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Travel Agent FAM Trips: What is a FAM Trip?

Written by: Guest on April 16, 2018

There are a lot of perks to becoming a travel agent and one of them is FAM Trips. FAM Trip stands for “familiarization trip” and it is a trip exclusively for travel agents (and sometimes their guests!) that are provided by suppliers or travel operators. Seminars at Sea are similar to FAM trips, but they are offered by cruise lines and give agents the chance to experience the ships and sailing itineraries that they’ll be selling.

These trips are provided as a way for agents to gain an understanding of the benefits of different trips that they can sell to their clients.

When you’ve seen a resort or on a cruise for yourself, you can better help your clients understand what to expect. The more first-hand experience you have, the better you will be able to choose the perfect vacation for your clients based on their wants and needs .

KHM Travel Group agents participate in various FAM Trips and Seminars at Sea throughout the year. We have excellent relationships with many of the top preferred suppliers in the industry, and that allows our agents to get great deals and have wonderful experiences on FAM trips.

One of many benefits to becoming a travel agent, these “working trips” allow our agents to have fun, enjoyable and useful experiences at resorts and destinations across the country and around the world. When you go on a FAM Trip, you will return with the education and confidence you need to make new bookings! In fact, you can take photos and post them on your own social media accounts or share them directly with your clients to spark their desire to reach out to you about their next trip.

Another benefit to FAM trips and Seminars at Sea is that while you’re having fun, you also get the opportunity to network with other travel agents! While these trips are “working trips” there is usually time set aside for agents to relax and enjoy the pools, beaches, bars and other activities. Take advantage of the “down time” and mingle with fellow agents and discuss what has and hasn’t worked for their business. Make sure to exchange information and stay in contact. It’s a great way to extend your professional network!

Curious about what these trips are like? Check out our recaps from a few of our past FAM trips and Seminars at Sea:

KHM Travel Agents Experience Culture & Adventure on Azores FAM

Club Med FAM Highlights an Action-Packed, All-Inclusive Punta Cana Experience

Exploring the Western Caribbean on the Norwegian Getaway Seminar at Sea

Want to become a KHM travel agent? Contact us to learn more about this rewarding career, or easily get started online today .

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What You Should Know About a FAM Trip

Annie Brigham, Digital Marketing Coordinator

What is a FAM trip?

Who attends a fam trip, who pays for a fam trip.

What are the benefits of a FAM trip for Travel Agents and Media Personnel?

What are the benefits of a FAM trip for the Hosts?

What are some things to keep in mind when planning a FAM trip?

A FAM trip stands for “familiarization trip” and is one incentive of being in the travel industry. FAM trips are exclusive educational trips for travel agents, media personnel, and resellers. These familiarization trips provided by travel businesses such as travel operators, tour operators, and accommodation suppliers allow them to experience their services and destinations first-hand. FAM trips are opportunities for travel businesses to familiarize agents and media personnel with their destination and immerse them in the local culture, introduce them to local operators, and highlight the benefits their company offers, essentially take them backstage. For instance, they can have the opportunity to meet a celebrity chef that they have been referring their clients to.

The usual people presented on these trips are Travel Agents, suppliers, and media partners such as Journalists, Editors, Influencers, & Tour Operators. These individuals are necessary for countless travel businesses’ success, and as suppliers and travel operators, you are looking to build a long-term working relationship with them. The aim is to keep track of key industry influencers and invite people relevant to your industry’s success. These invitations may rope in a travel agent you have worked with in the past, who you want to enhance your relationship with or introduce new offerings to, or a new prospect who has recently jumped on your radar who can potentially help you collect new business.

Though FAM trips are endlessly changing and evolving, and differentiate per business, tour operators, cruise lines, and hotels interested in showcasing their points of interest typically provide everything for these trips. FAM trips are more often than not fully sponsored invite-only events unless there is a partnership with a rental car company or airline that exists. Sponsorships are customary because the host provides the money or product in exchange for their visit.

What are the benefits of a FAM trip to Travel Agents and Media Personnel?

Familiarization trips present numerous benefits to the attendees. The head benefit of a FAM trip is that it allows travel agents and other travel industry providers to gain ideal first-hand experience. This involvement enables them to understand better the several benefits that different kinds of trip excursions offer to their clients. As a result, they can better supply the perfect services and vacations to their client based on their desires and needs and effectively inform their clients on what they can expect. In addition, media personnel, travel writers and editors, and photographers can gain first-hand experience that can help provide better content, details, and photographs for their future publications. These trips grant journalists opportunities to develop tailored stories that they may want to develop further. For example, the trip may introduce them to a chef who has a fascinating life story or recipe to share. A further benefit is that the FAM trip guests can expand their professional network by building connections with other travel agents, suppliers, and media personnel; most FAM trips embrace downtime to relax with other professionals. This schedule allows them time to get in touch with industry experts and exchange stories on what has worked for their business. By developing long-lasting relationships with travel operators and suppliers, they will also acquire better deals for themselves and their future clients.

