At Designer Travel’s Training Academy, there is no more important assignment than the fam trip.

The luxury travel agency commits to taking its students on a tour of a destination at least once during their 12-month-long course, which was set up in 2022 to turn entrepreneurial individuals into professional home-working advisors. 

They will often visit multiple properties during the course of the trip, have the opportunity to meet the supplier hosting them, and ultimately, return with the expertise to confidently sell the product. 

These may sound fairly standard for those used to fam trips, but it’s the depth of guidance offered to the fledgling agents that makes Designer’s trips stand out. For all of the trainees, this will be their first ever fam trip - which is why the agency is keen to ensure they fully understand the process.

“We want them to be prepared for what’s expected of them,” Abi Hyslop, recruitment and development manager at Designer Travel, tells TTG Luxury. “Before we set off, we educate them about the supplier who’s hosting us and we run through the itinerary. We also explain that rooms are shared and what a showround entails.”

Trainees then receive a code of conduct, which includes basic etiquette rules for a successful fam trip. As well as being courteous to hosts and guests, they are discouraged from drinking excessively or from expecting freebies. Guidelines on appropriate attire are also given; trainees should dress smartly yet comfortably for showrounds, which can be long and physically demanding, and opt for formalwear at hosted dinners. 

Once they arrive at the property, trainees are required to take notes and complete fact sheets to ensure they fully understand the product. They are especially encouraged to enquire about room categories, such as which suites have the best views and which ones can be adapted for families. 

Trainees are required to take notes and complete fact sheets to ensure they fully understand the product

“A lot of luxury clients want space,” explains Amanda Matthews, managing director at Designer Travel. “So we make sure our agents ask about the largest villas and suites, and those with private facilities like pools and gardens.”

Trainees are also advised to consider the property’s location, such as its proximity to popular attractions and accessibility from the airport, along with the wellness facilities and dining options available. 

Another key aspect of the fam trip is networking; agents attend a dinner hosted by the general manager or head of sales of the hotel, which allows them to build the rapport that’s essential for a long-term working relationship. The itinerary also often includes experiences with the hotel’s partners, such as boat trip operators or local restaurants. 

While it’s a busy three days, the academy also ensures its trainees have free time to explore the property for themselves. This allows them to digest the vast amount of information they’re receiving, and also to learn more about areas that are most relevant to their client base. 

The academy also ensures its trainees have free time to explore the property for themselves

“We encourage them to post on social media during the fam trip and after it,” Hyslop explains, adding that agents are instructed to put Reels together of the destination for Instagram. This content is even then also shared into the Fab Bank, Designer Travel’s inhouse database of travel information shared exclusively among its 155 experts.