The very essence of our business has been built on connectivity and each year we proudly put our focus and energy into delivering fun corporate travel for businesses looking to engage on a personal level. Which is why we are excited to see more and more new and existing clients enquiring about nature and ecotourism, because it offers exactly this. So we decided to take a look at why the growing demand and re-visit the benefits of these types of business trips.
Travel companies have noticed a significant increase in hiking/trekking trips
As everybody is aware we have been in the midst of a rapid digital transformation to our working landscapes, but throw the Covid-19 pandemic into the mix and without doubt this revolution has only been accelerated. Whilst change is always something to embrace and evolve with; there has never been a higher demand to step away from the webcam, the online workouts and enjoy the basics and the beauty that so many destinations have to offer.
Travel companies have noticed a significant increase in hiking/trekking trips, companies such as Jacada Travel recorded that bookings had been doubling since 2016, back in 2018 a booking.com survey had found that 87% of travellers wanted to travel sustainably and the demand for nature and ecotourism is only continuing to grow.
So what are the benefits of adding this style of trip to your M.I.C.E travel programme?
- Health and wellness- the health benefits are non-exhaustive. From physical challenges, retreats, rejuvenation and psychological well-being, even spiritual. It has been one of the most challenging years and giving your team members the opportunity to step away from everything to reflect, let go and move forward is a gift that we will certainly be giving our team members… after all we do work in the travel industry! It’s been tough!
- Team building! Employee engagement can only be enhanced after stripping back the laptops and business conversation, to just be people amongst people. Learning about each other and understanding what makes each of your team members tick can only be beneficial to future performance and development.
- Offering a RESET. A study at the university in Rochester (US) found a direct link between time spent outdoors and a boost in energy and vitality. Use a trip like this to offer a reset to any stagnant energy amidst the office after such a trying time.
- Creativity boost. At Corporate Peaks some of our best strategies have been founded whilst hiking/ running/camping/ just being inspired and in awe of the surroundings. Heading out into the thick of it has been recorded to both assist in attention span, but to boost creativity by 50% in a previous study.
- Lower Ecological impact. We all know that many incentive trips are an opportunity to splurge and indulge- deservedly. However part of sustainable tourism is eating local produce from local businesses. Not importing food either nationwide or globally. Eating locally naturally saves on a lot of emissions but also you will step out of your culinary safety net and try something that you never know, may be something you fall in love with! There is also a fantastic demand for plant based dining- which again can inspire the biggest carnivores amongst us to dare to change eating habits.
The benefits go on and on and we are excited to work with partners offering truly magical experiences globally that take many of us outside of our comfort zones. But offer considerable ROI’s whilst creating memories that no virtual experience could ever come close to.
Dare to do something different? Find out more or request case studies from us at info@corporatepeaks.com
See you in the outdoors soon!
The Peaks Family.