What are the benefits of a FAM trip to the Hosts?

Arranging a “familiarization trip” is a valuable marketing tool. As a host of a FAM trip, one benefit is that you can generate new leads and business for your company. By permitting these professionals to gain first-hand experience with your products, they will better understand and share the benefits of your travel offerings with their clients. When it comes to benefits from hosting media personnel is that you are enhancing your media coverage; travel writers and photographers take part in these trips to photograph your offerings and compose content. If you can impress and inspire your guests during a FAM trip, then you should be able to generate first-rate reviews and recommendations for your travel business. For example, one of our clients , Arizona, invited an Editor in Chief on a FAM trip to their destination. The Editor in Chief made a customized trip with a luxury angle and published over 20 full pages of material about the destination and included them in the cover. The clients were very thankful for these results and said that the benefits of these results were worth more than five times that than the overall cost of the FAM trip.

After conversing with some of our employees regarding their client’s FAM trip success stories, we have put together some things we think you should consider when planning your FAM trip: You must research and plan the trip and itinerary during the FAM trip planning stage according to your media personnel and travel agent’s profiles. Look at their previous publications and create activities that they will find appealing, craft experiences with multiple “wow factors” that they can share in their publications. Keep in mind that it is up to the criteria of your guest when it comes to what will get published; not everything that they experience will be incorporated. Provide thorough itineraries and trip information as soon as possible in the planning process; this will allow your FAM trip guests to raise any concerns or questions ahead of time and will enable you to customize their stay exceedingly well. When crafting a detailed itinerary for your guests, you must also be mindful of their time on your trip; you must provide a good balance of activities and educational events with free time to relax and take a breather. Lastly, put together a plan for contingencies; keep in mind that not everything will go to plan. It would be safest to prepare for anything from a last-minute guest cancellation up to flight cancelations, emergencies, or lockdowns. But, again, it is better to over plan.

Special thanks to our Connect Worldwide FAM trip experts Eduardo Peraza and Pedro Berruecos for contributing to this article. Contact us today if you are looking for a destination marketing partner or are interested in learning more about attending, planning or hosting a FAM trip.

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Travel Agent FAM Trips: What They Are + How to Find Them

Ahhhh.... the travel industry. It's a beautiful industry and one we here at HAR are lucky enough to work/play in! One of the greatest perks in travel are travel agent familiarization trips, or FAM trips for short. They're also sometimes called FAM tours.

Here's the thing, people outside the industry usually have two conflicting thoughts about travel agents:

1) When they find out I work with travel advisors they ask if travel agents still exist.

2) Then they immediately think I'm a travel advisor and ask, " Do you get to travel a lot? For free?!? "

Here's the answers to those questions:

1) Ooooooh, my friend, travel agents sure do exist! In 2022, traditional travel agencies market share was 21% and online travel agencies was 22% ? True story. Here's more on a travel agent career outlook .

2) And yes, as a producing travel advisor you get to travel a lot and sometimes for free or at a significant discount. Producing is the key word here. :)

What I can never figure out is how you can think travel agents aren't around if they get to travel all the time to gorgeous destinations for free or reduced costs. 🤔 Wouldn't the market be flooded with people wanting to become a travel agent if that was the case?!

These enviable trips are called FAM trips and they're key to travel advisors being invaluable resources to their clients.

(For those of you dying for some 'me time' on the beach, don't worry, FAM trip is short for familiarization trip. It DOES NOT mean you have to bring your family with you on the trips. 😂 In fact, if +1s are allowed, it is often at a little higher cost but often FAM trips are just for advisors.)

So let me break down what a FAM trip is, what happens on FAM tours, where you can find FAM trips, and the question I know you all are asking, how you can get invited on a familiarization trip!

What is a FAM trip for travel agents?

A travel agent FAM trip is a trip offered by a vendor, destination or another entity in the travel industry

Let's clarify one thing. A FAM trip is not the same as travel agent discounts on personal travel. For that, you can check out our article with over 200+ travel agent rates we lovingly keep updated for you. :)

A travel agent FAM trip is a trip offered by a vendor, destination or another entity in the travel industry—like an industry association, a host agency or a travel consortium to travel advisors—allowing the travel agent to experience the product/destination so that they can better sell it.

