AZORES, PORTUGAL — A dozen travel agents flew to the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean recently to hike in the Azores – a Portuguese archipelago of nine volcanic islands about 1,400 kilometres from Lisbon – as part of a G Adventures fam.

In São Miguel, known as the ‘green island,’ agents spent two days hiking: along the rugged north coast from Ribeira Funda to Maia, through lush forests and ancient water tunnels in Janela do Inferno and in the mountainous Serra Devassa with views of the highest body of water in the Azores, Lagoa do Fogo, or ‘lake of fire.’

From there, the group flew to the island of Terceira with local carrier Azores Airlines; the island is considered the capital of Azorean culture and its capital city, Angra do Heroísmo, is a UNESCO World Heritage site with Renaissance architecture, manor houses and churches. And, of course, there was hiking, including the Mistérios Negros trail, which starts near the site of the last volcanic eruption on the island in 1761.

“I was so excited when I saw this fam posted. It was like a dream opportunity just popped up in front of me,” says Edmonton-based travel agent Tracy Lebrun. New to the industry, having left her nursing job earlier this year to become an agent with host agency Fareconnect, Lebrun was interested in learning more about G Adventures, “so it was a no brainer for me to apply for this one.”

The agents chosen for this fam had a range of industry experience (and hiking experience), and Travelweek was there with hiking boots in tow.

“G Adventures fams are advertised as experiencing an actual tour the same way a client would experience it. I think that’s a great idea and really useful,” says Lebrun. “After being on this fam, I am better equipped to ask the right qualifying questions.” She also has a baseline of what to expect for accommodations and transportation, particularly in the Azores where weather can impact flights, ferries and itineraries.

“I believe that it was very beneficial to experience firsthand what an activity level 3 category feels like,” she adds. G gives its trips a physical rating of 1 (easiest) to 5 (most challenging).

Another take-away? The ability to change things up when weather or other issues come up, says Lebrun. “I also found it valuable to see how the guides are able to  accommodate and adjust the itinerary for individuals on an as-needed basis and have many options or plans available.”

Christian Poulin of Ottawa-based Voyages-Extraordinaires specializes in custom adventure travel and has eight years of experience under his belt. He’s booked multiple clients on G trips, but he’s also travelled on many himself, including a trek to Everest Base Camp.

Everest Base Camp has a physical rating of 5, but a rating of 3 can sometimes be harder to visualize or explain. For example, on this trip, there was a river crossing, some steep hills and some scrambling over hardened lava flows and volcanic rock. “This is where experiencing it helps,” says Poulin.

“For the most part, when I apply for a fam trip, I try to find trips that fall into my niche. So these will be products I will be able to sell,” he says. “I’m also hoping to get that experience, to get the feel for it.” That helps him understand who he can market a trip to and how he can sell it – almost everything he sells is somewhere he’s been, with just a few exceptions.

Another takeaway was that, despite some rain and fog, there were always alternative hiking routes. “There was a plan B, C and D,” says Poulin. “Our CEO just went, ‘that’s all right, we’re going to go and hike by the sea instead of the mountain.”

That’s where experienced CEOs can provide their local expertise. “There’s an itinerary, but depending on the trails or the weather, you can adapt according to what’s going on,” says Ayla Harbich, CEO (Chief Experience Officer) for G Adventures on São Miguel. The fam had a second CEO, Marina Nunes, on Terceira, and was accompanied throughout by G’s regional marketing manager Sara Murphy.

“I think it’s very important to know that our weather is kind of crazy … so it might happen that we have to make some adjustments,” says Harbich. “It’s more about knowing that you have to be flexible.” In winter or the shoulder seasons, for example, weather is less stable and flights could be delayed or cancelled.”

Harbich has been a G Adventures CEO for almost two years now, while G itself began operating trips in the Azores about three years ago, starting with just a handful of departures. This year there were about 40 to 50 departures between March and December, says Harbich, and trips are already selling out for 2025.

After a week in the Azores, the group of 12 travel agents walked away with a better

understanding of how to market active trips with G Adventures – and made some new connections along the way.

“I am still in awe of the incredible group of people that came together for that week,” says Lebrun. “The experiences that we shared, the conversations and connections, the fun and the laughter – I will remember this trip with such warm memories.”

For more information see GAdventures.com.