Trends in Wellness and Travel For Incentive Programs

Health and wellness is at the top of mind for many people these days, including incentive program managers. The Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) recently released a report going over some of the current trends in health and wellness, as it pertains to travel incentives. Their report focused on meetings in particular, but their findings apply to health and travel incentives on a far broader scale. 

Travel incentives are a common type of experiential reward. In the past, experiential rewards have been very popular among incentive program participants, but since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, these incentives present some unique challenges. 

Participants want to know that they can enjoy their travel incentive without risking their health. The IRF found that answers to the following concerns were very important to communicate to participants. 

• Cleaning standards: Participants need to know what level of cleanliness they can expect from their travel locations.
• Consistency of health safety protocols: It is one thing to have health and safety standards, but participants need to know how strictly and consistently they are enforced.
• Masks: Will all visitors be required to wear masks? Only vaccinated visitors? No one at all? These are questions that participants will want the answers to.
• Social Distancing: Have social distancing measures been put in place at the location(s).
• Vaccines: Are visitors required to be vaccinated?

People may have different responses to the answers to these questions, but as a program manager, your main concern is to make sure the answers are available to your participants. 

Another trend observed by the IRF was a stronger focus on mental health. People are recognizing the toll the last year has had on people’s mental health and many businesses are taking notice. Health and wellness incentive programs can consider adding a stronger mental health focus to their programs. This could range from helping cover the cost of mental health services or be as simple as providing helpful literature on better methods of self-care and mental fitness. 

The IRF observed there’s a greater desire for healthy food options. For some, this could be a result of a desire to maintain a healthier immune system to help fight off potential illness, or for others, it could be a result of having some time to reflect on their goals for self-improvement while in quarantine. The reasons will vary from person to person, but the trend is worth keeping in mind. Businesses with health and wellness incentives can consider adding classes on nutrition, ensuring access to healthy foods at company events, possibly even giving incentive program points to participants who contribute healthy recipes to a company cookbook. 

 If you are looking for the best solutions for your health and wellness incentive program, talk to our team at All Digital Rewards. Our SaaS Platform will simplify every kind of health and wellness overlay promotion and give you peace of mind that your program is in good hands. We have the capabilities to set up a new program for you or connect to your existing system – whatever will meet your needs. To learn more about our STACK™ SaaS Program Management Software or some of the other solutions we offer call us today at 866-415-7703, or click on the button below to schedule a demo.