The 2026 Incentive Travel Index reports higher spending per participant alongside widespread disruption from geopolitical instability, providing fresh context for destination bureaux and the meetings ecosystem.
IMEX AMERICA, Las Vegas, USA — Incentive travel spending is increasing even as geopolitical instability complicates destination decisions, according to the 2026 Incentive Travel Index presented during IMEX America week.
The study draws on 2,017 professionals across 83 countries. SITE’s published summary reports spending per person increasing by 7.8% to $5,500, while 60.5% of respondents say geopolitical instability is already disrupting the destinations they use.
Produced by SITE Foundation and the Incentive Research Foundation with research partner Oxford Economics, the index offers a global view of a market balancing demand with uncertainty.
Evidence for Destination Planning
For convention bureaux, DMCs and hospitality partners, the two findings should be considered together. Higher spending per participant does not establish that every destination is benefiting or that programme volumes are rising at the same rate. Disruption to destination choices can also redistribute demand.
The implication for Asian destinations is to examine their own enquiry and booking patterns alongside the global research. A bureau seeking to use the index in its strategy should distinguish market-wide findings from evidence specific to its source markets. The headline results alone do not establish an Asia-Pacific growth trend.
Understanding Changing Participant Expectations
SITE scheduled the index’s first presentation with the Incentive Research Foundation for 12 October, followed by a press conference on 13 October. Its wider IMEX programme also includes research on how different generations respond to incentives and rewards.
For suppliers, that creates a useful opportunity to review how programmes are designed and explained to buyers. Budget conversations can be linked to the experience participants are expected to receive, while destination proposals can address the practical concerns influencing selection. Any conclusions about generational preferences should be checked against the separate research findings.
Relevance Beyond the Incentive Market
Association congresses serve different purposes from corporate incentive programmes, so the results should not be treated as a forecast for association meetings. They nevertheless provide context for organisations sharing the same destinations, hotels and delivery partners.
Association executives reviewing an international event can use the findings as a prompt to discuss destination risk, costs and contingency arrangements with their partners. The value of the index is in informing those questions with current market evidence. Regional detail and the full research presentation should guide more specific decisions about where opportunities and constraints are emerging.
