Overseas Programs Curbed by War

Meetings & Conventions: Incentive News

Taking off: Miami Air’s incentive business is growing. Overseas Programs Curbed by War

When the United States declared war on Iraq in March, a number of American companies canceled or postponed incentive programs slated to run this spring.

Among those opting to cancel was an electronics firm that pulled its April trip to Hawaii for 60 top dealers. The president of the firm did not want participants to be away from their homes while a war was going on, said Wim Crabbe, vice president international sales and marketing for Minneapolis-based Prestige Resorts & Destinations, the company that booked the trip. Two other Prestige clients postponed trips, he said, one to Egypt and the other to Ireland.

VisitBritain, formerly the British Tourist Authority, reported several American incentive groups canceled programs that had been scheduled for the spring.

Programs closer to home appear to have fared better than those abroad. As of April, said Ann d’Eon, president of Tempe, Ariz.-based ADI Meetings & Incentives, “we have not had any of our North American programs canceled, postponed or moved.”

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