A familiarization trip (Fam trip) is an educational trip hosted by tourism boards, hotels, cruise lines, and other travel suppliers to help travel advisors—or other key players in the industry—experience a place or product firsthand. While Fam itineraries usually include hotels, restaurants, and on-the-ground experiences, they’re not personal vacations. These are working trips designed to build industry relationships, deepen travel expertise, and ensure advisors can better serve their clients.
For travel advisors, a Fam trip can be one of the most valuable ways to gain destination insight and confidence that websites, photos, and videos can’t provide.
Why are Fam trips important for travel advisors?
Fam trips allow travel advisors to build destination expertise in ways that go beyond online research. By experiencing a place for themselves, advisors get a better feel for the local hotels, tours, restaurants, hidden gems, and other suppliers, gaining valuable insight into what makes each option unique. This knowledge then helps them make more personalized, accurate trip recommendations based on their clients’ travel styles, preferences, and expectations, and suggest options that clients wouldn’t find themselves.
Familiarization trips also help advisors strengthen their relationships with other advisors and with destination partners, whether it’s a hotel sales rep, a tour operator, or a member of a tourism board.
What types of Fam trips are there?
Fam trips can take many forms depending on who organizes them, the type of travel experience being highlighted, and the primary goals of the trip. Some of the most common types include:
Supplier-hosted Fam trips: These trips are organized by travel suppliers, such as hotels, tour operators, or cruise lines, to introduce advisors to their products and services. Advisors may tour properties, experience excursions, and learn how to best sell these offerings to clients.
Host agency or consortium Fam trips: Host agencies and travel advisor networks often organize group Fams to help advisors gain destination knowledge, connect with industry peers, and strengthen relationships with preferred partners. Some host agencies, including Fora, also organize Fams exclusively for their advisors.
Destination or tourism board Fams: These trips are hosted by tourism organizations looking to showcase a destination’s attractions, accommodations, unique culture, and experiences.
Cruise Fam trips: Cruise-focused Fams allow advisors to experience ships firsthand, checking out stateroom categories, dining options, entertainment, amenities, and shore excursions.
Award or incentive Fams: Some suppliers offer Fam trips as rewards for top-performing advisors or as incentives tied to sales goals.
Fam trips can also be broadly categorized as working Fams or experiential Fams, but many are a blend of the two formats. Working Fams typically have a structured schedule focused on education, including site inspections, presentations, meetings, and training sessions. Advisors may spend much of the trip learning about hotels, destinations, or experiences they can sell. Experiential Fams place a greater emphasis on experiencing the destination as a traveler would—trying local restaurants, participating in activities, and understanding the complete guest experience.
What happens during a Fam trip?
No two Fam trips are exactly alike, but they usually follow a similar itinerary. A typical day might start early with breakfast alongside fellow advisors, a quick briefing from the host, and a full schedule of property visits or destination experiences.
Site inspections, hotel tours, and destination experiences and excursions
Throughout the trip, advisors participate in destination experiences and site inspections they can later recommend to clients. This could include hotel tours, property visits, a guided cultural tour, a food-focused outing, an outdoor adventure, a local attraction, or an excursion that showcases what makes the destination special.
Experiencing accommodations and activities allows advisors to evaluate the details that matter to clients; it also helps them answer questions with personal insight rather than relying on brochures or online descriptions. For example, on a past Fora Fam in the Dolomites, advisors participated in a mountain climbing activity with a tour operator, leaving with a personal understanding of the fitness level and comfort required to enjoy the climb.
Meetings with tourism partners
Many Fam trips also include meetings with tourism boards, local experts, and travel partners. These sessions provide valuable context about the destination, including upcoming developments, seasonal considerations, and insider tips that eventually help advisors create stronger, more thoughtful itineraries.
Networking opportunities
Networking is another major part of the Fam experience. Over meals, site visits, and group activities, advisors have the chance to connect with other professionals, exchange ideas, and build solid relationships with suppliers and industry peers.
That network often outlasts the trip itself—destination partners are valuable contacts when you need help to solve client problems, get local recommendations, or request welcome amenities or upgrades. Long after Fams end, Fora advisors stay connected through Forum, Fora’s community platform. “I have been incredibly thankful for Forum and being able to ask questions about properties and locations,” says Fora advisor Kerry Boyd.
Occasional free time
A Fam trip is part educational workshop, part destination immersion, part behind-the-scenes look at the travel industry. While the exact schedule depends on the destination and host, most days are carefully planned and packed with activities designed to help advisors learn as much as possible in a limited time period. That said, there’s usually a bit of free time, and most advisors use it to catch up on work or check out an activity or property that isn’t part of the set itinerary.
How much does a Fam trip cost?
