What Is Familiarization Trip? Definition of Familiarization Trip, Familiarization Trip Meaning and Concept
Familiarization trips are trips offered to agencies, tour operators or entities in the sector so that they can get to know the experience first-hand and serve as promotion in the future based on their opinions and lived experiences.
These familiarization trips make it possible to publicize experiences that are part of a tourist offer. The goal is for professionals to directly see specific places that will later become vacation destinations.
For example: The regional secretary of Valencia invites professionals from travel agencies and tour operators who sell Valencia as a tourist destination. In this way they are the first to know key points, and highlights of the area so that they can promote the entire territory much better.
Types of familiarization trips
There are two types:
- Those offered to professionals in the tourism sector. The objective is that you know the areas that are going to be offered later as travel packages, and get the most out of it all.
- Those given to the media . The objective in this case is to give greater notoriety, promotion to the sites to which they are invited out of courtesy to generate a positive opinion in the audience and there is an effective return of the people interested in visiting those travel points.
Tips for organizing a familiarization trip
Here are some of the most important recommendations:
- Know the attendees: It is important to have a list of all those who are going to participate in the trip since it is the best way to know what to offer them, what would be the questions that could interest them the most. Based on that, organize the trip.
- Offer quality and professionalism: In some trips a part is paid, and in others they are carried out for free. Whatever the situation, keep in mind that the experience must be positive, and take care of every detail as if it were for any other tourist.
- Choose suitable dates: In this case you have to take into account if it is high season, for example. That can be difficult to find accommodations, offer a complete vision of the place due to the large number of tourists, and that can create a negative impact on the guests. It will be necessary to assess the dates in which you can get the most out of the familiarization trips.
- Send a copy in advance of the trip program: It is an effective and efficient detail. Worrying about sending this type of documentation is something that must be taken care of so that attendees have the best knowledge of the places they are going to visit at all times.
- Ask, and be in contact with the guests: Apart from being a sign of professionalism and attention, this will help to know the complaints, comments and opinions that can be used later to improve, and correct details during the trip.
Remember that if you want to publicize a destination and promote it effectively, following these guidelines to organize everything will be key to its success.
