A Fall Full of FAMs: Connecting Kamloops to International Travel Markets
Erin Valley Riding Stable
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association
It's been a busy fall for Travel Trade at Tourism Kamloops! Throughout September and October, our Destination Development & Travel Trade Specialist, Jada Glen, has been working alongside local tourism businesses and industry partners to welcome travel agents, tour operators, and product managers from some of our key international markets.
From hotel site inspections and hosted dinners to guided experiences and fully curated destination itineraries, these visits are about more than showcasing Kamloops. They're about building relationships, creating opportunities for local businesses, and encouraging more international travellers to spend time exploring our destination.
A Busy Fall of FAMs
Familiarization tours, commonly known as FAMs, give travel professionals the opportunity to experience a destination firsthand. These are the people recommending destinations to clients, developing travel packages, contracting accommodations and experiences, and determining which destinations and activities make it onto future itineraries.
This fall, Tourism Kamloops supported five FAM visits, each offering a different opportunity to showcase our destination:
Journeyscape (United Kingdom)
We welcomed a UK product manager travelling Destination BC's Rainforest to Rockies route. Through visits to local attractions, outdoor experiences, and restaurants, we highlighted the variety of activities available in Kamloops and opportunities to incorporate more time in our destination into future travel itineraries.
Rocky Mountaineer Vacation Consultants:
We hosted vacation consultants for hotel site inspections, a local dining experience, and a guided tour of downtown Kamloops. These visits provided firsthand knowledge of our accommodation options, downtown amenities, and experiences available to guests travelling through the region.
Canadian Sun & Mountains (United Kingdom)
We partnered with Canadian tour operator Canadian Sun & Mountains to welcome a group of UK travel agents for a hosted dinner and destination overview. The evening was an opportunity to introduce both the visiting agents and the Canadian tour operator to Kamloops, highlighting our accommodations, attractions, outdoor adventures, and unique experiences that could be incorporated into future itineraries.
Entire Travel (Australia)
Working alongside Destination BC and the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA), we welcomed Australian travel agents and representatives from Entire Travel, Discover Canada Tours, and Air Canada. Across two visits, the group experienced the Salute to the Sockeye event in Tsutswecw Provincial Park, local wineries, outdoor adventures, the BC Wildlife Park, and an afternoon at Erin Valley Riding Stables, complete with horseback riding and custom cowboy hat making.
Chinese Travel Trade FAM
We welcomed a group of Chinese travel agents travelling aboard the Rocky Mountaineer with gift bags featuring local goodies, destination brochures, and information about Kamloops attractions and experiences. Even without a full destination itinerary, this was an opportunity to introduce our destination to travel professionals in a recovering market.
While the level of support varied from welcome gifts to fully hosted itineraries, each visit shared the same goal: ensuring the people selling Western Canada understand what Kamloops has to offer and can confidently recommend it to their clients.
Why We're Investing in These Markets
Our international travel trade efforts are guided by visitor data, market research, and opportunities for long-term growth.
According to Tourism Kamloops' 2025 Environics visitor data, the United Kingdom was our largest international inbound market outside of the United States, followed by Australia, India, and Germany.
Destination BC's 2025 market profiles further demonstrate the economic significance of these markets. UK visitors spent an estimated $812 million in BC, averaging $2,800 per visit, while Australian visitors contributed $661 million, averaging $3,100 per visit.
These markets also present opportunities beyond the peak summer season. Destination BC estimates that 82% of Australian visitor nights and 68% of UK visitor nights occurred outside July and August in 2025, reinforcing their potential to support visitation throughout the year.
Riverside Park
Jada Glen
Kenna Cartwright Nature Park
Adventuring into Life
China represents another important opportunity for renewed growth. Following the reinstatement of Approved Destination Status for Chinese group travel in November 2025, Destination BC forecasts Chinese visitation to the province to increase by 18% in 2026, with visitor spending projected to grow by 21%. Building awareness among Chinese travel professionals now helps position Kamloops to benefit as organized group travel continues to recover and new itineraries are developed.
