The Future of Group Travel: Insights from WATG Research’s 2025 Sentiment Survey

Group and incentive travel continue to play a critical role in hotel performance worldwide, accounting for nearly 20% of global room-night demand. Yet this segment is evolving. Remote work, rising costs, and shifting traveler expectations are prompting hotel operators and meeting planners to rethink what makes group experiences valuable and worth the investment.

WATG’s 2025 Group Travel Sentiment Survey explores the future of MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) demand in the U.S., with a spotlight on Hawaii, long regarded as a barometer for group travel performance. The survey, which polled industry professionals from MICE operators to corporate clients, reveals a market balancing optimism with caution. The results highlight how destinations and hotels can adapt to meet demand, from incentive travel at luxurious resorts that motivate top performers to flexible spaces that welcome new formats of work and travel.

“We believe it’s critical to keep our finger on the pulse of group business travel. This survey delivers firsthand insight into evolving demand so we can help clients shape spaces that entice travelers and grow returns.” – Sam Coats, Research Lead at WATG

Even though group travel overall remains below pre-pandemic benchmarks, incentive trips at luxury properties are proving resilient. More than 75% of respondents expect overall demand to remain stable or improve in 2025–26, with incentive travel emerging as the most optimistic segment. Over half (58%) anticipate growth, even with rising costs.

Attendance is trending upward as well: nearly half (47%) expect more participants per trip, reinforcing the continued appeal of high-value, experience-driven programs designed to reward and motivate. The momentum, however, is concentrated in higher-tier hotels, where premium experiences are driving demand, while growth across other segments remains more measured.

This reinforces the idea that companies continue to value curated, premium experiences as a powerful tool to reward, motivate, and connect their teams.

Budgets are under pressure, but spending is holding firm. Sixty percent of respondents expect per-person spend to increase in the coming years, driven largely by inflation and higher operating costs. Among North American buyers, nearly half (48%) reported program budgets exceeding $5,000 per person, which is well above the global average.

Notably, incentive travel continues to stand out. Eighty-one percent of planners expect trip lengths to remain steady or increase, even as conferences and corporate meetings face a more cautious outlook. The takeaway: companies are still investing when travel creates meaningful value.

“As corporations and meeting planners continue to adjust to hybrid work environments, group business travel is under the microscope for its high price tag. Even under scrutiny, in-person meetings and incentive trips for top performers are now seen as talent attraction tools in a competitive job market. Showing resilience and a continued value placed on face-to-face meetings for meaningful connection and collaboration.” – Sam Coats, Research Lead at WATG.

These findings illustrate that while companies are carefully monitoring expenses, they are still willing to invest in group travel that delivers meaningful value.