Travel advisors are salespeople at their core and like any salesperson, they can sell more when they experience the product or service.

Vendors and destinations know that travel agent FAM tours are a cost-effective way to increase sales. All the pics the travel agents post while on FAM trips are darn good PR and advertising!

I'll tell you a secret: once you become a travel agent and start connecting with industry colleagues

a) you will get out of offices all. the. time. from colleagues traveling to awesome places and

b) your social feed will be crammed full of pics from your industry besties traveling around the world. :)

What are the different types of familiarization (FAM) trips?

Those social feeds crammed with enviable travel photos I just mentioned? Well, they are meant to be marketing the destination/property/etc. So you should definitely be feeling FOMO and jealousy.

BUT! That could literally be the only hour the advisor was able to enjoy the pool or beach during their 3-day familiarization trip. Like most things on social, the reality of a FAM trip is often much different than what the photos painted.

Let's break down FAM tours into a few categories so you have a better idea of what to expect.

And for the record, I just created these categories since I really feel like we need to differentiate them so please help me grow this industry lexicon and start throwing them around in industry forums! 😂

Working FAM trips

These FAM trips are exactly what they sound like. Working FAMs are the majority of familiarization trips and they are meant to maximize your time in the destination.

This means that you're often up at 6 am, on your feet all day visiting multiple properties (called site inspections ) or having in-destination experiences like a pasta-making class or white water rafting.

After a full day of action, you sit down for your dinner and do some serious networking. You don't hit the bed until 10 or 11 pm. FAM trips are tons of fun, but they are also tiring! It's like traveling with your ADHD friend that is inexhaustible. :)

The company or destination that organized the FAM trip wants you to see and experience as much as possible so you often have a jam-packed schedule from sun up to past sundown.

EXPERIENTIAL FAM trips

Experiential FAM trips are still working familiarization trips but have a more relaxed schedule, as in you won't be touring 4 resorts in Jamaica a day and then have evening activities. :)

You might be staying at a dude ranch and each day have an activity or two planned.

Or you might have attended a travel conference and signed on for the pre/post tours where you get to do a guided activity each day and then return to your hotel at night. (Here's a guide to maximize your travel conference learning and networking.)

Experiential FAM tours are my favorite FAMs because they're easier to remember more vividly. Plus, I don't come away completely overstimulated and sleep deprived!

AWARD FAM TRIPS

When your agency starts really producing, award FAM trips will open up for you.

Simply put, they're awards trips for top producing travel agencies but they also function as a FAM because they may include visiting a few properties. Plus, when most people think of FAM trips, they're wondering about free or discounted tours and award FAM trips fall into that category.

On award FAM trips, the host really pulls out the stops so you can experience all the host and the destination have to offer

On award FAM trips, the host really pulls out the stops so you can experience all the host and the destination have to offer! After all, these are the agencies that bring in a lot of sales.

Award FAM trips are typically fully comped and the familiarization trip host will have all sorts of great things planned for you! It's a lot of networking and fun, and less work. :)

What happens on a travel agent FAM trip?

Your itinerary will vary based on the type of travel agent FAM trip you're on. As I mentioned earlier, working FAMs have jam packed schedules!

If I were to generalize, I would say that on a FAM tour expect to be wined and dined at different properties or restaurants. You'll tour various properties where you'll see different room categories as well as meet with key staff that will allow you to better serve your clients.

When it comes to cruise ships, cruise FAM trips are often called Seminars at Sea when you get to sail on the ship and ship inspections when you tour it while it's in port.

And equally as important on FAM tours is the networking and bonding that happens with your host and fellow travel colleagues. Most advisors have their family and then they have their 'travel family', which are the colleagues they get to travel around the world with. As we all know, travel bonds people like nothing else!

Cruise FAM trips are often called Seminars at Sea when you get to sail on the ship and ship inspections when you tour it while it's in port.

Travel agent FAM trip technology + FAM trip marketing

You'll take tons of pictures and videos to share with clients and use for marketing. You'll also take a lot of notes. How do you keep all that FAM trip info straight? Here's a few resources for you.

Fam with Intention has a paid course on what to do before, during and after your travel agent FAM tour to make sure you maximize the experience.

Keeping track of everything you see and do, as well as the people you meet on travel agent FAM trips is challenging. HAR has free ship inspection forms as well as free site inspection forms that can help you out. They're old school PDF but can't beat free!

And if you are looking for something way more snazzy in app form (paid), check out MyFamTrip or FamGuru .

How much do travel agent FAMs cost?

I wish I had a specific answer for you but travel agent FAM prices will vary from completely free (sometimes referred to as hosted, as in they're 100% hosting you) to a decent discount.