Our efforts also align with Destination Canada's and Destination BC's focus on attracting high-value international travellers, encouraging longer stays, and increasing visitor spending across the province. For Kamloops, this means working with travel professionals to showcase the depth of experiences available in our destination and encouraging them to incorporate additional activities and overnight stays into their itineraries.
And sometimes, we get to see how these investments come full circle.
In September 2025, Jada attended Focus Canada in Sydney, Australia, connecting with travel professionals to introduce them to Kamloops and the experiences available here. Just over a year later, two of those same contacts were among the participants on the Entire Travel FAM.
Not only did they remember their conversations about Kamloops, but they recalled specific experiences Jada had highlighted and were excited to finally experience them firsthand.
It's a great example of how the relationships built at international trade shows, combined with collaboration between Tourism Kamloops, Destination BC, TOTA, and tour operators, can translate into opportunities to bring travel professionals directly into our community.
Kenna Cartwright Park Trailhead
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association
From Firsthand Experiences to Future Business
For our local tourism industry, the value of a FAM extends well beyond the visit itself.
When travel professionals experience Kamloops firsthand, they gain the knowledge and confidence to recommend our destination to their clients. They can better understand which hotels suit different types of travellers, how local experiences fit into an itinerary, and what makes Kamloops stand out from other destinations.
For attraction and experience providers, these visits create opportunities to connect directly with the people developing travel packages and contracting tourism products.
We saw this during our Australian FAM, where an afternoon at Erin Valley Riding Stables quickly became a highlight of the group's visit. From horseback riding to designing their own cowboy hats, the experience generated enthusiastic feedback and demonstrated how unique, locally operated experiences can help differentiate Kamloops within a Western Canadian itinerary.
The Nobel Pig
Jada Glen
Erin Valley Riding Stable
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association
For accommodation partners, the opportunities are just as significant.
Hotel site inspections help tour operators and travel agents understand the range of properties available in Kamloops and identify accommodations that suit their clients. But perhaps even more importantly, showcasing what visitors can do outside their hotel gives travel professionals more reasons to build additional time into their itineraries.
By connecting travel professionals with the diversity of experiences available in Kamloops, we're working to encourage longer stays and more opportunities for visitors to explore the destination. Whether it's adding an afternoon of horseback riding, visiting a winery, a guided hike or mountain bike, or a culinary experience, each additional activity helps strengthen the case for spending more time in Kamloops.
Extending length of stay doesn't just benefit accommodation providers. It creates opportunities for increased spending at restaurants, attractions, shops, and local experiences, supporting businesses and jobs throughout the community.
And when a tour operator adds a Kamloops hotel or experience to a recurring itinerary, that relationship has the potential to generate business for multiple seasons.
BC Wildlife Park
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association
Building Relationships That Last
The return on investment from travel trade isn't always immediate. International itineraries and tour operator contracts are often developed well in advance, meaning connections made this fall may influence bookings in 2027, 2028, and beyond.
That's why these visits are an important part of our long-term destination development efforts. Each FAM helps strengthen relationships, build awareness, and create opportunities for Kamloops businesses to reach new audiences through established travel distribution networks.
None of this would be possible without the support of our local tourism industry.
To the accommodation partners, restaurants, attractions, and experience providers who helped welcome our visiting travel professionals this fall, thank you! Your hospitality, expertise, and willingness to share what makes Kamloops special are what turn these visits into memorable experiences and potential future business.
Want to Get Involved in Travel Trade?
Interested in learning more about working with international tour operators, getting your business ready for travel trade, or participating in future FAM opportunities?
Tourism Kamloops is always looking to connect with local accommodation, attraction, and experience partners interested in expanding their reach through travel trade.
Connect with Jada Glen, Destination Development & Travel Trade Specialist, at to explore opportunities to get involved and help us showcase Kamloops to the world!
Author: Jada Glen
Jada is your go-to for support with destination development and travel trade initiatives ensuring seamless operations and exceptional experiences.