FAQ

• Begin by accessing the application form  here.
• Complete the required field and select FAM you are interested in.
• Once you application is received, TopFams will confirm the information supplied.
• Once accepted, you will be provided a payment link and you will have 72 hours to complete the payment process. The TopFams payment link provides convenient options for payment in full or buy now, pay later.
• Contact TopFams at FAMTrips@TopFams with any questions about this process.

Familiarization Trips: also known as a "FAM" in our industry, offers travel professionals with significantly discounted trip to familiarize themselves with a destination, its services, and products.

• TopFams works closely with our suppliers to provide agents with highly educational and exciting tours at significantly reduced rates.
• These trips are meticulously planned months in advance.

Be Respectful: Please show respect to your hosts and tour conductors. 

• If you have any complaints about a tour or property, please refrain from voicing them to local staff during your trip. Instead, share your honest feedback with us after the FAM. 
• Do not interrupt, walk away, or engage in separate activities while your guide is speaking.
• Be flexible. Keep in mind that you are paving the way for your clients and are acting as an ambassador that represents your agency and the travel industry. 
• Do not exhibit entitled behavior: This is a common complaint from tour suppliers and reflects poorly on both your group and our industry.

Dress Appropriately: Pack suitable clothing and footwear for the climate and destination. 

• Be prepared for extensive walking during the day and receptions or meal functions in the evenings. 
• Plan for dress codes that include formal or business attire as needed. During tours, avoid wearing short shorts or revealing clothing. 
• If unsure about what to pack, feel free to ask TopFams at Support@TopFams.com.

Limit Alcohol: Arriving at events visibly drunk or otherwise intoxicated is prohibited.

Punctuality is crucial: Many of our tours operate on strict schedules. Ensure you arrive on time or even a little early for all scheduled events. Lateness causes inconvenience for tour guides, ground operations, and other agents.

Guest Awareness: Remember to be courteous to those around you.

• Avoid discussing the cost of your stay with other guests.
• If asked what you do, don’t lie but do refrain from soliciting guests to book with your travel business.

Maintain cleanliness: Rooms have been cleaned and prepared for the next guest checking in. 

• During on-site inspections, never sit on beds.
• Always leave rooms or cabins as you found them. 
• Dispose of trash properly and refrain from leaving any items behind.
• Wait to use a public restroom.

Gratuities: Unless otherwise noted, gratuities are not included. Please tip generously.

This is not your personal vacation: FAMs are meant to educate and are fast paced.

• The aim is to showcase as much as possible during the time you are there.
• Inform your tour leader or host of any desired changes. 
• Making flight, room, or cabin adjustments without notifying them can lead to complications.

Take thorough notes and plenty of photos: While enjoying the destination and meals is important, capturing details will help you inform your clients effectively.

• It’s ok to write on the brochure or tour catalog provided to keep information together and reduce paper use.
• Keep a journal for additional details such as possible room preferences, excursions, or interesting features of the property/destination.
• Consider noting elements such as accessibility, number and type of restaurants, and facilities available.
• Ask questions!

Enjoy your FAM experience while adhering to our FAM Etiquette guidelines. Demonstrating good etiquette increases the likelihood of future FAM invitations and keeps you on industry ‘Allow Lists’.

For all trips outside the USA, a valid passport is required. Each nation has its own requirements for entry and validity of passports for foreign travelers. It is recommended that your passport has six months remaining on its validity. Passports and any needed Visas are the responsibility of each participant. 

TopFams does not process Travel Visas. Each nation has its own specific requirements for entry. Please consult the consulate or embassy website for the country of your itinerary to find the forms and information needed. Please note that getting a Visa may take as little as two weeks or as much as two months and plan accordingly.

Agent may cancel participation in the FAM for any reason, including force majeure, at any time.  All cancellations must be communicated to Support@TopFams.com.  Cancellation is effective upon the Company's acknowledgment of receipt of the email. Agent will receive a partial refund of fees paid based on the days before departure of the cancellation. Refunds are structured as follows, depending on the timing of the cancellation:

• 150 or more days before departure: 75% refund of the total fees paid
• 149 to 120 days before departure: 50% refund of the total fees paid
• 119 to 90 days before departure: 25% refund of the total fees paid
• Less than 90 days before departure: No refund is paid

Any applicable refunds will be issued within 90 days of date of cancellation. It is recommended that the Agent provide any accompanying documentation that may be necessary to process the refund at the time of cancellation notice submission.

