Why Incentive Travel Part 4 - Proving the ROI
- Stefano Oroni
- Jul 16
- 7 min read
Updated: Jul 17
Fourth in a multipart series exploring the business value of incentive travel for South African companies.
By now, you’ve seen in the three previous articles the emotional and strategic value of incentive travel. But let’s address the big question that keeps CFO’s up at night.
“What’s the return on this investment?” - Mr CFO
The great news? When designed and tracked correctly, incentive travel delivers measurable ROI. Here's how to ensure your program proves its worth:
📈 1. DEFINE WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE—UP FRONT
For incentive travel to be treated as a strategic investment rather than a discretionary expense, it must be tied to clear business KPIs—from the outset.
Most businesses, regardless of industry, are ultimately striving for the same results:
The time to define what success looks like is not after the program ends. It’s during the planning phase. Be specific. Set measurable targets that align directly with your business goals so that when the trip concludes, you already know the answer to the question, “Did it work?”
Here’s how CFO’s should think about it:
📊 According to the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF), well-structured incentive travel programs can boost individual performance by up to 22%, and team performance by as much as 44%.
💸 Incentive travel outperforms cash bonuses when it comes to long-term behavioral change. Some will indeed argue otherwise, after all, who doesn’t enjoy a cash reward right? But consider this, Money gets spent, and forgotten soon after the fact. Travel experiences, on the other hand, create lasting emotional impact. You’ll rarely hear watercooler talk about a bonus paid three years ago. But a trip to Europe? That’s remembered, relived, and retold.
📈 The Site International Foundation found that non-cash rewards, especially travel based ones deliver 30 – 50% higher ROI compared to cash rewards, and that’s thanks to elevated engagement, team morale, and company loyalty.
Therefore, CFO’s should view incentive travel the same way they view marketing or training, as an investment that delivers measurable business outcomes when properly aligned with performance goals.
Below is sample chart on what certain goals (KPI’s) could be, what the metrics are and where to benchmark it at as a guide. You can tailor this to obviously whatever your specific needs and goals are;
Key KPIs to define at planning stage:
GOAL METRIC EXAMPLE BENCHMARK
Revenue Growth % sales increase +15–25% during qualification window
Customer Retention % improvement +10% in top-tier client retention
Employee Engagement Survey Increase +20% improvement in post-trip sentiment scores
Productivity Output per person +18% average increase during campaign period
When participants know exactly what metrics will earn them a place on the trip, alignment improves, and motivation follows. This is about turning recognition into a performance-based ROI driver.
Success isn’t a feeling; it’s a number. Make the link between goals and rewards crystal clear so participants understand exactly what they’re working toward.
📊 2. TRACK PERFORMANCE BEFORE, DURING & AFTER
Visibility = Control. Tracking performance throughout the program lifecycle ensures transparency, accountability, and measurable impact.
BEFORE THE TRIP:
Establish a performance baseline. If your average quarterly sales are R10 Million and you're targeting a 20% increase, you’re aiming for R12 Million that R2 Million increase becomes your working ROI goalpost.
DURING THE TRIP BUILD-UP:
Introduce live leaderboards or KPI dashboards updated weekly. Mid-program reporting increases engagement by up to 60%, according to IRF data. Participants adjust behavior when results are made visible, this in turn drives healthy competitive behavior in sales teams and colleagues.
I have personally seen how sales teams pull together and members support each other, developing a sense of belonging to something greater which all ends in real-time gains for the business.
POST-TRIP EVALUATION:
Many companies report a sustained upward trend for 3–6 months post-incentive trips, particularly in engagement and productivity metrics. A 2024 Aberdeen Group report noted that companies using post-trip KPI analysis saw ROI improvements of 23% over those who didn't.
What to track:
PHASE - METRIC TYPE - MEASUREMENT TOOL
Pre-trip - Baseline data (e.g. avg. sales/client churn rate) - CRM, HRIS, finance systems
During - Weekly progress vs target Dashboards - Internal scorecards
After - Long-term behavior change, retention - NPS Surveys, follow-up KPIs, HR reports
3. CAPTURE THE STORIES, NOT JUST THE STATS
Just like some people think in pictures and others in spreadsheets, CEOs and CFOs are typically data-driven—so yes, KPIs and ROI reports matter. But when it comes to building internal buy-in and long-term cultural value, don’t let your people get lost in the numbers because for them, the actual driver that are going to get you where you want to be, the real power lies in the story.
While data validates the investment, stories humanize it. They reveal the emotional impact, the shared experience, and the why behind the incentive. And ultimately, they help turn performance into pride.
