Headout is an online travel agency (OTA) built around spontaneity, with a focus on mobile bookings — it’s designed for travellers already at their destination who are looking for things to do, right then and there, from their phones.

That mobile-first, in-destination focus sets Headout apart from most OTAs. Rather than catching travellers in the planning phase — weeks or months out — it reaches people who are looking for something to do today.

In this guide, we walk through everything you need to know about joining Headout’s platform and selling your travel experiences there — how to apply, what to expect, the fees involved, and tips to maximise your bookings once you’re listed.

How to apply as a Headout supplier

There are two ways to get started with Headout: apply directly through their website or connect through Bókun.

Option 1: Apply through Headout’s website

Step 1: Visit Headout’s Supplier Hub and click “Start Selling” to begin the application process. Here, you’ll provide your email and company information.

Step 2: Submit your product details for review. This includes:

  • Experience descriptions
  • Photos and videos
  • Itineraries
  • Pricing
  • Duration and location details
  • Difficulty levels
  • Any extras or add-ons you offer

Step 3: Wait for Headout’s team to review your application — this typically takes a few weeks. They’re looking at product quality, customer reviews, pricing, and whether your offering fits their destination markets.

Option 2: Apply through Bókun

If you’re already using Bókun, you can send a contract proposal to Headout directly through the Bókun Marketplace.

This proposal will include the contract terms, with the commissions you’d like to offer, and the products you want to sell on Headout.

Then, Headout will review your proposal, and if your experiences are a good fit, they’ll reach out with the steps to complete the integration.

This route has some added benefits: (1) once the connection is live, your Bókun products sync directly to Headout, so you can skip the manual setup in their portal, and (2) you can manage Headout bookings and availability right in Bókun. But we’ll talk more about this later.

Setting up your products in the Headout supplier portal

Once your application is approved, you’ll need to build out your product listings. How you do this depends on how you applied.

If you applied through Headout directly

Headout offers listing builders that let you easily add products. You’ll add the details mentioned above, set availability, add pickup or meeting locations, and add booking forms to collect customer details at checkout.

Now, it’s important to mention here that Headout can still update your listings after they’re submitted. They can change descriptions and images to match their usual style, so the listings travellers actually see may look different from what you submitted.

The last thing you’ll do here is set up your invoicing and payment details so you can start receiving payouts from Headout.

If you connected through Bókun

When you connect via Bókun, your product listings push over to Headout automatically, so you don’t have to rebuild everything from scratch. Headout can still change how listings will appear on their site, but the core product data comes from Bókun — so the essential details remain the same.

Fees to sell on Headout

Headout doesn’t charge enrolment or listing fees. Instead, they operate on a commission-based model, so they keep a chunk from each booking you win on their platform.

There are no set commission fees — you negotiate them during onboarding and settle on something that works for both sides. Typically, though, Headout takes about 20% to 25%.

How payouts work

Headout collects payments from customers when they book. They keep their chunk and pay you the rest. They typically issue payments on a bi-weekly or monthly basis.

Examples of experiences you can sell on Headout

Headout promotes a wide range of travel experiences, including:

Headout connects travellers with local experts and experience providers across 200+ cities worldwide, with a strong presence across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. So if you’re based in or near a major touristy destination, there’s a good chance they’re already active in your market.

Best practices for selling on Headout + tips to maximise bookings

Getting listed is step one. Here’s how to make the most of the platform once you’re live:

  • Use high-quality, attention-grabbing photos and videos in your listings. Headout is a visual, mobile-first platform, and compelling imagery is one of the biggest factors in conversion rates. Travellers are scrolling on their phones — your product listings need to stop the scroll.
  • Price competitively for your destination and experience type. Headout’s algorithm favours competitive pricing, and last-minute mobile bookers tend to be price-sensitive. That said, competitive doesn’t mean cheapest — don’t undercut yourself.
  • Actively collect and maintain strong reviews. Headout looks at review quality during the acceptance process, and travellers use them when choosing between similar experiences. Encourage customers to leave reviews during and after their visits.
  • Keep your availability as open as possible, including last-minute slots. Spur-of-the-moment bookings are Headout’s bread and butter — if you’re blocking off that availability, you’re shutting out the exact audience that makes the platform worth being on.
  • Reply quickly to Headout’s team. Listing updates, pricing tweaks, new product opportunities — suppliers who stay responsive tend to get better placement on the platform.
  • Offer add-ons and extras. Upgraded experiences, merchandise, and food and drinks all increase your average booking value.
  • Use a booking management platform like Bókun to keep availability accurate in real time. Overbookings from not keeping your calendar current lead to rescheduling and cancellations that tank your reputation fast. With Bókun connected, your availability updates every time a new booking rolls in (on Headout and all your other sales channels).

Benefits of joining Headout’s supplier network

  • Reach a different kind of traveller. Headout’s mobile-first platform is built for spontaneous, in-destination bookers — people who are already there and ready to book today. Most OTAs aren’t targeting this audience as directly, so Headout can bring in bookings you’d otherwise miss.
  • Headout’s team handles all the customer service for travellers who book through their platform. They can help with rescheduling, cancellations, refunds, navigating Headout, and more. Any questions about the actual experience will be passed along to your team.
  • Changes and cancellations are automatically handled for you. If travellers reschedule or cancel a reservation, Headout sends email notifications (to you and travellers) and updates your calendar accordingly.
  • Headout invests heavily in its own marketing. Headout works hard to build its brand and draw in new audiences across all its active markets — so your listings get visibility from travellers across the globe, without you having to spend anything extra on advertising.
  • No exclusivity requirements. You’re free to sell through other online platforms — OTAs, your own website, and partners — at the same time. In fact, diversifying your distribution is recommended.
  • Headout integrates with booking management tools like Bókun. These integrations let you automate booking management, so you don’t have to check and update the Headout calendar manually.

