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 few location so as to pitch it to potential clients.
However, within the context of the rising international penchant for cultural and even pop-cultural tourism, familiarisation excursions aren’t only for agents, however in addition they help individuals acquire a greater understanding of the placement by way of its historical past, traditions, tradition, and delicacies.
In this characteristic, we level out a number of the explanation why fam trips might be an integral a part of tourism promotion, significantly 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 residence nations or particular places to the world at massive.
The reside Tangkuban Perahu crater in Bandung, Indonesia serves as a dwelling ecology lesson that fascinates each native and overseas travellers
First up, what precisely are familiarisation trips?
In the method of doing the analysis for this characteristic, I’ve seen 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 so as to increase the placement’s picture, expose it to a wider or extra various market, and enhance site visitors into the world.
Fam trips are, certainly, a good way to offer individuals first-hand expertise of what a location has to supply, basically immersing them instantly into its tradition, traditions, and sights.
Regardless of whether or not individuals are travel agents and tour operators, travel media and influencers, and even tourism officers and diplomats, fam trips ought to be handled as a helpful platform for studying past mere familiarisation.
Attendees at ITE HCMC 2025 have been inspired to strive their hand on the age-old craft of silk portray in Ho Chih Minh City
Broadening horizons by way of hands-on expertise
One of the extra memorable sights provided to media and influencers masking ITE HCMC 2025 was a sequence 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 delight for organisers, they will function a approach of broadening private horizons for individuals.
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 provide 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, individuals get first-hand data on what methods helped draw travellers into the world, what prompts them to remain and/or return, and how the neighborhood has benefitted from tourism over time.
The tunnels and outdated camps in Cu Chi, a neighborhood to the northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, inform travellers the grim story of how the individuals survived all through the conflict years
Beyond the great thing about places
At the identical time, fam trips aren’t only a approach for nations to point out off magnificence spots, however in addition they function dwelling 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 so as to learn the way strange individuals fared all through the Vietnam War.
At Cu Chi, tour individuals are led by way of 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 have been laid as traps towards the enemy.
Such excursions are additionally provided outdoors of Asia, with guests making their solution to Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco and the Holocaust Memorials in Europe.
These function a bodily reminder of the savage impression that legal exercise and conflict have on nations, and function visible and psychological warnings to these within the current day of the implications that these could 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 international 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.
The Pier-2 Arts Centre in Kaohsiung’s Asia New Bay Area is an industrial space that’s now a hub for the town’s creatives
Before you go…
Prior to collaborating in a familiarisation journey, I discover that it pays to be ready for it properly beforehand.
In which case, listed here are a number of suggestions that might help you alongside:
- Do your analysis By this, I would love you to take a actually good have 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 overseas travellers; even go so far as what specialities are intrinsic to the world;
- Know the individuals Be positive who your level particular person for the fam journey, together with any related contacts you will get in contact with for 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 world and the important thing individuals concerned will help you ask the fitting questions. This is especially useful if the fam journey is held along side or instantly after a key occasion reminiscent of a travel commerce conference or a serious 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 positive 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 will have which may impression 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.