Here's what you can generally expect included on a travel agent FAM trip:

• Excursions/Activities

What's usually not included on travel agent FAM tours:

• Tips for your drivers, bellhops, guides, housekeeping, etc. (These people work incredibly hard and depend on tips so make sure to bring cash.)
• Your travel insurance (never included)

Where can I find a list of travel agent FAM trips?

Great question! Here are a few places you can find FAM trips listed.

HAR's INDUSTRy calendar

We have a great list of FAM trips on HAR's free travel industry event calendar that you can check out.

Often times travel industry conferences in popular tourist destinations will offer pre/post-add-ons that allow you to experience the destination at a discounted rates.

FAM-SPEcific websites

Other online places to find travel agent FAMs are destination-specific websites like:

• MexicoFamTrips.com
• CaribbeanFamTrips.com
• JamaicaFamTrips.com

There are also a few websites that list travel agent FAM trips like :

• Famtrips.travel
• FAMrates.com (paid subscription)
• WanderfullyFammed , which are led by an advisor/photographer and part of the trip is that she provides all the marketing content for advisors to promote it during and after.

But here's another secret, the real travel agent FAM deals that are generously subsidized are not publicized. They are invite-only FAM trips or require you to apply, where the competition is stiff.

Travel Consortium + Host AgencY FAM TRIPS

Your host agency and/or consortium are one of the places where you can find the generously subsidized FAM trips.

Only members of their networks have access to these FAM trips and there may be sales or other requirements you need to meet. They may send out an email with the opportunity or they may reach out to advisors they know would be a good fit for it so that's another reason to cultivate those relationships with your host and consortium!

DESTINATIONS and vendors FAM TourS FOR TRAVEL AGENTS

Another place where you can find severely discounted travel agent FAM trips is through destinations and preferred suppliers like cruise lines, tour operators, destination management companies (DMCs), and resorts.

\When you sign up as an advisor with them that gets you into their database and you'll receive information on upcoming travel agent FAM opportunities.

These FAM trips may be emailed out to the entire database and you have to apply, or it may be that the organization reaches out individually to their ideal travel advisors. Again, build those relationships at travel industry events so you're top of mind. :)

How the heck can I get invited on a travel agent FAM trip?!?

Love your enthusiasm!

Let's back up a step because the first requirement is that you're a travel agent. If you aren't one but think it would be a cool career (it totally is), check out our article with more info on how to start your travel agency .

The next requirement hurdle is you'll need to be a producing advisor.

On rare occasions, new advisors without a history of sales can be invited on a travel agent FAM trip, but you'd have to show you have the potential to bring in sales. This is usually done by showing your network of friends/colleagues/clients as the target demographic for that particular FAM trip.

Another option for newbies is you can show that you are serious and focused on selling that particular brand/destination/trip type. Do this by reaching out to your BDM (business development manager) and writing up an in-depth sales plan on what you'll do to bring them sales.

Other than that, each FAM will have its own requirements which they'll communicate to you.

You now are fully educated on one of the best travel industry secrets... travel agent FAM trips! I hope you can experience one soon as they're amazing experiences. :)

If you're an advisor that landed on this article, I would LOVE to have you share any FAM experiences or advice in the comments below!

About the Author

Steph grew up in the travel industry, helping on and off with her mom's homebased travel agency. She has worked with thousands of agents in her role as a former host agency director before leaving in 2012 to start HAR. She's insatiably curious, loves her pups Fennec and Orion, and -- in case you haven't noticed -- is pretty quirky and free-spirited.

If you’re looking for Steph, she leaves a trace where ever she goes! You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn (her fav) and Pinterest as 'iamstephly'. 🙂 You can also catch her on her Substack, Bumblin' Around, where she writes on things outside the world of HAR.

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What Are Fam Trips And How To Get The Most Out Of Them

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Familiarisation Trips, better known as Fam Trips, are educational trips organized exclusively for media partners or travel agents and resellers, by travel businesses such as tour operators and accommodation establishments.

Fam Trips are designed to equip participants with adequate product knowledge to either sell onto clients or publish for media coverage. Travel businesses host Fam Trips to showcase their business and product to the people who resell or cover them in media.

Either way, the fundamentals of Fam Trips remain the same, you want to create memorable, fun, and personable experiences for the people who undertake them. They are essentially marketing tools that highlight your travel offering and are one of several ways to generate leads and new business for your travel company.

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Who Goes On Fam Trips?

Fam Trips are usually set up either as invitation-only sponsored learning trips or at discounted rates exclusively available for travel agents to book.

