Planners are leaving about half the itinerary open. That means the moments you do schedule have to be unforgettable

The best incentive trips of 2027 will have more free time. Here's why

The shape of the incentive trip is changing. Recent industry research shows about half of a typical itinerary is now left unscheduled, group activities are kept to around three hours, and the whole program rests on three moments: the welcome, one big shared experience and the farewell.

Fewer moments means every single one has to land.

This is where a local DMC earns its place. At AFDMC Travel we design those three moments from scratch. A welcome cocktail on a private stretch of sand. A signature afternoon, whether that is sailing to Saona Island, heading into the mountains of Jarabacoa or getting hands-on with Dominican cacao and coffee. And a farewell dinner your top performers will still be talking about next year.

For the free time in between, we line up optional experiences guests can join if they feel like it, so nobody spends their afternoon wondering what they missed.