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For all the travel industry’s fascination with artificial intelligence, automation and digital transformation, the latest research from SITE delivers a reminder that feels almost delightfully old-fashioned.

People still buy people.

Not platforms.

Not dashboards.

Not software subscriptions.

People.

That’s the clear message emerging from the latest SITE Pulse Survey, completed by 286 incentive travel professionals worldwide in May 2026.

And for many of the industry’s most experienced operators, the findings will come as about as much of a surprise as discovering airlines charge extra for legroom.

In other words, not at all.

Because while technology continues to reshape almost every corner of the travel sector, the survey confirms that when buyers choose a destination management company, they continue to place their greatest faith in local expertise and trusted relationships.

The latest research found Local Expertise and Authentic Insight ranked as the most important factor overall, closely followed by Reputation and Relationships.

Together, they comfortably outperformed every other selection criterion.

Technology capability, organisational scale and financial strength all finished well down the list.

The numbers tell an important story.

But the reality behind them tells an even better one.

Anyone can book a ballroom.

Anyone can organise transfers.

Anyone can negotiate a room block.

What separates a good DMC from a great one is everything that never appears on the itinerary.

It’s the restaurant owner who agrees to open exclusively for a group on a normally closed evening.

It’s the supplier who answers the phone when everyone else has gone home.

It’s the local contact who knows that tomorrow’s parade will close three city blocks and quietly adjusts the programme before a problem ever arises.

It’s the difference between delivering an event and creating an experience.

And that difference matters.

Particularly now.

The incentive travel sector continues to navigate rising costs, geopolitical uncertainty, changing traveller expectations and an increasing demand for experiences that feel authentic rather than manufactured.

Delegates no longer want to feel as though they are simply passing through a destination.

They want to connect with it.

Understand it.

Experience it.

And that is precisely where great DMCs earn their keep.

The survey also revealed Responsiveness and Agility, along with service breadth, creativity, and Customisation, as important secondary considerations.

That should come as little surprise.

After all, the incentive travel industry has always had a unique relationship with the unexpected.

Anyone who has spent enough time organising conferences, incentive programmes or executive retreats knows there is one universal truth.

Something will change.

A flight will be delayed.

A keynote speaker will arrive late.

A weather forecast will decide to express its creativity.

The best DMCs don’t panic when those moments arrive.

They adapt.

Often before the client even knows there was a problem.

The survey’s findings varied slightly between stakeholder groups.

Hotel and supplier respondents placed greater emphasis on reputation, reflecting the partnership-driven nature of their relationships with DMCs.

Corporate buyers placed stronger importance on creativity, customisation and technology than other groups, while destination marketing organisations and convention bureaux showed greater interest in market presence and legacy.

Yet despite those differences, one theme remained remarkably consistent.

Human expertise continues to define value.

SITE Chief Executive Officer Annette Gregg captured the industry’s thinking perfectly.

“The value of a great DMC lies in their ability to open up a destination with insight, creativity and confidence. Technology, systems and scale all have a role to play, but they do not replace the depth of local knowledge, judgement and relationships that make incentive travel programmes genuinely memorable and effective.”

SITE President and Managing Director of ODS Turkey, Hasan Dinc, offered an equally compelling perspective.

“A DMC’s value is not simply in knowing which venue to use or which supplier to call. It is in understanding the rhythm of a destination, the culture behind it, the people who make it work and the small details that can transform a programme from well organised to unforgettable.”

Those comments strike at the heart of what this research is really telling us.

Technology is becoming increasingly important.

No sensible business would argue otherwise.

But technology remains a tool.

It is not trust.

It is not a judgment.

And it is certainly not experience.

You can purchase software in an afternoon.

Building a reputation takes years.

Sometimes decades.

Perhaps that’s why the survey feels so reassuring.

In a world increasingly obsessed with speed, automation and efficiency, the incentive travel industry is quietly reminding us that its greatest asset has never been technology.

It has always been people.

The people who know the destination.

The people who solve the problems.

The people who open doors that visitors never knew existed.

And, occasionally, the people who save an entire programme with a single phone call.

The latest SITE survey may be full of statistics.

But behind every number sits a simple truth.

Great destinations attract visitors.

Great DMCs make them want to come back.