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Congratulations! You have worked hard and earned the incentive trip. Now, it’s time to get down to the business of planning the dream vacation you saved up all those travel points to take.

First, you need to take the time off from work. Put in your vacation request as soon as possible. For some employers you will need to request vacation weeks or months in advance especially if you plan on taking your trip around the holidays.

Second, decide where you want to go. Many of the companies we work with set up a list of destinations to choose from so contact us and let us know which trip you want to take. Side note- you may be able to pay extra for an extended stay. For example, if you earned a free three night stay but really want four or five nights we may be able to extend your stay for an additional fee. Should you want to extend your stay please let us know in the early stages of planning as making changes after booking is not always easy.

Third, book your flights if necessary and get your documents in order. If it’s an international trip you will need a passport and without paying an expedition fee a passport can take four to six weeks to obtain!

Next, it’s time to start packing. Look up the area’s weather reports for the time you will be there and pack accordingly. No one wants to be wearing shorts in 30 weather°, just like wearing a heavy jacket makes no sense when its 86° outside!

Be sure to pack a little extra cash too! Even though your trip might be an all-inclusive vacation it never hurts to have some buffer money for emergencies and incidentals.

Lastly, head to the airport and take your trip. Arrive early to avoid the risk of missing your flight due to unforeseen circumstances. Check in, hop on board and enjoy your travels knowing that you deserve this getaway.

#EliteIncentiveTravel #EliteTravelGroup #TammyLevent #sales

Looking for yet another reason to offer a travel incentive in your business? How about this one? Travel is good for the health of your employees! In fact, according to the BBC, “Workers who take time off are more productive, have higher morale and are less likely to mentally ‘check out’ on the job. They also report less stress and burnout.” Fox News also reported that men and women who vacation regularly are at less risk for heart disease or a heart attack.

So what is it about travel that benefits the health of your employees?

Travel makes you well-rounded as an individual. Learning about new cultures expands the mind thereby helping your mental health.

Travel helps your personal relationships. Giving your employees the chance to take a break from the daily grind and reconnect with their families helps their emotional and mental health.

Taking a break means resting and this helps your employees’ physical and mental health. No one can go non-stop 24/7 without eventually breaking down. Giving your employees a trip provides them a wonderful stress-free break.

Travel generally means being more active and being active can boost immunity.

Typically travel is a major goal for people and having the opportunity to cross certain destinations off of an employee’s bucket list benefits their mental health.

All the good feelings associated with travel carry over when the employee gets back to work. They come back mentally, emotionally and physically refreshed and excited about the prospect of working towards another vacation. The best part is if they took pictures on the trip they can use those to remember how good they felt on vacation recharging them throughout the time until their next trip.

#incentives #incentivetravel #EliteIncentiveTravel #TammyLevent #EliteTravelGroup #travelincentives

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Trying to figure out where to send your employees for your next incentive travel trip? Here are some ideas that may help sway your decision:

Domestic options:

Just a few options for domestic trips include things like Las Vegas, Hawaii, Lake Tahoe, Florida and California. Domestic airfare can sometimes be cheaper and if your business is in the same state as the incentive trip you choose airfare might not even be an issue.

Imagine an incentive trip to Napa Valley or San Francisco. Arrange for your employees to dip their toes in the beaches of Florida or Hawaii. There’s always fun to be had in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe offers a serene retreat. There are all inclusive resorts in the states and there are theme parks in several states to choose from. The possibilities of domestic trips are endless!

International Options:

If you insist on sending your employees out of the country, first be sure they have their passport! Sometimes you will get lucky and find that trips out of the country can be cheaper than domestic ones. Pricing and options depend on the season, the location and many other factors.

The most popular option for all-inclusive trips is the Caribbean. Check out our post about the benefits of choosing an all-inclusive resort. The Caribbean feels worlds away from the states even though it’s so close by. There are unique experiences with gorgeous views everywhere from Aruba to the Bahamas, Jamaica to Turks & Caicos.

All-inclusive resorts in Mexico are a popular option because of low cost flights and all-inclusive accommodations.

Another popular option is Europe but how wide you will need to open your wallet depends on the country you choose for the trip.

Remember, whether you decide to stay domestic or go international, Elite Travel will work with you to help you decide on the best option for your budget.

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After deciding to give your employees incentive trips you may be wondering- What is tax deductible and what’s not? Below is just a glimpse of what you need to know about what is tax deductible regarding awarding trips and bonuses to employees.

Bonuses – You can generally deduct a bonus paid to an employee if you intended the bonus as additional pay for services, not as a gift, and the services were performed. However, the total bonuses, salaries, and other pay must be reasonable for the services performed.

 Awards – You can generally deduct amounts you pay to your employees as awards, whether paid in cash or property. If you give property to an employee as an employee achievement award, your deduction may be limited.

Achievement awards – An achievement award is an item of tangible personal property that meets all the following requirements.

• It is given to an employee for length of service or safety achievement.
• It is awarded as part of a meaningful presentation.
• It is awarded under conditions and circumstances that do not create a significant likelihood of disguised pay.

Deduction limit – Your deduction for the cost of employee achievement awards given to any one employee during the tax year is limited to the following.

• $400 for awards that are not qualified plan awards.
• $1,600 for all awards, whether or not qualified plan awards.

A qualified plan award is an achievement award given as part of an established written plan or program that does not favor highly compensated employees as to eligibility or benefits.

A highly compensated employee is an employee who meets either of the following tests.

1. The employee was a 5% owner at any time during the year or the preceding year.
2. The employee received more than $115,000 in pay for the preceding year.

Deduct achievement awards as a nonwage business expense on your return or business schedule.

Are you more confused now than you were before? When in doubt, ask your accountant!

#TammyLevent #EliteIncentiveTravel #incentivetravel #incentivetripsandtaxwriteoffs

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Your numbers are in and you didn’t meet the quota this time for your free incentive trip. Now you’re bummed out and trying to cope. Now what?

– Remember you can try again next time: Odds are you will have another chance to earn a free trip. Most companies that do incentives for trips realize they are so successful they offer more!

– Figure out what went wrong: You had the same chance everyone else did to make this quota. Assess why you didn’t meet your numbers. Did you procrastinate too much? Was your sales-pitch stale and/or in need of an upgrade? What will it take to help you earn the trip next time?

– Ask for help: If you have figured out something that cost you the trip that your coworkers or boss can help you with ASK!

– Don’t be a hater: One of the most important things is to not be jealous of and mean to your coworkers that did earn the trip. Again, you had the same chance they did. You would want them to be happy for you if you earned the trip so you should show them the same courtesy. It’s important to remember that being a hater could also get you on the boss man’s bad side and no one wants to be there.

– Keep in mind you still made money: Sure, it is unfortunate you didn’t earn a trip this time, but the good news is you were still making money. You still have a job. Not everyone can say that so be grateful for that at least.

– Fuming and pouting get you nowhere: Being upset won’t get you on that trip and it honestly won’t make you feel any better. In fact, being overly upset could cost you your job. If your boss doesn’t think you can roll with the punches you could end up with a pink slip instead of another chance to earn a trip. Just accept you missed out, let it go and gear up for round two!

#incentivetravel #TammyLevent #EliteTravelGroup #EliteIncentiveTravel

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