Canada has emerged as the clearest
winner from current geopolitical disruption in incentive travel planning, while
the Gulf states are seeing the sharpest fall in confidence, according to the
latest SITE Pulse Survey.
Canada recorded a net sentiment
score of +66.7 per cent among European respondents and +46.4 per cent among the Rest of World,
while the Gulf States fell to -82.1 per cent among US respondents, -72.4 per cent among
Europeans, -54.2 per cent among Rest of World respondents and -21.4 per cent among Asian
respondents.
The findings show planners
rotating away from destinations perceived to be close to the current Middle
East conflict and towards destinations seen as more stable. Europe also
benefited from that shift, posting +53.7 per cent among European respondents, while Asia
and Oceania scored +31 per cent and +32.1 per cent respectively with the same group.
Canada’s strength is particularly
striking because it cuts across source markets. It remains positive among US
respondents at +15.1 per cent, climbs to +66.7 per cent among Europeans and also reaches +46.4 per cent among Rest of World respondents, making it the most consistent beneficiary in
the survey.
The United States presents a more
mixed picture. US respondents remain positive about domestic programmes, with
the United States scoring +22.8 per cent among that group, but the destination is
negative with every non-US cohort: -19.4 per cent among Europeans, -33.3 per cent among Asians
and -34.6 per cent among Rest of World respondents.
Taken together, the results point
to a fast-moving reallocation of incentive demand, with Canada and Europe
attracting business that might previously have gone to the Middle East and
nearby destinations.
Melissa Moten, vice president experience & event solutions – BCD Meetings
& Events and chair of the SITE Research Committee, said: “What we’re seeing is not a drop
in demand for incentive travel, but a shift in mindset. Planners are highly
attuned to global developments and are making thoughtful, strategic decisions
about where to place their programmes. Destinations that are perceived as
stable, accessible and aligned with client expectations are rising to the top.”
The survey highlights the
resilience of the incentive travel sector, even in times of uncertainty, while
making clear that destination perception is now being reflected in hard
sentiment shifts across major source markets.
Pádraic Gilligan, head of research and consultancy at SITE, added: “Incentive travel has always been both
rational and emotional. Right now, the emotional dimension - how a destination
feels in terms of safety, stability and alignment - is playing a more prominent
role. What’s particularly interesting is how quickly sentiment can shift, and
how clearly that shift is reflected in destination preference.
“For destinations and DMCs, the
opportunity lies in understanding these signals and responding with clarity.
Those who can position themselves as trusted, reliable and experience-rich will
be best placed to capture demand as it reorients.”
Hasan Dinc, president of SITE and managing director of ODS Turkey, said: “Providing our global
community with timely, relevant research is a key priority for the SITE
International Board of Directors during my presidency. The SITE Pulse Survey is
part of that commitment – ensuring our members have the data and insight they
need to make informed decisions in an increasingly complex landscape.”
The SITE Pulse Survey is designed
as a rapid-response research tool, capturing industry sentiment in real time
and providing actionable insights for destinations, destination management companies (DMCs) and incentive travel
professionals. The figures cited are net sentiment scores, calculated by
subtracting the percentage planning less travel to a destination, or ruling it
out altogether, from the percentage planning more travel or newly considering
it.
This edition of the survey was
conducted between 25 March and 6 April 2026 and gathered 193 valid responses
from incentive travel professionals across the United States, Europe, Asia and
a broader Rest of World cohort.
The full report may be downloaded
here – https://siteglobal.com/research/pulse-insites/destination-selection-in-a-time-of-geopolitical-uncertainty