Headout<>Bókun connection

Bókun has a direct integration with Headout, creating a live connection between the two platforms, so they work together seamlessly.

This integration not only helps you join the platform and set up products — the long-term benefit we’ve hinted at above is automatic booking and availability management. Bókun keeps your Headout calendar up to date, so you don’t have to constantly check and update it or deal with issues like overbookings. Here’s how this works:

  • When a traveller books one of your experiences on Headout, the booking lands straight in your Bókun central calendar, alongside all your other bookings — from your website, other OTAs, partners, all of it.
  • Every new booking — regardless of where it originated — triggers an availability update. Bókun pushes updates back to Headout and all your other connected sales channels, so your calendars are always in sync and show the most current openings.
  • Bókun tracks cancellations and changes to bookings to update your calendars in real time. So if somebody cancels last minute, that slot opens back up for others (especially beneficial when selling to Headout’s audience).

While our integration eliminates the day-to-day admin work with Headout, it’s actually not the main reason why Headout users are drawn to Bókun.

Tour operators who want to get serious about selling online come to us for our full stack of growth drivers: booking widgets, 70+ OTA and online marketplace connections, our reseller network, and affiliate support. They can win bookings from Headout, and grow (way) beyond it.

  • Our one-click website builder and online booking engine widgetslet you create a bookable website so travellers can make reservations with you directly, 24/7.
  • We connect with dozens of popular OTAs and online marketplaces besides Headout — major names like Viator, GetYourGuide, Civitatis, Airbnb Experiences, and Google Things to do, as well as more niche sites tailored to specific destinations and activities. You can sell through as many sites as you wish. We don’t cap you here. Test which sites bring you the most business, and add, adjust, or remove channels as you go.

As a Tripadvisor brand, we’re the #1 restech partner across major sites, and we hold premium partnerships with Viator, GYG, and Google TTD, offering our customers perks other systems can’t match.

  • The Bókun Marketplace is one of the largest reseller networks in the industry. It features thousands of travel businesses: other tour operators like yourself (you’re automatically added to this network when you join Bókun), attractions, accommodation providers like hotels and resorts, transportation services, rental companies, DMCs, travel agents, and more. You can leverage partnerships in different ways: win bookings from their audiences, resell others’ services for commission, and create packages.
  • Affiliate support (via Referral Tracking) is one of our newest perks. This lets you expand partnerships outside the Marketplace and win bookings from any business or professional you want to work with. Buddy up with businesses down the street, influencers you follow on social media, travel bloggers, local tourism boards or interest groups — whoever you see fit. And you have full control over this network. You choose who’s in, set their commission rates, and hand them a trackable booking link to share with their audience. Then you can also see exactly who’s driving the most bookings and where to double down.

And we offer two solutions to support you here:

  1. Our all-in-one tour operator software with all of our growth drivers plus a suite of back-office tools (CRM, automated communications, check-in tools, etc.) to manage your entire business under one roof.
  2. Our Channel Manager that acts as an intermediary between your existing booking system + online sales channels. This comes with all our growth drivers so you can sell anywhere online. The Channel Manager will route all bookings back to your central system and push updated availability back to your connected sales channels. No manual management required.

We’re one of the highest-rated systems around (4.7 stars!), and after 10 years of building tools for tour operators, we’ve got everything you need to run a tight ship and cast the widest net when selling online. Start your 14-day free trial to see what Bókun can do for your business.

FAQs on selling on Headout

How long does it take to get accepted as a Headout supplier?

The review process usually takes a few weeks, but timelines can vary depending on your destination, product type, and the volume of applications Headout has to sort through.

Can I control my pricing on Headout?

You set your base rates and commission terms, but Headout manages the customer-facing pricing on its platform. This means the price travellers see may differ from your base rate.

How do I get paid as a Headout supplier?

Headout collects payment from travellers at the time of booking and pays you out on a monthly or bi-weekly basis. You’ll sort the payment terms directly with Headout during onboarding.

Does Headout accept all types of tour operators?

Not necessarily. Headout looks at your products, reviews, and pricing to determine whether your experiences fit within its markets. If your application isn’t approved, they’ll typically let you know why so you can make adjustments and reapply.

What if Headout rejects my supplier application?

Focus on the areas they flag. You might not have enough reviews, pricing could be off, or there might already be enough operators offering similar experiences in your destination. Once you know what’s up, you can improve those areas and reapply when you’re ready.

Do I need a booking management platform to sell on Headout?

It’s not strictly required — you can manage Headout bookings manually on the platform. However, using a platform like Bókun to automate this is extremely time-saving. And it’s recommended when you’re selling on multiple OTAs to avoid issues like accidental overbookings.

Can I sell on Headout and other OTAs at the same time?

Absolutely, and you should. Every OTA attracts a different audience — some focus on specific markets, others on certain experience types. Getting your name across multiple platforms lets you cast a wide net and gives you the best chance of staying booked.

And, as we’ve mentioned, when you do take this step and start selling across multiple sites, a booking management tool like Bókun keeps everything organised — syncing calendars and availability across all channels in real time, so you’re not juggling everything manually.

Is Headout available in my destination?

Headout operates in 200+ cities worldwide, though its coverage is more limited than that of some of the bigger OTAs. Your best bet is to check their website or just submit an application and see.

Getting started

Get rolling with your Headout application here.

And if you’re not already on Bókun, start your 14-day free trial (no credit card required) to see how much further you can expand your online reach.

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