Travel agents and resellers go on Fam Trips to experience first hand a travel product or offering. This gives them insight into the finer details of the offering and lets them add a personal touch to their sales pitch.

Travelers are on the lookout for personalized travel experiences and something as simple as a travel agent knowing whether there is a packed breakfast available to take on a day hike excursion without needing to check details with the establishment saves time, conveys efficiency and will attract customers to your travel business .

Fam trips are not only for travel agents or resellers though, media partners also participate in them too. Travel writers or photographers join Fam Trips for media to write up articles and take beautiful images to post and share in their publications.

Tips On How To Run Successful Fam Trips

You want to apply the same basic principles to your Fam Trips regardless of whether you are hosting Media or Suppliers. In both cases, the trips should be experiential and relevant to your product.

Set Expectations

Email your suppliers and media partners their proposed itineraries a few weeks in advance so that they know what to expect from the Fam Trips and can raise any questions they may have to prepare for it.

When hosting Fam Trips for Media discuss your expectations for the press coverage before the trips begin so that you are all on the same page. Establish where the write-ups will be published, the length and frequency of the articles, expectations for social media posting etc.

Offer Authentic Experiences

While you do need to pull out the stops and offer the same experiences that full paying guests would get, you do not want to misrepresent your offering by including something not ordinarily part of your repertoire.

Clients will be disappointed if they read about a sundowner experience on the riverbank but discover on arrival at your lodge that it is not in fact on your activities list it.

Create Partnership Offerings

Contact surrounding travel businesses to see if they would be interested in creating partnership offerings to provide to the suppliers and media partners.

Approach restaurants who might be interested in hosting groups for some of their meals. Or contact a bicycle tour operator to ask if they would lead groups on a trail experience.

This will give the other businesses the opportunity to increase their visibility and get mentions in the media and it will help you to spread some of the costs involved in hosting Fam Trip groups.

Offer Alternative Itineraries

Where applicable, showcase a number of your most popular activities to the people on your Fam Trips. Not only will this highlight more aspects of your travel business, but it will also negate the possibility of accidentally excluding someone from partaking in particular activities.

Consider people’s varied interests and add one or two alternatives to your itineraries. The idea is for your suppliers and media partners to make the most of their Fam Trip experience so limiting your educational Fam Trip activity to a snorkeling trip might not work in your favor if you are hosting people who do not enjoy swimming for example.

Set A Manageable Schedule

Remember the people you host on your Fam Trips are working even if it may not always seem like it. With this in mind, remember to allocate a certain amount of downtime on your Fam Trips to allow your travel agents and media partners to check in with the office, organize the information they are putting together on your travel product, or have a quick catch up with the family at home.

Provide All Necessary Information

Your suppliers and media partners are going to need the details of all the accommodations they stay in, restaurants they dine at, and activity providers who guide them on their Fam Trips. As the organizer, you will have easy access to all of this information.

Compile a list of all the names, email addresses, contact numbers and social media handles of your partners onto a database and share it with the people on your trip. This way they will be able to accredit everyone accordingly.

You can include the brochure images and write-ups of your travel product in this informational package too. You might find that your suppliers need to update your product on their site and this will make sure that they have what they need.

Most of this information will likely be required in a digital format, so either email it or make it available to download from a limited access portal.

Make Follow Ups After The Trips

Do not leave it too long after your Fam Trips have finished to follow up with your travel agents and resellers to get their feedback.

See if they have any questions or suggestions for you and check that your media posts are published and all the information is optimized, correct, and up to date.

Keep the communication lines open and find out what worked and what didn’t and learn from each experience and Fam Trip.

Remember that your travel agents, suppliers, and media partners are key players in your business’ success and Fam Trips are a good way to nurture relationships with them. So consider the time and resources you spend hosting Fam Trips and nurturing relationships as an investment in marketing your business and promoting your travel offering.

In an industry where experience is everything, going the extra mile and working together to give clients the best possible service will translate into stellar reviews and glowing recommendations for all parties involved.

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What is the meaning / definition of FAM Trip in the hospitality industry ?

The term FAM stands for Familiarisation. The Tours – commonly known as FAM Trips – are trips organised by travel providers (can be a Tour Operator, an Airline, a Hotel Chain , a Tourism Board or other DMOs representing a Destination, etc.) with the purpose of educating about their products &amp services and promoting them.

Usually it is dedicated to everyone who is involved in the selling and promoting process of this particular product/ property / destination. It typically hosts travel agents and expedients, travel media (writers, journalists, bloggers) and other important players &amp partners.

Creating awareness and at the same time networking and building relationships are the main aims of a FAM trip .

