This week, the new AVA resort, Cancun, brought together more than 500 award travel professionals to participate in the Inspirational Research Foundation (IRF) Invitational, and raised less than a million dollars in the process.
IRF President Stephanie Harris spoke to AI and positioned it as an ally, not a threat.
In a recent IRF study, 63% of respondents said they either use AI or will support incentive travel programs. Main uses include private program materials, planning and forecasting. “AI is designed to enhance, never replace,” Harris said.
According to Harris, the core force that motivates travel is still human interaction or “hi”. “The relationship economy means adopting a human first approach. When we drive content in emails and what is on social feed, actual relationships are equally trustworthy. Human interaction equals transparency.” Despite being slow or inefficient, she encourages prioritizing face-to-face connections over digital alternatives.
Harris also highlighted the transition from generation to generation and pointed out how changes in technical skills affect the industry. “For the next five years, 39% of the technical skills we have in this room today will be outdated,” she said. “Gen Z is enthusiastic with new ideas and methods, and they are skilled in ways that often surprise and even embarrass me.”
Inspire travel stability in the context of geopolitical uncertainty
Although geopolitical issues and tariffs are key themes, overall sentiment is cautious optimism, given the long-term nature of the incentive program.
“So far, there have been a lot of OMG moments in ’25 years, but we really haven’t seen a lot of big changes for the rest of the year,” said Janet Traphagen, president of Creative Group, during the closing panel.
“When talking to our customers, they are absolutely in trouble and look at long-term strategies like supply chains,” she added.
Traphagen shares how a client transferred incentive travel from the United States to the Caribbean early in the Trump administration. “But overall, we haven’t seen a lot of action yet. I think it gives people a breath and say, ‘Let’s see what’s really going on.’ So, the impact isn’t big, but it’s not zero either.”
Another panelist, Chris Johnson, director of global travel and corporate events at Land O’Lakes, expects uncertainty to continue. “2026 will have a lot of unpredictable performance, maybe ’27,” he said. “We need to have some patience and empathy, rather than having our top executives sign the contract we need to sign next week. Trust me, they may not be thinking about this event or contract signature, but about that much climate change in their business.”
New research on IRF
Johnson and other panelists mentioned how they used IRF research in decision-making and planning. The newly released research focuses on establishing a recognition culture and the preferences of European attendees and is free on the IRF website.