Here’s how to make the most of it:
COLLECT TESTIMONIALS Interview participants immediately after the experience—while the emotion is still fresh. Ask what the trip meant to them, how it shifted their perception of the company, and what they’ll remember most. These quotes become powerful internal marketing tools.
CAPTURE VISUAL CONTENT Candid photos and videos breathe life into your numbers. From team-bonding moments to once-in-a-lifetime excursions, these visuals tell a far richer story than a bar graph ever could.
LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA BUZZ Encourage attendees to share their highlights using a branded hashtag. This doesn’t just build FOMO for those who didn’t qualify—it turns your people into authentic brand ambassadors.
Why does this matter? You’ve heard the saying: people build companies. And it’s true so let them tell the story because,
Stories help justify future budgets by showing executives the human impact behind the numbers.
Stories reinforce your culture by celebrating what your business truly values.
Stories inspire future participants with an emotional, tangible vision of what’s possible.
Anyone can present a dashboard. Few can tell a story that sticks, and in the boardroom, it’s often the story—not the spreadsheet that pushes you over the finish line and gets you the budget.
🧾 4. COMPARE AGAINST TRADITIONAL REWARDS
Here’s the reality: cash bonuses are transactional. They’re appreciated, yes—but also easily forgotten. Most recipients use what left after TAX to pay off bills or cover everyday expenses. By the end of the month, the bonus is gone—and so is the memory of why it was awarded.
In contrast, incentive travel is transformational. It creates lasting memories, emotional connections, and shared experiences that outlive any pay-slip. It’s something people talk about, post about, and strive to earn again.
So, how does it stack up financially?
When you compare the cost per uplifted action like a sale closed, a client retained, or a performance milestone achieved, travel incentives often deliver better long-term ROI than cash.
A 2023 study by Oxford Economics showed that non-cash incentives, particularly travel, generated up to 112% greater return than cash bonuses when measured over a 12-month period. And there’s more:
Emotional engagement with a travel reward increases discretionary effort when compared to cash-based rewards.
Employees who earn incentive trips are more likely to stay with the company, reducing churn rate and protecting your investment in top performers.
Unlike a cash bonus, incentive travel builds internal marketing value through stories, photos, social media buzz, and peer inspiration which also in turn, attracts more top performers to your company who aren’t being recognised by their company.
The bottom line? 💸 Cash gets spent, 🧠 Travel gets remembered and culture gets built.
If you’re only measuring cost, cash might seem “easier”, but if you’re measuring impact, incentive travel wins—every time.
💡 5. REINFORCE THE VALUE INTERNALLY
Don’t let the celebration end at the dock.
Incentive travel doesn’t just reward individuals, it shapes culture. That’s why it’s essential to amplify the experience across your entire organization, long after the final boarding call.
Recognition should be public, meaningful, and aspirational. When done right, it creates a ripple effect that elevates performance far beyond those who qualified for the trip.
Here’s how to make the impact last:
Celebrate Winners Publicly
Use internal communications channels—emails, meetings and digital noticeboards to announce winners, spotlight their achievements, and thank them for raising the bar.
SHOWCASE BEHAVIOURS, NOT JUST RESULTS
Tie recognition to specific behaviors or values that align with your business goals. This reinforces the how and not just the what. It also paints a clear picture to others on what excellence looks like.
SHARE HIGHLIGHTS ACROSS TEAMS
Post photos, videos, and quotes from the trip on your intranet or internal newsletters. Create a sense of shared pride even for those who didn’t attend.
Why this matters:
It fuels motivation for the next cycle
Future qualifiers need a reason to push harder. Show them the rewards are real, and worth it.
IT BUILDS A CULTURE OF HIGH PERFORMANCE
When people see success being celebrated meaningfully, it reinforces the value of effort, achievement, and company alignment.
IT STRENGTHENS YOUR INTERNAL BRAND
Employees don’t just work for compensation. They work for recognition, growth, and a sense of belonging. Travel incentives make that visible.
Incentive travel is not just a reward—it’s a strategic communications tool.
So don’t just send people on a trip. Bring the story home and let it inspire your entire organization.
📌 Bottom line? Incentive travel done right doesn’t just pay for itself—it pays forward.
Proving ROI starts with a shift in mindset. Incentive travel isn’t an expense, it’s an investment in your people, your performance, and your brand.
When you define success up front, track it strategically, and share the impact, you transform travel into a tool that delivers real, lasting business results.
In Part 5, my penultimate article, we’ll explore how to make your incentive inclusive and scalable across multiple departments.