A budget without airfare is not a trip budget. A budget that “includes a guest” but only priced the employee is not a guest policy. This post walks through one common starting point: about $3,000 per person, two travelers (employee plus guest), four or five nights, warm-weather resort or a short cruise. These figures are examples so you can see the shape of the cost. Actual prices move with dates, airports, and how early you book.
$3,000 per person is an entry number for a first incentive with one winner and one guest. Industry figures of $5,000 to $6,000 per person usually describe larger clubs and longer trips.
For contest rules, tax, and why you should not announce the trip before space is checked, see Incentive Trips for Companies.
Who this is for
- First incentive, not a 40-person club
- One winner and one guest, sharing a room or cabin
- Company will cover major costs, including air
- Dates are flexible by a few weeks
The four numbers I need
- Headcount, including guests
- Date window
- Home airports
- Per-person ceiling (guest included)
$3,000 per person, guest included, is about $6,000 for the couple.
What $3,000 per person usually has to absorb
- Round-trip air and bags
- Hotel or cabin
- Transfers
- Packaged meals and drinks (resort or cruise)
- Taxes and fees
- A small cushion for the city that is expensive to fly from
What it usually does not absorb unless you say so: seat upgrades, spa, extra excursions, travel insurance, passports, additional nights, a second guest.
Example A: all-inclusive, employee + guest
Four nights, mid-range Caribbean or Mexico resort, transfers, most meals and drinks. A mid-range all-inclusive room for two often comes in around $2,400 for four nights. At $3,000 per person you still have room for air and transfers, even from a smaller airport, unless the dates are peak. Air takes more of the leftover from a small market; it does not usually break the trip. Resorts help when the couple wants downtime, not a group schedule.
Example B: Norwegian Cruise Line, employee + guest
A 5-night Western Caribbean sailing from Port Canaveral (Orlando), Club Balcony Suite, Free at Sea included. A working example in this range is about $2,063 for the stateroom (two people), taxes and port fees in. That total already includes the prepaid drink-package gratuities, so the open bar is part of the number, not a surprise at the bar. Also in the bundle: two specialty dinners, 150 minutes of Wi-Fi per person, and a $50 shore-excursion credit for the first guest. Kids may be on the ship. This is not adults-only. For more on cruise planning, see cruise planning with J.Rich Travel.
Princess Cruise Line. Photo by Yiran Ding on Unsplash
| Piece | Often in the $3,000 | Often not |
|---|---|---|
| Air + bags | Booked early from a hub | Last-minute or small-market air |
| Room or cabin | Run-of-house or short cruise | Top suite, peak-week category |
| Meals and drinks | All-inclusive resort, or a cruise fare with the drink package in the number | Spa, extra excursions, drinks if the package was never bought |
Ready to see what that number covers?
Send headcount (guests yes or no), date range, airports, and the number per person. I will show what that number covers. The overview post is how to design the program. This is what the first trip looks like when the budget is real.