Ask any seasoned UK Africa specialist what sells a lodge and they will say the same thing: a consultant who has slept there. The familiarisation trip — the FAM — is the single highest-return marketing a lodge can invest in. But a FAM only works if it is run properly. Here is how to make one that ends in brochure inclusion, not just nice photos.
What a FAM trip is
A FAM is an industry-only educational visit you host for travel professionals — product managers, consultants or media — so they experience your property first-hand and can sell it authentically. It is usually heavily discounted or complimentary in exchange for a real selling commitment.
Invite the right people
The most common FAM mistake is filling beds with the wrong guests. Prioritise decision-makers and the consultants who actually build and sell Africa itineraries — not whoever is available. One product manager who can add you to a programme is worth a dozen passive attendees.
“A FAM is not a free holiday for the trade. It is a sales meeting that happens to take place in your most persuasive environment — your lodge.”
Structure it to sell
- Show the experience a paying guest gets — not a sanitised version.
- Make time for the commercial conversation: rates, availability, what makes you brochure-worthy.
- Give them the specifics they need to sell — seasonality, logistics, what kind of client you suit.
- Keep the group small enough that each guest leaves genuinely knowing your property.
The follow-through is where it converts
The trip itself is half the job. Within days, the conversation needs to continue — tailored follow-ups referencing what each consultant saw, the rates and product detail they need, and a clear ask: inclusion in the programme. FAMs that are not followed up rarely convert, however good the trip.
Where a UK rep fits
This is core representation work. A UK rep identifies which operators and consultants are worth inviting, secures their places, helps structure the visit around what UK buyers need to see, and manages the follow-through that turns a great trip into brochure inclusion. Kusa Connect does exactly this for the African properties it represents.
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