Imagine having an article written about your business in the New York Times or seeing your establishment in a travel show on the BBC.

One of the most effective (and also cost-effective) ways to promote your business or experience to a new audience is through a travel media familiarization tour.

What is a travel media familiarization tour?

A familiarization or FAM tour is a special tour organized for travel media: newspaper and magazine writers, internet bloggers, television producers, videographers/photographers and social media influencers.

The idea is that by showcasing the experiences and allowing the media to participate, they will produce content in their respective publications that inspires their audiences to visit our region tthemselves.

The content produced by these professional writers and creators often has a far greater reach and impact on potential visitors than a traditional advertisement, and with online publications the opportunity to share and reshare the content in the future means that participating in one FAM tour can reward your business for years to come.

How can you participate?

Tourism partners are invited to submit their story ideas to us. When submitting your ideas consider that media are often seeking:

  • Experiences that are new or updated
  • Unique experiences
  • Intriguing perspectives
  • Interesting characters
  • Photo/video opportunities

Make sure that Tourism Thunder Bay is aware of any new offerings you may have so that we can share them with the hundreds of media we meet each year. As a part of our media relations program, each year we conduct face-to-face meetings and maintain relationships with hundreds of travel media from around the world.

Consider including a FAM tour in your marketing budget. Simply offering a free admission or experience to a travel writer can pay off dramatically.

Showcase your best

Travel media are professional travellers who have often experienced the greatest attractions, accommodations and restaurants the world has to offer. They also have large audiences who will use their content when making travel decisions. This is the time to showcase your absolute best: give them the red-carpet treatment, make sure everything is clean, schedule your best employees and be flexible; itineraries can change on the fly.

Contact Tourism Thunder Bay for more information on participating in our Media Relations program.

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