From September 10 to 15, Sardinia took center stage during a fam trip, showing the many faces of the island to 25 US travel agents.
The Many Faces of Sardinia: Coast, Culture, Flavours and Traditions
The 6-day tour was an immersive introduction to one of Italy’s most diverse destinations. Designed around the theme “The Many Faces of Sardinia: Coast, Culture, Flavours and Traditions," it went beyond the island’s fame as a sun-and-sand destination to showcase its heritage, gastronomy, wine, landscapes, local communities and distinctive hospitality. Organized by the Sardinia Region and the Nuoro Chamber of Commerce with the collaboration of Travel Open Day and local stakeholders, the programme gave the American agents the opportunity to experience a wide range of products firsthand, from luxury resorts and historic towns to archaeological sites, wine estates and authentic cultural experiences. 
From archaeology to wine and history
For many of the participants, the value of the trip lay in experiencing parts of Sardinia they might otherwise have struggled to discover. Armine Asatryan of Harmony Travels and More in Glendale described it as “a great opportunity to see Sardinia... which is not only beaches but also the cultural side.” The itinerary, she added, took the group to places she would not necessarily have visited independently. The journey began with arrivals at Olbia Airport on September 10, many on the new Delta JFK-Olbia flights, followed by a scenic transfer along Sardinia’s northern coast towards Badesi, passing Santa Teresa di Gallura. The first introduction to Sardinian hospitality came at Le Dune Resort of the Delphina Group, where a site inspection offered an opportunity to explore the resort and beach, and where the agents spent two nights. The next day combined some of Sardinia’s most distinctive attractions: archaeology, wine and history. At Sant’Andrea Priu, the group discovered a prehistoric rock-cut necropolis with tombs and rock art. The itinerary continued with a visit and wine tasting at Cantine Sella & Mosca, introducing the agents to Sardinia’s winemaking heritage and one of Italy’s historic wineries. The group also did site inspections of La Coluccia Felix Hotels, Felix Hotel Olbia, Acqua di Mare Resort, Cala del Falco Delphina Hotels, Is Serenas Badesi Resort, and Club Esse in Cala Gonone.
The Maddalena Archipelago and Nobel-winner Grazia Deledda
For Brooke Ray, owner of Travel with Direction in DFW, Texas, the experience reinforced the importance of understanding the island beyond its postcard image. The tour, she said, “re-emphasized how rugged and wild Sardinia is and how there is a variety of things to do,” while also highlighting the need to manage clients’ expectations. Driving, for example, is something she believes advisors should prepare their clients for. Ray plans to return for further groundwork so that she can develop more detailed “experiential travel” itineraries for her clients. The group then headed to Palau and the La Maddalena Archipelago. The ferry journey to La Maddalena provided spectacular views of turquoise waters, islands and rugged Mediterranean landscapes. The day continued to Olbia and the Delta Hotel by Marriott Olbia, where the agents spent the night. The itinerary then moved inland to the heart of Sardinian culture and Nuoro, with a visit to the Grazia Deledda Museum, dedicated to the Sardinian writer and Nobel Prize winner, and to the Museum of Sardinian Costumes. The group then spent time in Oliena, experiencing Cortes Apertas, a festival that brings together local traditions, crafts, food, music and community in the homes and courtyards of local residents. They then checked in at Su Gologone Experience, a resort hotel near Oliena, in the heart of the Supramonte, where Sardinian culture and architecture intertwine with local art and crafts, regional cuisine and colourful guest accommodations. 
Looking for experiences beyond Italy’s best-known cities
The cultural depth of the itinerary was one of the aspects that stood out for the participating travel advisors. Margaret Loraine King of Bridgetown Travel Agency in Danbury, Connecticut, highlighted the diversity she encountered across the island, noting that “there’s so much culture and history” and how the landscapes and communities can feel remarkably different from one another. She also appreciated the way local people maintain their traditions, observing that “the people hold on to their culture” and continue to return to their communities even after living elsewhere. Nicole Trivelli of Ciao Andiamo, based in New York and Umbria, said this emphasis on local culture comes at a time when international travellers are increasingly looking for experiences beyond Italy’s best-known cities. “In the last few years international travellers are looking for more authentic Italy,” she said, pointing to Rome, Florence and Venice as destinations that have already been extensively explored by many visitors. Sardinia’s beaches remain a major attraction, she added, but “I’m very happy that I got to see this side of the island.”
An alfresco lunch with Supramonte shepherds
The final full day brought the agents on a jeep tour to discover the rural traditions of the Barbagia region and one of the highlights of the tour: lunch with local shepherds on the Supramonte mountains, with traditional Sardinian cuisine and Canto a Tenores, the island’s distinctive polyphonic singing tradition, recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. The tour was particularly significant for some of the newer advisors on the trip. Elise Dagny Lindberg of Fora Travel in Las Vegas, who described herself as “a brand new travel advisor,” said this was her first fam trip. Sardinia’s “rich history” opened her eyes to the destination, while the jeep excursion into the mountains was among her favourite experiences. There was, she noted, “way more to see than what I saw,” adding that the fam would “really help me to sell Italy.” The same desire to explore beyond the familiar was echoed by Sophia Facey, owner of Dream Vacations in Hartsdale who called the trip “a tremendous opportunity” to explore Sardinia in depth, an experience she said she would not have had the opportunity to undertake solo. 
"We wanted to highlight the island’s most authentic spirit"
For Ana Grassi of Anna Grassi Travel Boutique in São Paulo, the trip addressed a growing demand among her Brazilian clients. Specialized exclusively in holidays to Italy, Grassi said her clients have increasingly been asking her to organize trips to Sardinia. She was already familiar with the island’s sea and beaches but wanted to explore “what lies beyond…the traditions, the culture, the food.” The fam trip, she said, gave her the opportunity to experience the authentic side of Sardinia she had been looking for. And, like many of the American agents, she said she was returning home with a deeper understanding of what she can now offer her clients. Raimondo Mandis, a member of staff at the Sardinia Region department of tourism said that bringing the US travel agents to Sardinia meant offering them the opportunity to experience first-hand a destination that still has so much to reveal and so much to discover. "Our aim was to promote a Sardinia that offers a variety of experiences: from sports and outdoor activities to relaxation, as well as culinary excellence and authentic, warm hospitality. Alongside the coast and the best-known resorts, we wanted to highlight the island’s most authentic spirit.”
A lesser-explored Sardinia stretching far beyond the coast
Focusing on a lesser-explored Sardinia with strong cultural traditions, historic villages, archaeological heritage, sophisticated hospitality, distinctive cuisine, and landscapes stretching far beyond the coast, the travel pros discovered a Sardinia that can be sold as a multifaceted Italian experience with coast, mountains, food, history and living traditions all becoming part of the same journey.
