Fam trip etiquette

I recently attended the Yinala 2007 event in Melbourne, Australia - a trade show showcasing the country's tourism products exclusively to the GCC travel community and also involving pre- and post-fam trips to Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns and the Gold Coast.

Now, most of you will agree that being hosted on a seven-day trip to Australia, arguably one of the most diverse and naturally beautiful countries in the world, is definitely a fam trip worth fighting for?

Unless your boss says "no way" - probably because he or she wants to go on the trip and sample some Aussie hospitality - there are few circumstances that would lead you to turn this one down.

Well guess what? Of the 58 travel trade representatives invited, spanning airlines, operators and agents - 15 turned down this golden opportunity.

Some had legitimate reasons, but others - and these are my words, not those of Tourism Australia - were downright rude and ungrateful.

Many of the agents on the ‘no-to-Australia list' simply turned down the invite, with no explanation, and others confirmed their attendance, only to pull out just days before travelling, again, with no explanation.

But the scenario that took the biscuit was that of one agent for whom Tourism Australia went to great lengths to acquire his visa.

Despite these time-consuming and painstaking attempts, he did not attend Yinala and made no attempt to excuse his absence or apologise.

This kind of behaviour gives travel agents a bad name and makes some national tourist offices (NTOs) think twice before organising further travel trade initiatives.

Airlines, NTOs and other tourism partners often go to great lengths - and expense - to accommodate agents in a bid to improve their product knowledge. In the case of hosting a group to Australia, securing seats on flights is an issue, particularly when paying passenger are lining up and often being turned away for the sake of the travel agent's quest for knowledge.

To not show up to a fam trip with no explanation is not at all acceptable.

Some NTOs claim they "gave up on the trade years ago" and purely focus on developing consumer awareness and I hear that a senior manager at a very large tour operator even advised one NTO to "not bother with the trade" due to agents' fam trip antics.

Many operators and NTOs are frustrated that agencies send the wrong person on educationals, no doubt as an incentive or reward to replace a pay rise or bonus.

But what's the point in sending your financial controller or tea boy who has no contact with the end-user? Fam trips should be for frontline staff working at grass roots level; those agents who interact with the clients and make the bookings.

These are the people who are normally desperate for some first hand product knowledge.

The 43 travel trade representatives attending Yinala were enthusiastic and grateful for the product knowledge they gained during the trip.

Who would have thought there was life outside the Gold Coast? They were stunned to discover that Australia is a great all-rounder, bursting with fun for all the family, offering adventure, nature, eco-tourism, gastronomy to die for and also some idyllic and romantic hotspots.

But I am sad to say that one more heinous crime was committed. One agent took their spouse on the trip, despite being informed that partners, husbands, wives, etc were barred from the event. After all, if one agent brings their spouse, shouldn't all of them be permitted to do so?

Agents invited on fam trips should respect the wishes of their hosts and play fair or face being shunned in favour of the consumer who does pay for his seat on that jam-packed aircraft.

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