Travel Agent Partnership Program

Welcome to Hiking Trails Pty Ltd

We are proudly Australia's best rated Kumano Kodo operator as measured by Google Reviews, and we pride ourselves on offering curated, well planned multi-day self-guided walking packages across some of Japan and South Korea's best hiking destinations.

We are also pleased to invite you to our Travel Agent Partnership Program. We offer Australian travel agents an invitation to partner with us to promote and book our signature self-guided hiking packages listed below;

Please review the day-by-day itinerary and the inclusions and exclusions for each walk carefully prior to presenting them to your clients, considering the suitability of the walk difficulty for their circumstances and fitness, and also the nature of the accommodation. For most guests the traditional nature of the accomodation is a highlight, however it's important that guests understand that for some (not all) of our walks the traditional nature of the accommodation includes futon style bedding and shared bathrooms.

We look forward to working with you to deliver great experiences to your clients.

When to Book

Key periods and travel dates book out for most of our hikes given the limited accommodation options in many of the villages supporting the hikes. This is particularly true for the Kumano Kodo where April, October and November are peak periods and book out 9-12 months in advance, for the Shikoku Pilgrimage where temple stays can book out well in advance, and for our European hikes where the mountain refuges book out quickly for the short Alps hiking season. These hikes are best booked around 12 months prior to travel.

We generally don't accept bookings less than 8 weeks prior to the date of travel.

Agent Booking Process

Prior to creating an agent booking, interested travel agents must complete our brief Travel Agent Partnership Program registration form linked here. Once you've become a registered agent you can submit enquiries on behalf of your clients using the 'Enquire Now' buttons and form located throughout the walk landing pages on our website.

Near the end of this form, select 'I'm a travel agent' when asked how you heard about us, and this will ask you for your agent email address.

When submitting booking enquires, please include the guests name and the details of the actual guest(s) as this is required for the booking, particularly full name, phone number, allergy information, gender and date of birth. Please enter the guests email and phone number in the guest contact details sections.

Agent and Guest Contact

For agent bookings you as the agent will remain as our key point of contact. All discussions on availability, pricing, payment, and options will be direct between us (Hiking Trails Pty Ltd) and you as the agent. Our preferred and most efficient contact method once the initial booking enquiry is submitted is email.

We do require the actual guest contact details and these are used to send walking notes and itineraries, and for emergency contact directly leading into and during the walk. The guests contact details are also provided to accommodation operators for their booking and to our in-country support partners for emergency use.

Agent Commissions

We are pleased to offer registered travel agent partners a stepped agent commission delivered in the form of a net rate discount.

1st booking in a rolling 12 consecutive month period 10%
2nd booking in a rolling 12 consecutive month period 15%
3rd and subsequent bookings in a rolling 12 consecutive month period 20%

Bookings in a rolling 12 consecutive month period are measured from the date of travel.

Agent commissions only apply to those tour packages listed as included on this page.

Travel Agent Terms and Conditions

Our standard Booking Terms and Conditions including Payment Terms and Cancellation Policy apply to all travel agent bookings.
The Agent warrants that they are fully authorised by their clients to accept these Booking Terms and Conditions on their behalf. The Agent assumes all liability and agrees to indemnify Hiking Trails Pty Ltd against any claims resulting from a lack of such authority.
Agents are responsible for the accurate provision of guest details and requirements.
Dietary requests must be flagged at the time of initial enquiry.
Agents are required to enter direct guest contact details for delivering itineraries / walk notes, and for emergency contact.
Hiking Trails Pty Ltd reserves the right to decline travel agent partners or discontinue the partnership with specific partners.
Hiking Trails Pty Ltd reserves the right to alter or discontinue this program upon written notice to all current agent partners.

We recommend that you make your clients aware of our Booking Terms and Conditions which will apply to them, our Cancellation Policy, and that their details will be given to external operators delivering services as part of the their booking.

We highly recommend travel insurance for all bookings.