My favorite fam

From hurling tomatoes in Spain to scaling stupas in Myanmar, fam trips are fertile grounds for fresh product inspiration. Travel buyers from all over the world share their best experiences this year

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Lisa Chau

Assistant general manager, Guangzhou Anlu Travel Service

I recently went to Spain, participated in their tomato festival and we really painted the town red because everyone was throwing tomatoes at each other as part of the celebration. It was really unique because this was something not possible in any other country in the world.

I think Asians will definitely like this idea because it is so fun so I will consider bringing groups there next year. – Lee Pei Qi

 

Alina Sithideth

MICE & group travel specialist, Flight Centre Singapore

My best fam trip was to Dublin, organised by Etihad Airways and Tourism Ireland in March.

The highlight of the fam trip for me was marching through Dublin as part of the Saint Patrick’s Day parade. We were able to show our Aussie colours with a tad of green! The food was fresh, all made in Dublin and the shopping was fantastic.

The fam trip also took us outside of Dublin, where we stayed for one or two nights at B&Bs in other parts of Ireland. I also got to visit the amazing Upper Lake at Glendalough.

As a specialist in MICE and special interest groups, it was good to see the course of the Dublin Marathon first-hand, as well as what else there is around and get a feeling of the area. It gave me so many ideas on what to do and which areas could be sold in the future.

I could take special interest groups to watch the musical performances there, as Ireland has hundreds of years of history in music. Ireland can also be a destination for religious pilgrimages – the round towers were built near monasteries by monks of the early Irish church. – Hannah Koh

 

Tony Hwang 

President, Island Marketing South Korea

I attended a fam trip to Vietnam recently and found the destination has the potential to become a new destination for South Korean travellers. Korean Air flies (from Seoul) to Danang and new hotels like Angsana Lang Co have made Vietnam suitable for the Korean market.

We have been sending travellers to Hawaii, the Philippines, Thailand and Bali, and now we can introduce Vietnam as a new destination. We are preparing honeymoon packages (combining) Nha Trang and Danang for next year. – Mimi Hudoyo

 

Mário Grilo

Director, Incentive & Travel Designer Portugal

Myanmar was my most memorable fam trip in 2013. The country has all the ingredients to be a fantastic destination. People are very nice and genuine, and there is an array of (ethnicities) and tribes with more than 100 dialects – truly a melting pot. Myanmar has many attractions, from mysterious cities like Mandalay and Bagan to the beautiful Inle Lake with serene waters and traditional fishing lifestyles, as well as Yangon with its very beautiful and imposing colonial English architecture.

Since Myanmar is a truly cultural destination, programmes should focus on this fundamental aspect. Time wise you have to allocate enough days in each of Myanmar’s main cities such as Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan and Inle Lake. A duration of eight to nine nights is therefore the minimum, and you must carefully select the temples to visit and (bundle them with) market trips, shopping and leisure time. Avoid showing places that could be considered similar in the eyes of the European traveller. – Hannah Koh

 

Sreat Mom Sophear

Director, Sophiya Travel & Tours Cambodia

The post-show Phuket tour for IT&CMA 2013 was my best fam trip. From the start till the end, the arrangements were pretty good with flexible time management, as well as care and attention from the tour guide despite a few hiccups.

During the trip, I met a lot of tourism professionals from different countries and we shared our experiences and knowledge. I also experienced a lot of interesting activities such as the Thai traditional dance, fire show, elephant riding and teambuilding activities on the beach.

Phuket is one of the most interesting destinations in Thailand, and we are keen to develop this destination for MICE, leisure, honeymoon and family clients.

In 2014, we are eyeing new destinations in Asia-Pacific such as Bhutan, Mongolia, Taiwan, New Zealand, Nepal and the Maldives. We are packaging different categories – MICE, leisure, business, study, medical or honeymoon tours – depending on the destination. – Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

 

Mauro Lazzari

Business development manager, HTMS International (Czech Republic)

India is going to be my brand-new destination. It is getting too common to always visit Europe (for Czech Republicans). I explored the Golden Triangle route recently, and I especially like Jaipur, the Pink City. I think the contrasting cultural experiences between Czech Republic and India will be exciting.  – Lee Pei Qi

 

Alicia Seah

Marketing communications director, Dynasty Travel Singapore 

The best fam trip I went on this year (with previous company CTC Travel) was organised by the Japan National Tourism Organization to Shikoku and Hiroshima. That was the first time I visited these places. There were unique experiences such as cycling on the Setouchi Shimanami Kaido (expressway) which gave us a very different perspective of seeing the surrounding areas. I also remember walking on a suspension bridge in Shikoku which tested my bravery. I loved the fam trip as it was well organised and gave me a first-hand experience of the destination.

From this trip, we came up with seven- and nine-day programmes to Hiroshima and Shikoku. – S Puvaneswary

 

Eka Moncarre

General manager, Panorama Leisure France

The best fam trip I had this year was a five-day, four-night trip  organised by the Portuguese National Tourist Office to Porto and Madeira in September. I was among the 29 travel consultants and corporate clients from France who attended the fam trip. It was well organised and there were buyer-meet-seller sessions in both Porto and Madeira, giving us opportunities to know the sellers and their products better.

After the trip, we started selling 12 days/nine nights to Spain and Portugal or Portugal for 10 days/seven nights. I believe Portugal will be easy to sell as the weather is nice and the destination is competitive compared to France where the cost of living is higher. – S Puvaneswary

This article was first published in TTG Asia, December 13, 2013 – January 16, 2014 issue, on page 8. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

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