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 mechanically appear to go to tour operators or travel agents who need to know sufficient a couple of location in an effort 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 members achieve a greater understanding of the situation via its historical past, traditions, tradition, and delicacies.

In this function, 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 looking for 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 function, I’ve seen that many specialists 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 in an effort to increase the situation’s picture, expose it to a wider or extra numerous market, and improve site visitors into the world.

Fam trips are, certainly, an effective way to provide members first-hand expertise of what a location has to supply, primarily immersing them straight into its tradition, traditions, and sights.

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

Broadening horizons via hands-on expertise

One of the extra memorable sights supplied to media and influencers protecting ITE HCMC 2025 was a sequence of on-site workshops instructing a wide range of conventional crafts from silk portray to baking banh mi from scratch.

Indeed, whereas fam trips function an expression of nationwide delight for organisers, they’ll function a approach of broadening private horizons for members.

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 mentioned, 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 improvement.

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

Beyond the fantastic thing about places

At the identical time, fam trips aren’t only a approach for international locations to indicate off magnificence spots, however additionally they function residing lectures on their historical past, together with the darker facet 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 in an effort to learn the way peculiar individuals fared all through the Vietnam War.

At Cu Chi, tour members are led via jungle paths to the precise tunnels used all through the conflict, those that led to bunkers that served as strongholds and protected homes for the locals, in addition to those who had been laid as traps towards the enemy.

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

These function a bodily reminder of the savage impression that prison exercise and conflict 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 collaborating in a familiarisation journey, I discover that it pays to be ready for it nicely beforehand.

In which case, listed below 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 world;
• Know the individuals     Be certain who your level particular person for the fam journey, together with any related contacts you will 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 said to the primary two factors. Knowing the world and the important thing individuals concerned will help you ask the proper 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 circumstances, you should definitely costume appropriately for the local weather and tradition of the world you’re visiting. Be certain to behave in a circumspect method and be aware of your environment. Likewise, be proactive and advise your host organisations of any bodily situations you’ll have which might impression the journey each for your self and everybody else.

While fam trips are work trips in a really technical sense, figuring out 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 submit How fam trips help travel agents and media promote cultural tourism globally appeared first on Travel Daily Media.

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