Two years ago, I started asking myself what value my work actually brings to the world. Not dressed up, but considered soberly and as objectively as possible.
What our work achieves
For our clients who stage their event in Mallorca with us, it creates memories, shared experiences, a stronger sense of team and a wonderful time...so far, so good.
But what does it bring to our non-clients? To society? To Mallorca, the place we have chosen as our home?
Who benefits from tourism?
In public debate, you always hear the same thing: "Tourism is a blessing for Mallorca. It brings jobs, prosperity and money into the country." That sounds great. But where does tourists' spending actually go? To the hotelier. The car hire company. The restaurants and shops in the tourist hotspots. But what about the plumber who spends every day of the season stuck in traffic around the airport? Or the woman from the supermarket who can no longer find a parking space? They have to live with the negative effects of tourism, yet receive absolutely nothing from the revenue it generates.
Our answer
And that is precisely where we come in. As a tourism business, we have the power to channel generated revenue back to the local population. So that it reaches precisely those people who have nothing at all to do with tourism.
That is why I have gradually realigned X-centives over the past two years. We visited institutions such as nurseries, schools, associations and town halls and asked: What is missing? What do you need? How can we offer meaningful support so that help reaches the community without being lost along the way?
The answer culminated in our evolution from a local DMC (Destination Management Company) into a pan-European agency for incentive travel with social impact. Genuine local value, without window dressing or greenwashing. Not as a sustainable add-on to the programme for a clear conscience, but as a fundamental part of our work - and a condition for working with us.
The result can be seen in our incentive programmes across Europe, our European team-building programmes and the overview of our European incentive destinations.
Children and education at the heart of our work
Our focus is on children and education because, in my view, that is where support always reaches the right people. New equipment for the local nursery. A new shade sail for the school playground. A repaired toilet that had been out of order for a year. Hands-on, without bureaucracy: roll up our sleeves and get started.
Tourism is like a river
This is my view of how tourism should be channelled and used. At our agency, I always say: "Tourism is like a river. As a raging torrent, it can destroy homes and belongings and threaten lives - or it can generate unlimited energy and bring prosperity to the local community."
Tourism is not the problem. The issue is how it is channelled (or not) and how the wealth it brings disappears into individual pockets instead of being shared with those who help carry it because they have to live with its effects.
An invitation to our industry
And to our dear competitors: copy us, follow our example. Because together we can achieve so much more.