From flamenco to igloos: How India Inc is turning work trips into bucket list adventure
, aerial tours of Mount Everest, outdoor barbeques and winery visits in Australia, master classes with local chefs in Japan, Flamenco and Fado dance classes in Spain and Portugal, and Oktoberfest in Germany — India Inc is sparing no expense in embracing unrestrained indulgence for employees.
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Thomas Cook (India), Cleartrip, and SOTC Travel are among travel companies witnessing a sharp uptick in the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) segment, as companies dial up travel plans for staff to not just drive team bonding and strategy building but also reward and retain talent.
Budgets are generous, with curated MICE journeys reaching more than ₹5 lakh per person at the top end, said executives. The BFSI, automobile, pharmaceutical, and technology sectors are leading the trend.
'We are seeing a robust 15-20% surge in demand for
corporate offsites
and reward & recognition (R&R) travel, signalling a clear shift in how corporate India is approaching talent engagement and retention,' said Vishal Suri, MD at SOTC Travel.
Unique Destinations on Radar
What stands out, he says, is the evolving nature of these programmes — they are no longer just about travel.
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'Companies are prioritising team bonding, leadership development, and experiential learning by curating distinctive and immersive experiences, such as CXO-level meetings in Cape Town with helicopter tours, African-themed dinner and Djembe drumming sessions etc. Unique destinations like Brazil are also emerging on the radar for MICE groups,' he added.
Despite geopolitical challenges and tariff clouds under the Trump administration hanging over their heads, companies aren't pulling back on their plans, said experts.
While Sri Lanka, Goa, Coorg, Pondicherry, and Kerala continue to be popular choices, organisations are also exploring more unique destinations like Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Thomas Cook (India) is seeing increased interest in unique/emerging and value destinations such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Vietnam. Marquee destinations like South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Australia, New Zealand, US, Finland, and Norway also continue to be in high demand.
In the past year, the company curated an R&R luxury Arctic escape to Finland, including luxury igloo stays, midnight aurora safaris, reindeer rides, snowmobiling, etc. — costing ₹6-7 lakh per person; a 250-people MICE group in Sri Lanka for an exclusive gala dinner at the Lotus Tower — revolving restaurant; a full-day outdoor adventure at Glenworth Valley in Australia featuring axe-throwing competitions, ATV rides, and the famous 'Running of the Horses' with over 200 horses galloping through the valley.
Offsite Bonding, Brainstorming
As high-end experiences see a spike, keeping pace are company offsites.
At
Panasonic
, multiple offsites have already been organised this year. The India Innovation Centre team went to Chikmagalur; the automotive team went to Goa; the customer service division to Mussoorie; and the system solutions division to Rishikesh, among others.
'Our regular offsites include team bonding initiatives, annual business planning workshops, among other initiatives,' said Adarsh Mishra, CHRO at Panasonic Life Solutions India.
Proptech unicorn NoBroker is planning an offsite this year to Coorg, for its 80-strong business team, said Amit Agarwal, co-founder of the Bengaluru-based company. Legrand India recently organised an offsite in Chennai for its supply chain management team.
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