Today in luxury marketing:
Four Seasons exec: Incentive travel makes comeback
Incentive travel began to plummet in late 2008 around the time of the financial meltdown - and a high-profile spending scandal. Back then, it was revealed that global insurance giant AIG had spent about $400,000 on a luxury retreat for top producers at a St. Regis resort shortly after the company had taken an $85 billion federal bailout. After that, hoteliers saw mass cancellations or postponements of previously booked upscale trips and meetings, per USA Today.
{"ct":"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","iv":"cb15166ec2a66a6ec663e075d66ba31e","s":"881f987e23af600a"}