Travellers or Tourists? The True Essence of Incentive Travel

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

The origins of SITE – the only professional association dedicated exclusively to incentive travel – are well-documented. We even have living witnesses to its founding meeting at the Hotel Americana on December 3, 1973. That said, the roots of incentive travel itself as a corporate performance-enhancing tool remain somewhat nebulous.

There’s the frequently quoted NCR Corporation trip to New York City in 1910 but, in real terms, it wasn’t until the 1960s that incentive travel became widely adopted as a business practice, coinciding with the advent of jet airplane flights. By 1973, however, it was evidently an established concept, warranting its own professional association.

The “where” and “when” of incentive travel’s first definitive use as a reward remain a mystery but what intrigues me more is the “why” behind its naming. Why was it called incentive travel and not incentive tourism? After all, during the post-World War II years of the 50s and early 60s – a period of immense societal and economic transformation – tourism emerged as a significant driver of economic growth. Wouldn’t tourism have been the more obvious choice in the naming of this emerging business tool? Or was the distinction deliberate?

I like to think it was intentional. I like to believe that from its very inception, incentive travel sought to make a clear distinction between travellers and tourists, and that participants in these programs were always meant to be intrepid, immersive travellers in search of authentic experiences , not tick-the-box tourists looking for quick fix, instragramable moments.

What’s in a Name? The Traveler’s Mindset

Across SITE’s research and educational resources – from the CIS to the CITP certifications – we have always emphasized one core idea: participants in incentive travel programs are not tourists. Unlike tourists, who actively choose their destinations based on personal interest, incentive qualifiers find their destinations chosen for them. The corporation or program sponsor decides the location, be it New York, the Maldives, or Patagonia. In many cases, the qualifier’s interest in the destination itself might even be minimal.

And here’s where the distinction becomes ever clearer: it’s less about the destination and more about the experience in the destination – incentive qualifiers expect extraordinary experiences that justify their monumental efforts to qualify. Their program is meticulously curated to deliver the “wow” factor, eliminating the mundanity often associated with tourism. There are no long queues, no standard itineraries, no waiting outside the Sistine Chapel’s gates. On an incentive trip, everyone is inside the velvet ropes. Everyone is a VIP.

Tourism or Travel: Setting Standards for True Incentives

Yet, I’ve often wondered if this distinction – the one between travellers and tourists – goes far enough. Does it truly capture the essence of a real incentive travel experience? Some so-called “incentive travel” programs may, in reality, be nothing more than glorified tourism experiences. While participants may report satisfaction, these programs often fall short of the extraordinary potential of a true incentive.

Tourists tend to skim the surface of a destination, ticking off the “must-sees” and “must-dos.” They hop on open-top buses, laugh at the guide’s jokes, drink sangria, and snap selfies by famous landmarks. And there’s nothing wrong with this beyond the fact that it doesn’t deliver the destination experience to a full, undiluted measure. Travellers, by contrast, immerse themselves in the essence of the destination. They engage deeply, forging connections and experiencing moments that leave lasting impressions. They seek authenticity and want to know the essence of the destination.

The Incentive Travel Experience: Depth over Surface

True incentive travel embodies this deeper engagement. It creates a sense of belonging and exclusivity, elevating every moment into something extraordinary. The destination becomes the conduit to a deeper, more profound personal experience that, ultimately leads to deeper understanding, insight, even transformation.

It’s this distinction – between the surface-level engagement of tourists and the profound immersion of travellers – that defines the very heart of incentive travel. And it’s why, 50 years after SITE’s founding, we continue to champion the traveller’s mindset in all our programs and certifications.