that give participants the freedom to decide for themselves how to enjoy them.

Incentive travel isn’t just about seeing the world anymore—it’s about experiencing it on your own terms.

Pádraic Gilligan (SITE) & Stephanie Harris (IRF) with expert analysis courtesy of Justin Myers (Bishop McCann), Maggie Worthington (Hilton), Jennifer Attersall (Destination Canada) presented the Incentive Travel Index 2024 at IMEX America in October 2024.