Agents have shared their top pet peeves about fam trips, following research that revealed a majority are unhappy with how the tours are currently being run.
In a recent poll conducted by TTG Luxury, 87% of respondents agreed that the fam trip model ‘needed a shake-up’. The results of the survey came after the launch of ‘PACE’, an alternative to the traditional fam trip that puts advisors at the forefront of the experience.
The US-based program has been positively received as a concept by UK agents, many of whom are fed up with the status quo of the educational visits. ‘PACE’ has also sparked conversation on advisors’ biggest frustrations on fam trips – as well as suggestions for how they could be improved to benefit both the agent and the supplier.
Room sharing
Agents expressed dissatisfaction with the expectation of sharing hotel rooms with other advisors, arguing that it is unfair for professionals who don’t know each other to bunk together.
It is common practice for fam trip hosts to allocate rooms on a two-person basis, usually as a way to keep costs down and fit more participants on the tour.
“I have never understood how it’s acceptable to expect two total strangers to share a room for an entire trip,” one travel advisor wrote. “There are so many ways in which it hinders the experience and more and more agents are missing out on business boosting educational opportunities through refusing to share a room.”
This sentiment was echoed by another respondent, who warned: “It’s only a matter of time before a company gets their fingers burnt on room sharing.”
Little free time
Another issue raised was the lack of free time on fam trip itineraries, which can often be jam-packed with show rounds, excursions and activities. Agents urged suppliers to include more breaks in the schedule, which would allow them to catch up on work, rest and recuperate, and of course, experience the property at their own pace.
Disorganisation
Poor planning is another gripe for agents on fam trips, with one advisor claiming they’d visited properties that weren’t ready for their arrival.
“It is amazing how many times a show round or property inspection is scheduled and yet the hotel or sales team is completely unprepared,” said Tom Parsley, personal travel consultant at Hays Travel.
Different priorities
Agents also called for more attention to the selection process for fam trips, with some arguing that not everybody attends the tour for the same reasons.
“It’s really not fun when half a group are genuinely on a fam to educate themselves and share valuable insight with their clients whilst the other half see it as a freebie or jolly because they won it in a prize draw, and haven’t made any effort to do any training on the destination, and don’t give back in the form of social content/blogs and promotion of the destination,” one advisor wrote.
