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

Each time the phrases familiarisation journeys (colloquially shortened to “fam journeys”) are talked about, ideas routinely appear to go to tour operators or journey brokers who wish to know sufficient a couple of location in an effort to pitch it to potential clients.

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

On this function, we level out a number of the explanation why fam journeys will be an integral a part of tourism promotion, significantly within the context of cultural and heritage tourism.

It’s our hope that this text serves to information the pondering of tourism boards and different organisations in search of to advertise their residence international locations or particular areas to the world at giant.

The dwell Tangkuban Perahu crater in Bandung, Indonesia serves as a residing ecology lesson that fascinates each native and overseas travellers

First up, what precisely are familiarisation journeys?

Within the technique 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 journey and tourism professionals are invited to tour a selected vacation spot in an effort to enhance the placement’s picture, expose it to a wider or extra various market, and improve visitors into the world.

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

No matter whether or not contributors are journey brokers and tour operators, journey media and influencers, and even tourism officers and diplomats, fam journeys must be handled as a beneficial 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 Metropolis

Broadening horizons by means of hands-on expertise

One of many extra memorable points of interest provided to media and influencers protecting 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.

Certainly, whereas fam journeys 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 that are visiting can see the inspirational impression [such experiences] have, the joy of returning residence to share the information of what they’ve discovered and the way they visualise methods by which they might implement comparable practices inside their very own locations.”

That mentioned, fam journeys 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, contributors get first-hand data on what methods helped draw travellers into the world, what prompts them to remain and/or return, and the way the neighborhood has benefitted from tourism over time.

The tunnels and previous camps in Cu Chi, a neighborhood to the northwest of Ho Chi Minh Metropolis, inform travellers the grim story of how the individuals survived all through the struggle years

Past the fantastic thing about areas

On the similar time, fam journeys aren’t only a means 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.

Working example: 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 Metropolis in an effort to find out how unusual individuals fared all through the Vietnam Struggle.

At Cu Chi, tour contributors are led by means of jungle paths to the precise tunnels used all through the struggle, 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 method to Alcatraz Jail in San Francisco and the Holocaust Memorials in Europe.

These function a bodily reminder of the savage impression that felony exercise and struggle 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 areas, they function meals for thought to assist steer their pondering in 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.

The Pier-2 Arts Centre in Kaohsiung’s Asia New Bay Space is an industrial space that’s now a hub for the town’s creatives

Earlier than you go…

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

Through which case, listed below are a number of ideas that would enable you to alongside:

• Do your analysis     By this, I would really like you to take a actually good take a look at your vacation spot: know its historical past and geography, get to know key points of interest and the way 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 certain you already know who your level particular person for the fam journey, together with any related contacts you may get in contact with for important data, interviews, and even emergencies;
• Know what to ask That is particularly relevant to members of the media and influencers on such journeys and is said to the primary two factors. Realizing the world and the important thing individuals concerned will enable you to ask the precise questions. That is significantly useful if the fam journey is held along with or instantly after a key occasion resembling a journey commerce conference or a serious exposition;
• Put together your self     As in all circumstances, make sure to gown appropriately for the local weather and tradition of the world you’re visiting. Remember to behave in a circumspect method and be conscious of your environment. Likewise, be proactive and advise your host organisations of any bodily situations you could have which may impression the journey each for your self and everybody else.

Whereas fam journeys are work journeys in a really technical sense, figuring out the terrain so to talk will allow you to benefit from the expertise and are available away with a greater understanding of the world round you.