We organized an award-winning international group travel program to the beautiful Caribbean Island of Antigua. Our client, a large HVAC distributor, brought a 50-person group of dealers and customers for five nights to a premier luxury resort. A classic fun-and-sun destination, Antigua was the perfect spot for participants to get away from their daily grind and simply relax for a few days.
But there was also something else that made this trip special. During the course of their trip, attendees participated in a locally organized Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) event. This high-impact initiative was designed to directly improve the lives of local residents through the hands-on construction of a sensory garden for underserved children and young adults with disabilities.
With the help of local nonprofit Friends of the Care Project, attendees spent 3 hours building a sandbox, water and music walls, and an herb garden for local special-needs residents. This project helped those who rely on the facility and its services for emotional and social support.
The interest and enthusiasm of the attendees was palpable. The host of the trip commented afterwards: “"We were happy to participate in the Sensory Garden for the children in Antigua. Our customers still talk about it every time we get back together with them."
Overall, the fact that attendees really embraced the experience reinforced the importance of continuing to include these types of initiatives whenever possible into group incentive travel programs.
You might be thinking, “Is now really the time to implement corporate social responsibility initiatives into my programs?”
In our view, the short answer is “yes”, a fact that’s supported by a 2024 Marriott study of incentive travel planners, which found that half of respondents were looking to include some form of CSR in their next incentive trip.
It’s true that during these trips, people are often looking for a temporary escape from the stress and noise of the outside world. But that doesn’t mean a CSR initiative can’t be successfully integrated into a group travel incentive. In fact, we’re probably missing the point if we think “community service” has to equate to a kind of personal sacrifice that’s begrudgingly undertaken.
On the contrary, we’ve found that trip attendees really value the opportunity to connect with local cultures, including giving back and helping others in both large and small ways. And yes, this even holds true during something that would typically be considered a “vacation”. This is Why?
In a word, it’s about memorability. We believe in the concept of “doing well, by doing good”, and that in general, people do in fact want to do good. As such, a CSR event gives incentive travel participants that chance to attain more than a passing glimmer of charity, say, by making a simple dollar donation. For us, as program and trip organizers, we offer the opportunity to experience something uniquely memorable during a trip, something that connects attendees to their destination and gives them something to feel good about, take home with them, and share with others.
But that’s not all. Through positive peer pressure, a CSR initiative also strengthens attendees’ connections to the people they’re traveling with, and it provides a feeling that they’ve really “earned” the no-stress vacation they’re enjoying. We’ve heard this repeated again and again from trip attendees, who continue to share that these events make that blissful day at the beach, that refreshing poolside mojito, and that amazing gourmet dinner taste all the sweeter.
Clearly, a CSR initiative can be a welcome and successful component of any group incentive trip, particularly for those companies looking to attract and reward more Gen Z talent. But to take it a step further, we believe it can even be positioned as a value-add for the sponsoring company—if done right.
To ensure its success and impact, a CSR event should possess a few key ingredients:
While each initiative is different based on the destination and resources available, the approach to implementing one of these events should follow a few simple steps.
Note: an incentive travel partner can and should be able to do much of the heavy lifting here, which is why top-performing companies are more likely to leverage these partners when organizing their incentive trips.
First, find local charitable organizations in the host destination and reach out to better understand their needs.
Based on this dialogue, go to your key decision-makers and present a few options for how the initiative could be structured within the overarching program.
If your organization chooses to participate, work with your incentive program partner to decide on the best option so that it aligns with your corporate and/or incentive strategy.
Next, work out the logistics of the initiative with your incentive partner. Make sure they are communicating with the charitable organization, the local DMC, and if necessary, the hotel where attendees will be staying. Like any event component, the more thought and planning that goes into it, the better it will be.
Finally, help coordinate the communication of this initiative to attendees leading up to the trip. Attendees should be informed about the initiative, why it’s being included in the program, how you (the sponsoring client) are involved, and what the expectations will be should they decide to participate.
The impact of this initiative becomes so much bigger and better when you encourage your partners, DMCs, and hotels in particular to promote the charitable organization. Try to be conscious of using your own social media platforms to promote the organization, and the concept of community service and corporate social responsibility. When companies demonstrate that they have “skin in the game”, it generates positive associations for current and future program participants.
What if we were given an opportunity to do good and to help others in a more meaningful and impactful way? What if this opportunity required minimal effort and brought us together with our peers, colleagues, and loved ones? Better still, what if this experience could be tied to a fun and unique travel adventure, helping us connect more deeply to the destination, and delivering lasting memories in the process? Wouldn’t that be an experience worth creating?
To us, the answer is a resounding “yes”, and it’s why, in our opinion, CSR and group travel are a perfect match and a no-brainer decision for event planners.