Explore Worldwide’s First-Ever FAM: “It Changed the Way I View Small Group Tours”

Explore Worldwide is steadily growing its reputation for active small group travel.

The tour operator is well known across the pond, where it has been providing sustainable and authentic travel experiences for over 40 years. The company boasts more than 1 million travelers served during that time, and today operates more than 400 trips to over 100 destinations.

Since 2024, Explore Worldwide has been working hard to expand its reach in the North American market. Katy Rockett, a regional director based in Toronto, told Travel Market Report back in early 2025 that the company saw a 52% increase in U.S. and Canada advisor revenue in 2024 compared to 2023, and that attracting trade partners was a large part of the company’s overall growth strategy.

The next step? Getting travel advisors from the U.S. and Canada to experience the product firsthand.

In June, Explore Worldwide held its first-ever FAM trip for travel advisors in North America. The tour operator brought five travel advisors on an educational seven-day trip to Morocco, experiencing the region’s cities, deserts and mountains. The FAM was open to all accredited travel advisors in North America, regardless of career level or booking history with Explore, at a reduced cost of $209 (airfare not included).

Aaron Fitzpatrick, the Explore BDM who hosted the trip, told TMR that the FAM was planned in response to requests from the travel advisor community.

“It wasn’t enough for me to simply explain how Explore operated: serious advisors wanted to see us in action … So from the first week, the mission was clear. If we wanted to show folks how Explore trips could give their clients an authentic, grounded, sustainable small group experience, we’d have to take them there and show them how we did it.”

TMR reached out to the advisors who attended the Morocco FAM to learn more about the experience. Although the advisors who responded came from different backgrounds and had differing motivations for participating, their overall impressions were remarkably similar: it empowered them to sell Morocco, but not only that, it also changed how they think about small group travel.

“[The FAM] changed the way I view small group tours overall,” said Mia Riley, a travel advisor from Kansas City, Mo. “I was never a small group tours person, but after experiencing this Morocco FAM trip, I have been advertising small group tours to clients a lot more, especially for solo travelers.”

“It Changes the Whole Conversation”

The Explore Morocco FAM prioritized active experiences over passive sightseeing. The itinerary — custom-created for the advisors — was designed to showcase the tour operator’s approach to adventure travel. Advisors hiked, cycled, rode camels, and camped in the desert, often pushing themselves out of their comfort zone and trying new things.

Bruce Parkinson, the senior editorial director at Travel Market Report Canada, was invited to experience the FAM alongside the participating advisors. Parkinson is an industry veteran: He’s been traveling and writing for an audience of travel professionals for more than 30 years. When asked about his experience on the FAM, Parkinson told TMR that Explore introduced the advisors to a fundamentally different way to experience a destination.

“Everyone on the trip had a great time, even though it wasn’t necessarily the kind of travel they were used to,” said Parkinson. “The biggest attraction was the travel style … I think we learned a lot about the benefits of traveling this way.”

The advisors TMR spoke to echoed this sentiment. Ayman Salama, the general manager of Calgary-based Vip Flight and Vacations, said he was drawn to the FAM because he wanted to experience the travel style firsthand.

“I knew Explore Worldwide by reputation and through our industry training, and I always appreciated their focus on small-group adventure. However, nothing replaces seeing how a company operates in real life,” Salama said. “I wanted to see how their local leaders interact with guests and manage the daily details before fully recommending them to my clients.”

When asked if his experience influenced the way he talks about Explore Worldwide and Morocco to his clients, Salama told TMR that “It changes the whole conversation,” noting that he was genuinely surprised by how effortless Explore’s local guides made everything feel.

“Instead of just listing highlights, I can share real stories — how to comfortably navigate the Marrakesh medina, what the atmosphere in the riads is really like, and how helpful the local guides are. That personal connection gives my clients complete peace of mind when booking,” he explained.

Riley, who has been an advisor for less than a year, applied for the FAM simply because she’s new to the industry and wanted to experience the destination. Going into the trip, she knew little about small group adventure travel and even less about Explore Worldwide. For her, being on the ground to experience this travel style was invaluable to her travel business.

“I had absolutely no experience with Explore before this worldwide trip. I actually learned about them while doing research on different small group tour vendors,” explained Riley. “I participated in this FAM trip simply because I am a new travel advisor who wanted to gain further travel experience to be able to sell small group tours … It is a lot easier to sell something that you have experienced yourself.”

Salama told TMR that he also benefited from getting to know the Explore team: “The chance to build relationships with the Explore Worldwide team and connect with fellow travel professionals was incredibly rewarding.”

Although Explore has not officially announced another FAM trip opportunity, Fitzpatrick hinted that another may be in the works for the future:

“This first North American Familiarization trip was such a massive learning experience for me and the team. I found myself engaging with folks all across Explore, from the high-level strategic planners to the ground-level customer support staff. With all this experience in tow, I can’t wait until we’re able to announce our next adventure.”