FAM´s are very important in the hospitality industry . Basically speaking if the travel agent knows and likes your property (and the location), he will book his clients into it. FAM´s are usually FOC ( free of charge ) or available at a discounted fee.

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English [ edit ]

Alternative forms [ edit ].

• educational ( noun )
• jolly ( noun )
• perk ( noun )

Etymology [ edit ]

From fam ( “ familiarisation ” ) +‎ trip .

Noun [ edit ]

fam trip ( plural fam trips )

• ( UK , aviation , travel ) A free (or low cost) trip for travel agents or consultants , provided by a travel operator or airline as a means of promoting their service.

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What is a FAM trip?     FAM or "Fam trip" is short for "familiarization trip." They are generally short trips taken by travel advisors usually at a discounted rate, designed to learn about a destination or travel supplier to gain first-hand knowledge through experiencing it. They serve two main goals:   

Why take a FAM trip?     

The bottom-line is to gain current and accurate knowledge of a product/service to maximize your sales. Matching a client and their preferences to a specific travel supplier that caters to both their style of travel and their budget expectations is one of the biggest considerations when qualifying your client. FAM trips enable travel advisors to gain a deeper understanding of the product or service by experiencing it themselves. It also allows the advisor to anticipate what kind of client is best suited for this product or service, what the experience is actually like, and gives a better understanding in assisting with planning an overall budget for their client's trip.    

What is FAM trip like?    

It’s not a free vacation! Fam trips involve hard work to fully capture every aspect of the travel experience and understand the supplier's product. There’s often a lot of information to capture and very little downtime. They generally have a lot of early mornings and days packed with activities.    

It's important to understand you are working on these trips, and you represent not only your personal business, but also Xstream Travel. Always dress professionally but comfortably to walk a lot during your inspection. This means having the right walking shoes, and dress to accommodate not only the weather, but the amount of activity you will be doing (it's a lot!). It's also a good idea to have business cards to give to your contacts to network. You want to leave a professional and positive lasting impression.    

What should I do before I take a FAM trip?    

• Determine if this FAM is in alignment with what you plan to market and sell:  If you specialize in all-inclusive travel, it makes more sense to find FAMs focused on destinations and suppliers who offer all-inclusive resorts, opposed to Alaskan adventures (for example). Unless you're looking to expand your focus, stick to what you know you can -or- want to sell.     

Determine who you will sell this product or service to : Identify 1-5 clients that may be a good fit with this supplier. If you're new to the business, determine what kind of client they would be. This will help you determine if this FAM makes sense for your business. If you don't know anyone who would be interested in this product or service, really consider if this FAM is right for you. If you know at least 1-5 people who might be interested in this product or service, you have a better chance of this experience benefiting your business. Remember, none of us would be in this business if we didn't like to travel, but our bottom line is to run a profitable business.  

Take the supplier's training:  Most suppliers have a training program or at the very least, a brochure or website. Learn as much as you can before you travel. You want to dive deep when you get there, not ask basic questions already answered on a website. This helps you ask meaningful questions when you get there and maximize your time to gain the greatest benefit.    

Pro Tip:  Look at all the room categories online. Communicate which room categories you would like to see with the supplier beforehand to make sure they're available while you're there.    Pro Tip:  If you specialize in weddings, learn about the wedding packages online. Communicate with the supplier you would like to speak to the wedding coordinator when you arrive and gauge their availability. Also ask to visit their wedding venues / spaces.   

How do I book a FAM?    

Xstream Travel schedules FAM Trips, Xstream Experiences, and other training events throughout the year, however you are not limited to Xstream hosted events! Many vendors offer agent FAM and inspection rates or specific FAM training events. Check the supplier's site or reach out to the vendor's BDM. Some vendors may require that you've earned your CLIA or IATA card. Others may have other qualifications like completing their training program. It's important to meet the qualifications determined by the vendor/supplier  before  you book.    

For example , Marriott has a program called Marriott Hotel Excellence. Their "FAM-tastic" rate program requires advisors to complete their Hotel Excellence training program and hold a valid IATA or CLIA card when checking in.    

Pro Tip:  Amstar can help agents schedule FAMS for some resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico. They can assist in making appointments and arranging transportation between resorts.    

What to do on a FAM?    

• Take postcard ready photos:  This allows you to create marketing materials to send to your clients. Get pictures of menus and food, rooms, pools, activities, transportation schedules, the outside of the venue,  etc. Try to take photos without you or other people in them if you can.   

Ask questions:  Now is the time to ask questions that were not covered in the supplier's training or on their site. You can even print out information online and ask them if anything has changed to make sure you have the most current and accurate information to help you sell to your clients.   