Agents are advised to consider the implications of this cancellation policy in their decision-making process and are encouraged to procure comprehensive travel insurance to mitigate potential losses.

See our full Terms and Conditions policy here

Double occupancy assumes that two people will occupy a room. The rate covers the accommodations and included excursions, meals, and so on for one occupant of the double occupancy room.

Single occupancy assumes that only one people will occupy a room. The rate covers the accommodations and included excursions, meals, and so on for one occupant.

Solo travelers do not always wish to share a room. The single supplement is a surcharge applied to a solo traveler for use of a room that could fit two travelers.

Hosted meals are meals included in the itinerary as part of the package. Meals not listed or suggested meal locations are not included in the package.

Take thorough notes and plenty of photos! While enjoying the destination and meals is important, capturing details will help you inform your clients effectively.

Have Your Client in Mind: Consider a few clients when you visit a site and see the site through their eyes. Keep your own ideas and preferences out of a thorough and objective site inspection.

Go With a Plan: Check your “RADAR” when exploring the resort.

• Room Categories: Don’t just look at your room get a look at each room category. What are the price differences between the categories? Does the value stack up for each room category?
• Atmosphere: Take note of your initial impressions upon entering. How did the exterior look? How was the check in process? What’s the overall demographic and demeanor of the clientele? What is the theme of the resort?
• Dining: What dining options are on site? Is there variety? What are the cuisines available? What are the dining styles? Which restaurants require reservations and how far in advance do you need to make them?
• Amenities: What resort fees are there? Which amenities are included in the fees? What are the amenities and cost (and value) not provided?
• Recreation: Are recreational activities easily accessible? Is there variety? Are they available year-round or only seasonally? If seasonal, what activities for what season. What age groups and interests do they cater to?

Ask Questions: Don't be shy. Ask questions during your site inspection. This goes back to Have Your Client in Mind – what would they ask? Don't forget to get business cards from the BDM and site manager.

Document Your Site Inspection: Don’t let your legwork work be forgotten! Consider taking notes, photos, and videos. Make sure you share your insights on social media, your website, and among your travel agent cohort!

Remember: It’s ok to write on the brochure or tour catalog provided to keep information together and reduce paper use.

Keep a journal: It can help you remember additional details such as possible room preferences, excursions, or interesting features of the property/destination.

Check out our Site Inspection Checklist

Once you have scheduled your FAM departure, TopFams will send a confirmation email. After you have been confirmed you will receive an invitation from TopFams all-in-one communication tool, BAND, customized for your FAM. BAND contains a shared calendar with the itinerary detail, relevant documents you may want to reference on the trip, a community board to communicate with all FAM participants, a place to share photos, create a private chat with other participants, see who is traveling with you, and fill out feedback surveys. 

While each FAM is packed with daily activities to help you explore the destination and learn, each day will provide some down time. Review itineraries for details as each FAM has unique activities and requirements.

While it may be tempting to complain when glitches happen, please refrain from complaining openly with the group. Instead find a moment when you might approach the group leader quietly. If the concern is not addressed to your satisfaction, follow up with TopFams Support@TopFams.com.

You will also be provided with a post FAM survey to provide any additional feedback on your experience.. 

TopFams reserves the exclusive right, in collaboration with its providers, suppliers, destinations, hosts, and other relevant vendors, to modify or cancel a FAM at its discretion and for any reason deemed necessary. In the event of a cancellation by the Company, participants may be entitled to a full, partial, or no refund, depending on the circumstances of the cancellation. The determination of the refund type will be based on the retained revenue available after settling all necessary expenses and considering any refunds received from suppliers involved in the FAM up to the point of refund calculation. In certain situations, suppliers may offer future travel credits instead of a cash refund. The availability of such credits and the decision to offer them, lies solely at the discretion of the individual suppliers and not with the Company. 

Company will calculate and issue any determined refunds no later than 90 days following the cancellation of the FAM, based on the revenue, credits and refunds received up to that date. Participants should note that any additional refunds or credits received from suppliers after refunds are issued will not be eligible for redistribution to Agents. It is important for Agents to understand that the Company does not guarantee a full or partial refund of all fees paid for the FAM.