Resort Familiarisation Trip: Why Are They Important?

Before we can recommend a resort for a school ski trip, we ensure we have experienced it ourselves. From the suppliers we work with to the ski slopes, resort familiarisation is a vital part of how we ensure everything meets our high standards and aligns with what you’d expect from a Rayburn Tours school ski trip. This is key to delivering a successful, stress-free and fun trip.

What is a resort familiarisation trip?

A resort familiarisation trip (FAM) is a careful examination of a resort, which includes reviewing the safety and standards in line with our offerings. These trips consist of visits and audits of the resort accommodation, ski schools, logistics, infrastructure and everything in between.

Why are they important?

When our team goes on an FAM trip, your safety, comfort and expectations are at the forefront. These visits allow the team to see every intricate detail you’d encounter on a school ski trip firthand, from overall logistics to the quality of accommodation and resort infrastructure and more.

What does the team accomplish on a resort familiarisation visit?

The team get to know the local area by meeting our suppliers, whether it’s restaurants, hoteliers or après ski activities. As strong ski enthusiasts, the team can also test the slopes themselves, so they know the ins and outs of each resort.

This benefits both our internal operations team, which receives all the vital information customers may need when planning a school ski trip, and our customers, as the team can make educated recommendations based on their requirements. Whether you have a large group, looking for a sole-occupancy hotel in a lively resort, ideal for intermediate skiers or a smaller family-friendly resort, perfect for beginners, we can help guide your choice based on our in-resort experience.

Knowing your resorts inside and out is key to a safe, seamless trip. Group travel has its own rhythm and demands and is very different from a family holiday. I take the time to thoroughly understand each resort so I can guide and support the groups with confidence. This knowledge helps me anticipate needs, solve issues quickly, and ensure the whole experience runs seamlessly.

Kamilla, Senior Tour Coordinator

Building Partnerships

We take pride in building and maintaining relationships with our suppliers, with whom we’ve worked since we started selling school ski trips. Going to see our suppliers face-to-face is a huge part of our FAM trips as we get to know who we work with on a personal and professional level.

Marina, Rayburn Tours Product Manager, says:

Maintaining close relationships with our suppliers is vital to ensuring high-quality travel experiences. We view our suppliers as true partners, united by a common goal: creating safe, enjoyable, and unforgettable trips for our guests. These face-to-face visits allow us to look beyond the inbox and truly get to know the people behind the emails, learning their strengths and understanding their challenges. By sharing our customers’ feedback directly, we work together to find optimal solutions. Over the years, we’ve built a foundation of trust and care. These are our ‘partners in resort’, people we know we can count on when it matters most, because they care about our clients as much as we do.

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