Bunnik Tours has run its first-ever famil to Türkiye, flying ten Flight Centre agents into an eight day program that put two of the company’s small group itineraries into full view. The trip mixed touring components from Türkiye in Depth and Türkiye In Style, giving consultants a ground-level look at pacing, inclusions, guides and accommodation used across the programs.
This was the operator’s first trade famil into Türkiye. The aim sat in exposure. Agents stepped through itinerary elements many travellers query: site weighting, historical interpretation, movement around key locations and the shape of days inside Bunnik’s small group format.
What did Bunnik show the group?
Istanbul opened and closed the famil, placing Flight Centre consultants inside the rhythm of Bunnik’s core touring environment. Landmark visits and Bosphorus movement gave participants a read on how guides handle high-interest sites, group coordination and access points around the city.
The route then shifted through Troy and Ephesus. Both locations are built into Bunnik’s existing Türkiye programs. Seeing the scale of the ancient sites and the way they are framed on tour provided agents with a direct line of understanding around itinerary design. Pamukkale followed, illustrating how geological history and cultural layers sit within Bunnik’s routing choices.
Gallipoli was a particular highlight. ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair were visited with specialist commentary designed to explain context and significance on site.
“It was an emotional experience,” Bunnik GM Sales Kevin Bishop said.
“Being there brought the history and sacrifice of our ANZACs to life, and it was a meaningful way to honour their legacy.”
The famil concluded at Istanbul’s Pera Palace Hotel. The property features on select Bunnik tours. Including it on the famil allowed consultants to experience how accommodation presentation, heritage context and service style sit within the tour atmosphere. It provided a reference point when discussing program structure with customers seeking detail on hotel character.
How were program elements combined?
The famil borrowed from two touring styles and placed highlights into a single run. Türkiye in Depth components sat alongside Türkiye In Style additions. That structure showed where touring nuance appears: pacing decisions, site order, morning-to-evening balance and the scale of inclusions that sit across categories.
A cooking class in the village of Sirince featured inside the program. Participants prepared hummus, a family-style stew and halva.
Bunnik National Sales Manager Zoe Francis said the session resonated among the group and gave a local lens that aligned with traveller interest points.
“The cooking class was a group favourite activity,” said Francis. “There is no better way to immerse yourself in a culture than through its cuisine – the aromas, the flavours, the techniques all give you a deep understanding of local life.”
What did agents take from the trip?
Bunnik has reported strong feedback from the Flight Centre participants. The blend of cultural sites, Gallipoli interpretation, pacing and accommodation exposure gave consultants practical reference points for customer conversations.
“The feedback has been fantastic,” Francis said.
“This famil has strengthened our connections with trade partners and sparked a real excitement for Türkiye, while giving agents a first-hand experience of what sets Bunnik Tours apart.”
KARRYON UNPACKS: Seeing Bunnik’s Türkiye programs in motion handed Flight Centre agents something that brochures can’t: the practical confidence that tends to lift conversion once clients start asking detailed itinerary questions.