Network:  Exchange business cards and contact information with the managers and other people you meet while on the FAM. 

Experience & enjoy!:  What are the   must try restaurants, spa treatments, pools, excursions, activities, etc.? Learn it by experiencing it yourself!   

Pro Tip:  If you visit a resort and are approached at the resort for a timeshare pitch, and do not want this for your clients, politely and professionally ask what the process is to request that your client not be approached for a timeshare pitch and allowed privacy to enjoy their vacation. This is to respect your client's time and money they've spent at this resort, as well as for the resort to respect your business. This is your client and you want to ensure repeat business for both you and the resort.  

Important : Please never share FAM rates with your clients or other travelers, or recruit agents or other travelers while on your FAM trip. These are experiences to gain knowledge and make professional contacts with suppliers only. It's important to respect other travelers and the supplier while on your trip.    

What to do after a FAM trip?      Remember those 1-5 people you determined might be a good fit for this supplier? Once you get home contact one or more of them to let them know about your trip and let them know how it might be a good fit for their next vacation! It doesn't need to be a cold call to get them to book, just a quick message that you thought of them while on your trip and share a photo. 

Ex. If you have a client that loves Mexican food and you found the perfect authentic Mexican restaurant, tell them! Send them a picture of the menu or the dish you ate. Let them know you thought of them and they would love this dish too! 

Next, go online and blog about your trip on your social media pages. Use the pictures you took and create marketing materials. Show what a great time you had and be sure to give contact information for how your clients can contact you to book! 

Reach out to the BDM to let them know how your FAM went. Ask them to keep you in mind for any similar training events and ask to be put on a mailing list for special rates or promotions for this supplier.  

Get in Touch

What is a FAM Trip and Why Are They an Important PR Tool?

Have you ever heard of a FAM trip? You may be surprised to learn that it doesn’t have anything to do with a family vacation. FAM trips are actually short for familiarization trips , and they’re a great tool for promoting tourism locations and doing PR for destination marketing organizations (DMOs). 

We recently planned and executed a FAM trip to the South Canadian Rockies , a DMO that promotes the Crowsnest Pass, Pincher Creek and Castle regions in southern Alberta. Along with a group of stellar travel writers and influencers, some of our team members travelled down to the area to experience first-hand all of the amazing wonders the South Canadian Rockies has to offer. 

Photo courtesy of Karen Ung @playoutsidegal 

The goal of this project was to familiarize the travel writers  and influencers with the area and inspire them to write/post about their experience. The South Canadian Rockies is home to some of the most beautiful and quaint mountain towns, but it’s often overlooked as a travel destination by western Canadians, in part because of its off the beaten path nature.

Photo courtesy of Neil Zeller

We worked with Neil Zeller Photography  Tours to provide the attendees with a unique and educational photography  experience in the area. This benefitted attendees who were lo oking to learn more about photography from one of the industry’s best, while also capturing some incredible photo assets that we could purchase from the attendees as part of our project.

During the trip, we visited some of the area’s best restaurants to get an idea of the many culinary options available there. We also took part in one of the area’s most popular winter activities with a snowshoe tour with Uplift Adventures , a local guiding company, at beautiful Beauvais Lake Provincial Park.

We had an itinerary that we planned and provided the group beforehand, but we also showed flexibility for some activities of the trip to flow naturally and occasionally veer away from our original plans. This made for an authentic and unrushed experience for our attendees and allowed us to experience some photo opportunities and restaurants that we may not have otherwise enjoyed. Overall, the FAM trip we planned was a great success and we will continue to use this PR tool to promote our tourism clients at Worthington PR & Story . 

Are you a tourism destination organization looking to promote your area to a broader audience? We can help you every step of the way from planning, utilizing our relationships with influencers and media and executing a trip. Reach out to us at [email protected] today for more information about how we can help support your organization’s PR needs. 

• 210 - 720 11 Ave S.W. Calgary AB T2R 0E4
• (403) 585-2429
• paula@worthingtonpr.com

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4 Tips To Help You Score FAM Trip Invitations

Posted February 12th, 2021 by Theresa St. John & filed under Travel Writing .

Definition: A FAM trip is a familiarisation trip offered by tourism destinations or resorts to travel writers, bloggers, influencers and media professionals for a personal experience. The intention is to generate PR and media mentions to educate potential visitors and entice more visitors.

Going on a FAM trip is like grabbing the “brass ring” of travel writing.

It’s when someone selects YOU to go on a free trip, with activities, transportation, luxury hotel stays, and the best meals… all on the house.

