Here Are the Fam Trip Policies of Escorted Tour Operators
by Kerry Tice /Fams are an integral part of building a travel agent's product knowledge. Photo: Sandra Mori / Shutterstock.com.
Compiling the fam trip policies of suppliers in one resource for travel agents is just one component of a series of Report Cards that Travel Market Report has developed, with the intention of providing agents with handy reference tools for their day-to-day business.
Travel Market Report’s Escorted Tour Operator Report Card was recently released and includes policy information about fams as well as matters such as commission percentages and payment schedules, non-commissionable products, fare inclusions, and training, among other topics.
A copy of the Escorted Tour Operator Report Card can be downloaded here and used as an easy desk reference. For information about the policies of ocean and river cruise suppliers, agents can go to Travel Market Report's homepage and download those respective Report Cards, as well.
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Since fams are an integral part of building a travel agent's product knowledge, we asked the escorted tour operators what their fam policies are, and here is what they said:
- African Travel – A twenty-five percent discount is offered on full brochure itineraries for agents and their companions.
- Brendan Vacations – It is required that agents complete the academy online course.
- CIE Tours International – A thirty percent discount is given for agents and one companion on land only.
- Collette – All agents can apply to travel on Collette fam trips and agent rates are available for Collette specialists who complete e-learning modules.
- Contiki – Free fams for preferred agency partners and paid fams for other agency partners are available at a deep discount; participants must complete the ContikiU e-learning “core” courses to be eligible.
- G Adventures – Every region has a different policy, including general agent fams and partner fams.
- Globus family of brands – Agents must be employed by an agency and produce more than four traveled passengers annually to qualify.
- Insight Vacations – Participants must be a producing agent and have taken this tour operator's e-learning program.
- Intrepid Travel – Every region has different policies. The operator offers agent discounts for all agents, plus additional dollar-value discounts based on agent sales.
- Luxury Gold – Participants must be a producing agent and have taken this tour operator's e-learning program.
- Mayflower Tours – The tour operator promotes specific dates for fams, and agents have to request to join.
- Perillo Tours – A thirty percent discount is given on the land portion of any tour.
- Sceptre Vacations – Fams are offered to agent partners in the fall and spring of each year.
- Tauck – Fams have been replaced with an agent rewards program, which allows agents to earn points based on traveled passengers to apply towards their personal travel with Tauck.
- Trafalgar Tours – District sales managers review their applicants and invite participants based on their selling history and future potential.
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