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

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Jonker Street in Melaka, Malaysia is a visible extravagaza that additionally doubles as a vacation spot for avid buyers and meals lovers

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 wish to know sufficient a couple of location with the intention to pitch it to potential prospects.

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

In this function, we level out a number of the explanation why fam trips may 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 searching for to promote their residence international locations or particular areas to the world at giant.

The dwell 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 function, 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 particular vacation spot with the intention to enhance the situation’s picture, expose it to a wider or extra numerous market, and improve visitors into the realm.

Fam trips are, certainly, a good way to provide individuals first-hand expertise of what a location has to supply, primarily 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 beneficial platform for studying past mere familiarisation.

Attendees at ITE HCMC 2025 had been inspired to attempt their hand on the age-old craft of silk portray in Ho Chih Minh City

Broadening horizons by means of 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 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 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 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, individuals get first-hand info on what methods helped draw travellers into the realm, what prompts them to remain and/or return, and how the group has benefitted from tourism over time.

The tunnels and outdated camps in Cu Chi, a group to the northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, inform travellers the grim story of how the folks survived all through the warfare years

Beyond the great thing about areas

At the identical time, fam trips aren’t only a approach for international locations to point out off magnificence spots, however in addition 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 find out how unusual folks fared all through the Vietnam War.

At Cu Chi, tour individuals are led by means of 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 had been laid as traps towards the enemy.

Such excursions are additionally provided outdoors of Asia, with guests making their strategy 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 implications that these can have on society in the event that they occur once more.

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

For the media, alternatively, 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 town’s creatives

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 below are a number of ideas that would 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 realm;
• Know the folks     Be certain you realize who your level individual for the fam journey, together with any related contacts you will get in contact with for important info, 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 realm and the important thing folks concerned will help you ask the precise questions. This is especially useful if the fam journey is held along side or instantly after a key occasion comparable to a travel commerce conference or a significant exposition;
• Prepare your self     As in all instances, be sure you gown appropriately for the local weather and tradition of the realm you’re visiting. Be certain to behave in a circumspect method and be conscious of your environment. Likewise, be proactive and advise your host organisations of any bodily circumstances you will have which may affect the journey each for your self and everybody else.

While fam trips are work trips in a really technical sense, realizing 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.