Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) consultant Pádraic Gilligan on why the global business events industry still carries America’s DNA. Incentive travel could only have emerged in a culture that unapologetically embraced aspiration. Early incentive trips – often to Florida, California, or Hawaii – gave participants not just exotic experiences, but visible proof that their contributions were valued. The American model of experienceMuch of the language and style still used in incentive travel originated in the US. As Gilligan concludes: the USA is not only still a key market for incentive travel, but the industry’s “source code”.