RENEWED market optimism among Australian corporate groups seeking outbound incentives has seen one operator expanding its international network to include DMCs in the Middle East, Morocco and South America.
Tourism Portfolio’s Donna Kessler (above) and Sharon Levingston have reported a surge in enquiries for international destinations in recent weeks. The business partners say corporates are again eager to explore new places, invest in their teams, and create deeper connections with staff.
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“Long haul is definitely the trend right now and there is certainly a focus on the exotic,” Kessler said.
“Our level of international enquiries continues to rise and these new DMC partners are already proving popular. Programs appear to be more focused on ROE – Return on Experience – as a measure of success.”
New DMCs signed by Tourism Portfolio include:
- IMPACT Event & Destination Management, UAE and Oman
- Amazing Africa, South Africa
- Access Travel, Morocco
- Unica, Argentina
Levingston said there was also strong interest in running programs in new destinations and in some cases dual destinations. “Our new DMCs, like IMPACT Event & Destination Management which provides experiences in Oman and the UAE, have that covered,” she said.
Kessler added: “The tight employment market is also having an impact on the high quality of incentive travel rewards being offered to top tier staff who want more than off-the-shelf experiences.”
