FAM Trip PERU 2023
When I tell people that I am obtaining a degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management, they usually are intrigued by what that entails, and what jobs await me in the future. I assure them that traveling can be a career, and since my FAM “familiarization” trip to Peru, I have an amazing anecdote for the potential life ahead of me.
The FAM class (aka Tour Management Operations) is needed for the current Adventure, Sport, and Sustainable tourism Management degree at Johnson & Wales, as well as anyone specializing in Sustainable Tourism. The goal of the FAM course is to allow students to become tour guides in a new destination and gain that experience while learning in a group. We learn about tour operations, characteristics of professional tour operators, and the psychology as well as economics of tour management in foreign countries. Each student's role in the FAM tour is to research and plan one day of the trip as if they were a tour operator, and then execute that day while traveling.
Travel abroad is much more inaccessible than someone might think, considering inflated pricing online for flights and hotels, the process of getting a passport, and safety risks. All things considered- the promise of a life-changing trip with your peers is an extremely exciting opportunity.
One of my favorite parts of the class was finding what our destination would be at our first class meeting. Although it was months before the trip, picturing myself in the specific location became more real and I was excited to visit Peru and see one of the New Seven Wonders of the World: Machu Picchu.
In 2019 I traveled to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, which are in an area of South America not far from Peru. I was excited to use the Spanish phrases I had learned previously to enhance my trip even further.
The classmates I traveled with was tight knit from the multiple years of taking the same tourism major classes, which made the trip less daunting as far as planning and coordinating activities, as well as downtime. We planned for months to make sure we made the most of our trip and saw everything the country had to offer and teach us. Working with G Adventures and having a Native tour guide, David, helped us to see the social, economic, and environmental aspects of Peru and its tourism industry.
Our eight-day trip began with a bus to the Boston Logan Airport, followed by the flight Lima, the capital of Peru. During the first few days in the capital we learned about the country’s history, had a look at the daily life of Peruvians, and at what the future of tourism could be like for Lima and its surrounding cities. The daily life of Peruvians is similar to ours in Providence, but as we traveled farther away from the capital, we were able to see the less modernized and westernized areas.
As we moved further into the country to Aguas Calientes, we could see the culture develop further into the roots of Peru. Instead of KFC and Pizza Hut combination restaurants in Lima, we ate at Chullos and Chifa Sipan that served traditional Peruvian cuisine. While in this area we took trips to both Machu Picchu and the Rainbow Mountains, and they truly highlighted the intense natural beauty of Peru. During the train ride into A.C., I remember everyone looking at the glass ceilings and repeating over and over “It’s like looking at a show, it’s so beautiful… I can’t look away.” With Machu Picchu being one of the Seven Wonders of the World meant a lot to me just being there- I could tell when I arrived at even the bottom of the mountain that this was an amazing feat by humans. You could see so much history- I felt so special to experience it.
For the duration of our class, we had to complete the RISE Flagship Program certification for being a sustainable traveler, which drastically changed the way we acted while traveling. RISE is an online program about traveling sustainably and responsibly, as far as the social, economic, and environmental aspects of traveling. It included niche topics such as when to take photography, when to touch animals you see out of their natural habitat, and how to respect and learn from varied cultural groups.
Through studying the RISE Flagship Program, we quickly realized the future of tourism for Peru is dependent on us as tourists and were able to actively change our travel habits, including spending our money and time where it would be put to the best use and flow back into the local economy. This included going to locally owned businesses as well as taking tours of women’s pottery groups. Being mindful of who we are and where we are also played a significant role in our overall experience.
This trip was a mindful and eye-opening experience, and my peers and I learned about trying new foods with grace and using Spanish phrases whenever possible. The FAM trip has forever changed the way I travel, and I am grateful for the experience that JWU has given me. My future career aspirations certainly were solidified by having tour guide experience while on Machu Picchu. I could picture myself leading a group of my own in a different unique destination across the world. Working on my tourism degree has enhanced every trip I have taken and will take, because of the knowledge I have and the goals I strive to achieve to keep tourism alive and well for everyone to enjoy.
