From Hosted Visit to Business & Destination Development Programme

The destinations that consistently achieve the strongest commercial results approach familiarisation trips very differently. Rather than treating them as standalone hospitality initiatives, they design them as integrated business development programmes that begin months before participants arrive and continue long after they return home.

Every stage of the process is aligned with one fundamental objective: creating measurable business opportunities for both the destination and its tourism industry.

1. Smaller Groups. Greater Impact.

One of the biggest misconceptions in destination marketing is that larger FAM trips automatically generate greater exposure. While a larger group may create more photographs, more social media posts and a busier programme, it rarely creates stronger commercial relationships.

Successful destinations increasingly favour smaller, highly curated groups of carefully selected participants.

A group of eight to twelve buyers, each with genuine commercial potential, allows for meaningful conversations, personalised experiences and direct interaction with local tourism businesses. Participants have more opportunities to ask questions, explore products relevant to their markets and build genuine relationships with the people they may ultimately do business with.

For local suppliers, smaller groups also create a far more productive environment. Instead of presenting to dozens of visitors at once, they can engage in focused discussions with buyers who are genuinely interested in their products and services.

Quality consistently delivers greater long-term value than quantity.

2. Careful Selection Before the Invitation Is Sent

The invitation itself should be the final step of the selection process—not the first.

Every participant should be assessed against clear commercial criteria before receiving an invitation.

Questions destinations should ask include:

• Does this buyer actively sell products that match our destination?
• Does their client profile align with our target markets?
• Do they have decision-making authority?
• Are they actively seeking new destinations?
• What commercial opportunities could realistically emerge from this partnership?

This approach transforms participant selection from a hospitality exercise into a strategic investment decision.

Every seat on a FAM trip represents an investment. Every participant should therefore represent a genuine business opportunity.

3. The FAM Trip Starts Months Before Arrival

One of the biggest differences between traditional and high-performing FAM programmes is that successful destinations understand the trip does not begin at the airport.

It begins months earlier.

Pre-trip preparation allows destinations to understand each participant’s business model, commercial priorities and specific interests. Rather than waiting until arrival to introduce the destination, organisers can begin building relationships through virtual meetings, destination presentations and individual discussions.

These early conversations help identify opportunities that can later be explored in greater depth during the visit itself.

By the time participants arrive, they should already understand why the destination is relevant to their business.

The visit then becomes an opportunity to confirm commercial potential—not simply discover it.

4. Combine Virtual and Physical B2B Meetings

One of the most valuable additions to a modern FAM programme is the integration of structured business meetings before and during the visit.

Virtual B2B meetings held several weeks before arrival provide an opportunity for destinations to introduce local tourism products, understand buyer expectations and identify specific partnership opportunities. They also help determine which local suppliers should meet each participant during the visit.

Once participants arrive, these conversations should continue through a dedicated B2B Marketplace.

Rather than expecting commercial relationships to develop naturally during sightseeing or dinner conversations, destinations should dedicate at least half a day—and ideally a full day—to pre-scheduled business appointments.

Each meeting should be carefully matched according to commercial interests, market focus and product compatibility.

This creates significant value for both international buyers and local tourism businesses. Buyers leave with concrete business contacts rather than general impressions, while local suppliers gain direct access to carefully selected international partners who are genuinely interested in developing new products.

The destination becomes more than a host.

It becomes a facilitator of international business.

5. Design Tailor-Made Itineraries

Not every participant should experience the same destination in exactly the same way.

A luxury travel specialist, an adventure tour operator and a cultural travel advisor are unlikely to develop identical products after returning home.

Their itineraries should therefore reflect their commercial interests.

While some shared experiences are valuable for networking and destination storytelling, individual site visits, optional experiences and targeted supplier meetings allow participants to explore the products most relevant to their clients.

Personalisation demonstrates professionalism.

More importantly, it increases the likelihood that participants will return home with practical ideas they can immediately incorporate into their own travel programmes.

6. Follow-Up Is Where Business Begins

For many destinations, the final dinner unintentionally becomes the conclusion of the relationship.

In reality, it should be the beginning.

The weeks immediately following a FAM trip are often the most important period of the entire programme. Participants return to busy offices, evaluate new opportunities and begin planning future products. Destinations that maintain regular communication during this period remain part of those discussions.

Effective follow-up includes sharing requested information promptly, facilitating additional introductions between buyers and local businesses, supporting itinerary development, providing marketing materials and scheduling further online meetings where appropriate.

Commercial relationships are rarely built during a four-day visit alone.

They are built through consistent communication over the months that follow.