The cost of a Fam trip varies depending on the host, the destination, and the set itinerary. Most Fams are priced well below what the same trip would cost as a personal traveler, since suppliers and host agencies are underwriting a large share of the experience to build advisor relationships. While many Fam opportunities include overnight accommodations, most meals, on-the-ground transportation, and some experiences, they’re not completely free.
Travel advisors are usually responsible for their own airfare, especially for international trips or destinations that require long-haul flights. Some hosts may offer exceptions, but you should generally expect to budget for getting to and from the Fam.
There are also instances where travel advisors need to pay a registration or participation fee to help offset operating costs. Other costs to consider include: gratuities, souvenirs, transportation outside of the scheduled itinerary, travel insurance, and optional activities.
Who gets invited on Fam trips?
Suppliers, host agencies, and tourism partners typically invite advisors to Fams based on booking history, sales volume, and a clear interest in the type of travel being featured. Because agencies and partners invest significant time and expense in each trip, the final invite list comes down to the advisors who are more likely to sell that destination. For example, an advisor who primarily sells cruises may be better suited for a cruise Fam than a safari-focused one.
Host agencies that run Fams exclusively for their own advisors often weigh different or additional factors. For example, invitations to Fora-run Fams also account for certification level and training participation, alongside booking history.
If you’re a brand new travel advisor, you likely won’t receive Fam trip invitations right away, and that’s completely normal. Initially, newer advisors have fewer opportunities due to limited sales history, but application-based Fams can provide a chance to demonstrate their goals, fit, and potential.
What is proper Fam trip etiquette?
A Fam trip is a work trip, and a chance to represent your own travel advisor brand. Showing up prepared, engaged, and respectful helps you make a strong impression on hosts, suppliers, and fellow travel advisors.
Be on time. Respect the schedule and your hosts’ time.
Participate fully. Engage in tours, activities, and experiences.
Ask thoughtful questions. Show curiosity and record key insights you can later share with your clients.
Don’t skip activities. You might be jet-lagged or not personally interested in something on the itinerary, but each experience helps you better understand the product.
Respect your hosts. The hosts are investing in your education and expertise, and a significant amount of time and thought has gone into devising the itinerary.
Don’t treat it like a vacation. You’re welcome to enjoy the trip fully and take advantage of the allotted free time, but keep your focus on learning and business.
Share content appropriately. Do your research before the Fam trip, noting any partner guidelines and only posting when approved or encouraged.
What happens after a Fam trip?
The Fam experience doesn’t end when you land at your home airport. Post-trip deliverables help improve future Fams, support various marketing efforts, and share valuable insights with your advisor community.
Complete post-Fam surveys. You may get one or more surveys after the trip. Share honest, detailed feedback within a week or two of the trip to help improve future Fam experiences.
Share site visit notes. Record any notes on the property visits or experiences, whether they’re for your own use or shared with a larger team.
Upload curated content. Share approved photos, videos, and other content for social media or email marketing.
Complete property reports. Host agencies, including Fora, ask travel advisors to complete firsthand property reviews after a Fam so other advisors can benefit from your observations. At Fora, these go into Portal, which advisors use to research and book client travel.
Put your knowledge to work. Use what you learned on-site to more confidently recommend and sell the properties, experiences, and destinations to clients who seem like a good fit.
Frequently asked questions
Are Fam trips free for travel agents?
Usually no. Many Fam trips are heavily discounted or hosted by tourism boards, hotels, cruise lines, or other travel partners. But advisors are often responsible for airfare, gratuities, travel insurance, or incidentals, among other costs.
How long do Fam trips usually last?
There’s no set timeline, but most Fam trips last between three and seven days. Regional Fam trips tend to be shorter, while international Fam trips can be a week or more. The length depends on the destination, the number of site visits and activities, and the hosts’ goals.
What do I wear on a Fam trip?
The contents of your suitcase should reflect both the destination and the nature of a work event. Business casual is a safe choice for hotel tours, partner meetings, and networking events. Comfortable, closed-toe walking shoes are essential, as Fam itineraries often involve extensive sightseeing and property inspections. There’s typically an itinerary provided ahead of time that will mention dress codes, special dinners, or adventure activities that require something more specific.
Are Fam trips considered work?
Yes, Fam trips are work events. Although they take place in desirable destinations around the world, Fam trips are professional development opportunities—not vacations. Travel advisors spend many hours touring hotels, meeting with local tourism partners, checking out attractions, and gathering knowledge they can later use to advise clients.
What’s the difference between a Fam trip and personal travel?
The biggest difference between a Fam trip and personal travel is purpose. Personal travel, while certainly helpful for travel advisors to experience, is designed around your own interests and schedule. A Fam trip, on the other hand, follows a structured itinerary created to educate travel advisors about a destination or travel product. On a Fam trip, free time is usually limited, and the focus is on learning and networking for future client recommendations rather than relaxing.
