How fam trips help travel agents and media promote cultural tourism globally

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Whenever the phrases familiarisation trips (colloquially shortened to “fam trips”) are talked about, ideas robotically appear to go to tour operators or travel agents who need to know sufficient a couple of location with the intention to pitch it to potential clients.

However, within the context of the rising world penchant for cultural and even pop-cultural tourism, familiarisation excursions aren’t only for agents, however additionally they help contributors achieve a greater understanding of the placement by its historical past, traditions, tradition, and delicacies.

In this characteristic, we level out a number of the explanation why fam trips will be an integral a part of tourism promotion, notably within the context of cultural and heritage tourism.

It is our hope that this text serves to information the considering of tourism boards and different organisations in search of to promote their house international locations or particular places to the world at massive.

First up, what precisely are familiarisation trips?

In the method of doing the analysis for this characteristic, I’ve observed that many consultants skip defining the time period, and I discover this annoying as a result of not everyone seems to be clued in on what it means.

So let me put it merely right here: a familiarisation journey / fam journey is outlined as a promotional exercise on the a part of a tourism board, airline, hospitality supplier, or cruise agency whereby travel and tourism professionals are invited to tour a selected vacation spot with the intention to enhance the placement’s picture, expose it to a wider or extra numerous market, and enhance site visitors into the realm.

Fam trips are, certainly, an effective way to offer contributors first-hand expertise of what a location has to supply, basically immersing them immediately into its tradition, traditions, and sights.

Regardless of whether or not contributors are travel agents and tour operators, travel media and influencers, and even tourism officers and diplomats, fam trips must be handled as a useful platform for studying past mere familiarisation.

Broadening horizons by hands-on expertise

One of the extra memorable sights provided to media and influencers overlaying ITE HCMC 2025 was a collection of on-site workshops instructing quite a lot of conventional crafts from silk portray to baking banh mi from scratch.

Indeed, whereas fam trips function an expression of nationwide pleasure for organisers, they will function a means of broadening private horizons for contributors.

As a report from The Tourist Space places it:  “Those who are visiting can see the inspirational impact [such experiences] have, the excitement of returning home to share the news of what they have learned and how they visualise ways in which they could implement similar practices within their own destinations.”

That stated, fam trips supply an perception right into a location’s historical past, intrinsic practices and traditions, and the trajectory of its socio-cultural in addition to financial growth.

By doing so, contributors get first-hand data on what methods helped draw travellers into the realm, what prompts them to remain and/or return, and how the neighborhood has benefitted from tourism over time.

Beyond the great thing about places

At the identical time, fam trips aren’t only a means for international locations to indicate off magnificence spots, however additionally they function dwelling lectures on their historical past, together with the darker aspect of it.

Case in level: Vietnam has by no means shied away from bringing fam tour teams into areas just like the Cu Chi Tunnels on the northwestern outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City with the intention to learn the way bizarre individuals fared all through the Vietnam War.

At Cu Chi, tour contributors are led by jungle paths to the precise tunnels used all through the warfare, those that led to bunkers that served as strongholds and protected homes for the locals, in addition to people who have been laid as traps in opposition to the enemy.

Such excursions are additionally provided outdoors of Asia, with guests making their option to Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco and the Holocaust Memorials in Europe.

These function a bodily reminder of the savage affect that felony exercise and warfare have on nations, and function visible and psychological warnings to these within the current day of the results that these may have on society in the event that they occur once more.

For diplomats taken on a fam tour to those places, they function meals for thought to help steer their considering in the direction of extra peaceful relations with their world neighbours.

For the media, then again, it helps to create a extra holistic view of a vacation spot, permitting for a extra goal tone when presenting it to the general public.

Before you go…

Prior to participating in a familiarisation journey, I discover that it pays to be ready for it nicely beforehand.

In which case, listed here are a number of suggestions that would help you alongside:

• Do your analysis     By this, I would love you to take a actually good take a look at your vacation spot: know its historical past and geography, get to know key sights and how these have appealed to each native and international travellers; even go so far as what specialities are intrinsic to the realm;
• Know the individuals     Be positive you realize who your level individual for the fam journey, together with any related contacts you may get in contact with for very important data, interviews, and even emergencies;
• Know what to ask This is particularly relevant to members of the media and influencers on such trips and is expounded to the primary two factors. Knowing the realm and the important thing individuals concerned will help you ask the precise questions. This is especially useful if the fam journey is held together with or instantly after a key occasion reminiscent of a travel commerce conference or a significant exposition;
• Prepare your self     As in all instances, remember to gown appropriately for the local weather and tradition of the realm you’re visiting. Be positive to behave in a circumspect method and be aware of your environment. Likewise, be proactive and advise your host organisations of any bodily circumstances you might have which may affect the journey each for your self and everybody else.

While fam trips are work trips in a really technical sense, understanding the terrain so to talk will allow you to benefit from the expertise and come away with a greater understanding of the world round you.

The put up How fam trips help travel agents and media promote cultural tourism globally appeared first on Travel Daily Media.

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