Francisca Labra
Marketing · Vivencias Travel
Parents from Puerto Montt, Temuco, Iquique and La Serena travelled to Balneário Camboriú to walk the hotels, try the activities and see with their own eyes how the trip their children will take actually runs.
When a class travels to Camboriú, the decision is not made by the students: it is made by their parents. And that decision is almost always taken blind, on the basis of a brochure, a parents' meeting and the word of an operator. Vivencias Travel decided to change that in the most direct way possible: take the parents to the destination, before their children.
Parents from four Chilean cities, on the ground
The FAM Tour brought together in Balneário Camboriú parents from Puerto Montt, Temuco, Iquique and La Serena. During the programme they travelled the destination and took part in some of the same activities the students will do later, with one concrete goal: to judge for themselves the organisation, the safety, the quality of the services and the character of each experience.
It is not a sales presentation. It is the same itinerary, walked by the people who sign the permission slip.
The hotels, seen from the inside
A good part of the programme went to something a parent normally only knows from photographs: the accommodation. They visited the three hotels Vivencias Travel uses for its travellers — the Hotel Sofistic in Itapema, the Slaviero Brut and the Hilton Garden Inn Praia Brava — walking through the facilities, the rooms and the services.
During the FAM Tour they stayed at the Hotel Sofistic in Itapema, a five-star property, so the check was not only visual: they slept in the standard of accommodation the company offers in its programmes.
"We want parents to know where their children will be, to see the hotels, to live the activities and to verify for themselves how we work. For us, trust is built by showing, in practice, what we do." — Vivencias Travel
Why a company takes the parents before the students
Behind every study trip there is an important decision for a family, and a parent's peace of mind is not built on promises but on clear information and verifiable experiences. That is the reasoning behind the FAM Tour: instead of telling a parent what the trip is like, letting them walk it.
The result is a different relationship with the client. The parent who came back from Camboriú no longer depends on what they are told at the class meeting: they saw the hotel, tried the activity and met the team on the ground.
Assist Card, in the part you do not see
The company also thanked ASSIST CARD, the travel assistance partner that accompanies its study trips and one of the least visible —and most decisive— pieces of keeping a school group safe abroad.
The Balneário Camboriú FAM Tour adds to the actions the company uses to bring Chilean families closer to the real experience of a study trip, reinforcing its standards of service, safety and supervision.
Vivencias Travel is a tour operator founded in Bariloche with a presence in Chile, Brazil and Mexico, specialising in group and individual travel experiences. Its main focus is study trips, experiential travel, adventure activities, excursions and tailor-made programmes. It offers 24/7 support and professional guides with deep knowledge of Patagonia and international destinations.
