An incentive trip to Naples
Usually a client already has an idea which destination they want to plan for a next one incentive travel. The great thing about this client is that we have been allowed to make suggestions for years and they are actually always received enthusiastically. The client enjoys being surprised with less obvious destinations and once again we have succeeded in doing so.
This time we had proposed Naples and Dubrovnik to them, among other places. It became an incentive trip to Naples and I have just returned from this magnificent trip.
I still love going along as a trip leader and it is my passion to organise everything down to the last detail, not just beforehand but also on site, and to build in surprises.
Brainstorming ways to motivate the participants
Because this incentive trip to Naples was a reward trip, we also guided the target setting by means of teasers. This was to motivate the potential participants to the core! Every month they were surprised with a gadget, card or other teaser. We received many compliments in the meantime about the inventiveness and originality of this!
We have been entrusted with organising these trips for years, so we know precisely which elements are the most important. There must be at least 3 WOW effects included. The hotel has to be one of those. Therefore, we always look for the best hotel in town and build the programme around it.
We think that Hotel Gran Vesuvio with its wonderful view over the Bay of Naples and Castel dell'Ovo is a great hotel! Castel dell'Ovo is a small peninsula with a castle on it and a number of fantastic restaurants, including my favourite restaurant La Scialupa.
The La Scialupa restaurant is the second WOW moment, only this restaurant does not accept groups. But because we have been organising group trips to Naples for years and I kept nagging them, we are now allowed to make reservations there with groups of no more than 60 people! Persistence pays off! There is still room outside for passing customers. Naturally, we have gratefully made use of it again on this group trip to Naples.
Restaurant La Scialuppa in Naples (Castel dell'Ovo)
Restaurant La Scialuppa is one of the few restaurants where fresh fish, straight from the sea, is still served, but the other dishes also catch the eye. The pastas are still made in-house and the kitchen of La Scialuppa is practically always occupied by the locals.
Climbing Vesuvius
The next day, it was time to work up a sweat. Off to Vesuvius, with a climb to the top.
Ultimately at the top you are also rewarded with a magnificent view, sometimes somewhat hindered by a slightly misty view, but this time: ‘clear sky’! When we then stand on Vesuvius and I begin to talk about this “dangerous” mountain, it becomes, as always, quiet around you for a moment.
But the poignant silence that falls when we are in Pompeii in front of the Garden of the Refugees stand, is beyond description. I take the participants back in time and always with emotion I tell the story of Pompeii and its destruction. Everyone looks at their parents and kids and tries to imagine what it must have been like when Vesuvius destroyed Pompeii……..!
After that, things naturally need to be given a bit of a boost again, so a visit to the Limoncello factory is always a nice conclusion.
Gently sipping this divine drink, the sad story slides off everyone's shoulders again, although the image of the family lingers in everyone's minds for a long time.
An incentive trip to Naples, with the boat to Capri
The next day it was time for a different atmosphere. Time to catch the boat to Capri. I have also had the pleasure of guiding many groups to Capri, and I always look forward to it. My enthusiasm is apparently contagious, because everyone is up early and looking forward to it.
Well in time we walk to the boat, fortunately a calm sea today. That's often been different…..! In the past I've regularly handed out travel sickness pills preventatively. I always have plenty in stock. Better safe than sorry.
The journey is going smoothly and soon the magnificent island of Capri looms ahead of us. Magnificent!
Once there, the group is divided into smaller groups and we transfer to a few smaller boats to visit the blue caves. This is only possible when the sea is calm, which fortunately is the case.
Delicious food in a still relatively unknown restaurant
In Naples and Capri you can eat wonderfully in many restaurants, but there is always a superlative. A few years ago I discovered a fantastic restaurant on Capri, not yet discovered by tourists. This restaurant is a must-visit again this time and we are once again warmly welcomed by my now friend Gianni, the owner.
A must on the menu here is the “Insalata Caprese”. Never eaten one as delicious as in the restaurant Villa Verde!
The conclusion of the incentive trip to Naples, a surprise
This restaurant was a perfect conclusion to yet another wonderful trip. That evening we flew back to the Netherlands and I handed out a booklet of nice photos. I had quickly had them made at a quick printer on Capri, while everyone was shopping. I think that is the best thing there is: those surprised looks from the participants! Worth its weight in gold.
When I got into my car at Schiphol feeling satisfied, after waving everyone off, the first WhatsApp messages were already flooding in. Always those goosebump moments. Everyone praised the trip, in their own way. Everyone mentioned the moment in Pompeii as being very impressive.
Customer Experience: What a fantastic trip, so grateful that I get to join every year. Your story in Pompeii, at the Garden of the Fugitives, will stay with me for a long time…..! Thank you for this experience!
Shall we organise your next incentive trip? That could be to Naples, but we can also surprise you with another destination! Please feel free to contact us Contact contact us.