FAM trips are designed by PR people or tourism bureaus, with the idea of offering a rich and varied experience to travel writers and other media folks, in hopes of promoting a destination or attraction.  

I’ll never forget my first FAM trip, on St. Simons Island, Georgia. I had only a few articles under my belt at the time but decided to take a chance. I applied and landed that golden ticket, traveling with 11 other journalists to The King and Prince Resort, just steps away from the Atlantic Ocean.

When I returned home, I wrote several articles about the experience and worked on getting them published. I made sure to send the links/magazines to every property and attraction I’d been able to visit. Pretty soon, I was being invited on FAM and media trips… without even having to apply.

Once you have a few by-lines under your belt and can prove you’re dependable by delivering articles that highlight your trip, I’m confident the same thing will happen for you.

To speed things along, consider becoming a member of places like ITWPA, Media Kitty, and TravMedia. All three are organizations intent on helping travel writers learn of opportunities in upcoming FAM trips. You’ll have to put your best foot forward when you apply for a spot, as the competition can be fierce.

Here are a few other things you can do to score FAM trip invitations…

Do what you say you are going to do .

If you apply for and land a coveted spot by promising you can get three articles published, you better be ready to go home and make it happen. PR representatives talk to everyone .

If you are the “real deal,” they will sing your praises. Other invitations will arrive in your mail box. On the other hand, if you promise something and produce nothing, it’s a big no-no. It won’t be long before the invites dry up. 

Try and line up publications ready to take your stories before you go.  Review what’s in The Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program, The Travel Writer’s Café, or the stuff you get with ITWPA membership on how to do this. 

You’re on the job.

By all means, enjoy every second of the exotic location, the warm weather, the magnificent vistas, and ridiculous food… but remember to take good notes and tons of pictures, too. You’re going to be writing stories when you return home, so your facts need to be accurate. Be professional. Be that person the tourism bureaus want to work with again.

Don’t be that aggravating, irritating travel writer.

FAM trips are set on a tight schedule. There is nothing worse than showing up late, when everyone else is on the bus, ready to go. Be on time, be respectful, and you’ll be a favorite.

Even if you have no personal interest in where the group’s headed, don’t be a complainer. Find something to enjoy. Look for the story within the story. After all, you may find some little-known thing that makes you excited to write about it later.

Travel writers eat strange things. They go to strange places. They meet strange and interesting people. A sense of adventure will take you far!

You can under-promise, but you better over-deliver.

You were invited on this trip because you promised them a story. Make sure it rocks! Knock their socks off with great coverage and stellar images. You’re a travel writer and tourism representatives are counting on you to help promote their area to others.

I’ve been able to work with numerous tourism bureaus, both overseas and in the states. One recently told me they’re using my “true professionalism” as an example in their training seminars. It’s such an honor to be named in what all tourism bureaus should expect from a travel writer, after the FAM trip is over.

Today, I have nearly 150 articles published. I’m blessed but I’ve also worked hard.  The free trips are icing on the cake.

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fam trip meaning

Definition of fam trip in english dictionary.

• ( Britain , hospitality industry ) A free (or low cost ) trip for travel agents or consultants , provided by a travel operator or airline as a means of promoting their service .
• Countable nouns
• en fam trips

Meaning of fam trip for the defined word.

Diversity Dictionary: What is a fam trip?

Many hotels, tours and cruise lines offer discounted rates to travel agents so that they can experience what a traveller would get .  Travel and accommodation suppliers and tour operators embrace the opportunity to raise awareness of their services and provide the best portrait of their business . They should aim to answer any and every question a travel agent may have, so that this information makes its way to potential new customers !

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What does fam trip mean?

Definitions for fam trip fam trip, this dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word fam trip ., wiktionary rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes.

fam trip noun

A free (or low cost) trip for travel agents or consultants, provided by a travel operator or airline as a means of promoting their service.

Etymology: From fam and trip.

How to pronounce fam trip?

Alex US English David US English Mark US English Daniel British Libby British Mia British Karen Australian Hayley Australian Natasha Australian Veena Indian Priya Indian Neerja Indian Zira US English Oliver British Wendy British Fred US English Tessa South African

How to say fam trip in sign language?

Chaldean Numerology

The numerical value of fam trip in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

Pythagorean Numerology

The numerical value of fam trip in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

• ^  Wiktionary https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Fam_Trip

Translations for fam trip

From our multilingual translation dictionary.

• رحلة الاتحاد الماليزي Arabic
• Fam Trip German
• viaje de familiarización Spanish
• voyage de familiarisation French
• perjalanan keluarga Indonesian
• การเดินทางเป็นครอบครัว Thai
• 祕境之旅 Chinese

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