Travel Advisor FAM Trips
The working trips that teach advisors a destination firsthand.
Start Selling TravelTravel advisor fam trips are the best-known incentive in the business, and the most misunderstood. They are working trips: busy itineraries of hotels, attractions and meetings, designed to send you home able to sell the place. This page covers fam trips on land; for ships, see Sell and Sail.
Who Runs Travel Advisor Fam Trips
Tourism boards
National and regional tourism boards host advisors to show off their destinations. Tourism Australia, for example, has taken Aussie Specialist Ambassadors on a famil for its most engaged Aussie Specialists.
Hotels and resorts
Hotel groups and resorts offer site inspections and fam stays so advisors can see rooms, dining and facilities before recommending them.
Tour operators
Operators run sample departures or shortened versions of their tours for advisors who sell them.
Consortia and host agencies
Agency groups sometimes arrange fams with their preferred suppliers for member advisors.
How Advisors Qualify
- Training. Many fams go to graduates of a destination or supplier course; see our sister site Travel Industry Training.
- Sales. Suppliers favor advisors who already book their product.
- Credentials. An industry ID that proves you sell travel; see how to qualify.
- Commitment. Expect to attend every scheduled activity; skipping them can bar you from future trips.
Travel advisor fam trips are not vacations. A typical day can include several hotel walk-throughs, a supplier lunch and an evening event. The value is in what you learn and the relationships you build with sales managers and fellow advisors.
Getting the Most From a Fam
- Before you go, list the questions your clients ask about the destination.
- During the trip, photograph rooms, views and public areas, and note which client each hotel suits.
- After you return, write a short report and send it to past clients who might go.
- Thank the hosts and keep in touch with the sales contacts you met.
Taxes and Records
The IRS sets general rules for business travel in IRS Publication 463: a trip within the U.S. that is primarily for business can make the business expenses deductible, a trip that is primarily personal generally cannot, and foreign trips that mix business and personal days may need to be allocated. Keep the itinerary and receipts, and ask a tax professional how they apply to you. Cruise fams and seminars at sea are covered by Sell and Sail.
Fam Trip FAQ
What is a travel advisor fam trip?
A familiarization trip: a short educational trip, usually at reduced cost, that a tourism board, hotel group, resort or tour operator organizes so advisors can learn a destination or product firsthand.
Are fam trips tax-deductible?
It depends on your situation. IRS Publication 463 explains the general business-purpose rules for travel expenses; we found no IRS guidance written specifically about fam trips, so ask a tax professional.
How do I get invited on fam trips?
Complete the supplier’s or tourism board’s training, sell its product, keep your credentials current and stay in touch with its sales representatives.
Qualify for Your First Fam
Fam invitations follow training and sales. Learn how to start a home-based travel business that earns them.
Become a Travel Agent