The FareHarbor Distribution Network (FHDN) is a global affiliate and partnership program designed to help travel and leisure businesses expand their reach through strategic collaborations.

The network welcomes participants from across the travel ecosystem — tour operators, activity providers, travel agents, destination management companies, hotels and resorts, rental businesses, influencers, and more. FHDN currently has 2.5K affiliates participating.

As a leading tour operator software brand, we’ve heard plenty of feedback on FareHarbor’s distribution network — what works well, what doesn’t, and the real impact on bottom lines when businesses use it to reach new customers.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the FHDN — from how it works and how to join, to commission structures. We’ll also briefly touch on our own distribution network, Bókun Marketplace, and how it compares to FareHarbor.

Want to explore Bókun further after reading? Redeem your 14-day free trial (no credit card required)!

Everything to know about FareHarbor’s Distribution Network

FareHarbor’s Distribution Network creates a nice opportunity for travel industry professionals to connect and create mutually beneficial partnerships.

After joining, you gain access to FareHarbor’s database of 2.5K industry members. You can browse the FareHarbor dashboard to discover different business categories and identify potential partners. For example, a boat tour operator might connect with nearby hiking guides or accommodation providers.

Then, FareHarbor supports two ways to collaborate — you can:

  • Resell partners’ products and earn a 15% commission on each sale.
  • Allow other members to resell your experiences (and reach new audiences you might not have otherwise).

Finally, when a booking is made through the network, FareHarbor automatically handles the payment processing and commission calculations.

Overall, the program is easy to join and navigate, so everybody can enrol and take advantage of the benefits.

FHDN commission fees

As an affiliate, FareHarbor pays a 15% commission on your sales. This competitive commission rate makes FHDN a noteworthy avenue for professionals looking to earn extra income.

Plus, affiliates appreciate that FareHarbor handles all the payment logistics. Payouts are sent automatically via direct deposit, so you get paid without having to chase down your earnings.

It’s also worth mentioning that FareHarbor takes a commission from the business you earn through FHDN: 20% for affiliate bookings made through FHDN referral links and 25% through FHDN API.

So, teams looking to win new bookings or grow their customer base through FHDN should consider how these commission fees can impact revenue and returns. (More on this below.)

How to join FHDN

Registering to become an affiliate is easy; you just need to complete the application on FareHarbor’s website and provide some information about your business.

FareHarbor’s team will review your application and let you know if you’ve been approved or denied. This process is typically quick; you should expect to hear back in a few days.

Note: Customers of FareHarbor’s booking management system still need to apply to join this program; they are not automatically enrolled.

User reviews of FHDN

Industry feedback on FareHarbor’s partner program reveals a clear divide in how different businesses benefit.

The program can be a valuable tool for travel agents, DMCs, travel bloggers, or influencers because it lets them suggest high-quality travel experiences for their clients or followers. They earn a 15% commission on recommendations, creating an additional revenue stream with minimal effort.

However, tour operators and activity providers looking to increase bookings often question FHDN’s value in generating new business. With each new booking, they must sacrifice 15% commission to the affiliate who referred the business, then 20% to 25% to FareHarbor. This 35% to 40% reduction per sale significantly impacts profitability.

For perspective, on a $100 booking, a tour operator only walks away with $65 after paying 15% to the affiliate and 20% to FareHarbor.

Most operators face two uncomfortable choices:

  • Absorb these losses on new bookings, hoping first-time customers become repeat visitors who book directly.
  • Increase their rates to offset commission costs, potentially deterring price-sensitive customers.

Bottom line:

  • If your goal is to add revenue streams as an affiliate, FHDN presents a worthwhile opportunity.
  • If you aim to reach new customers and fill your booking calendar as a tour operator, we suggest exploring more cost-effective solutions — like Bókun Marketplace.

Bókun Marketplace & how it compares

Bókun Marketplace rivals FHDN with over 27K travel industry members — dwarfing FareHarbor’s network by more than tenfold. It includes a wide variety of travel industry businesses and professionals — tour operators, travel agents, DMCs, lodging and rental companies, and more — across 80+ countries.

All Bókun subscribers are automatically added to this network. Other travel businesses can apply here.

Marketplace also includes access to 50+ global online travel agencies (OTAs) and niche-specific sites — Viator, GetYourGuide, Headout, Trip.com, BeMyGuest, Civitatis, Klook, Tiqets, Expedia, and more — so you can manage your entire distribution network in a straightforward, unified platform.

As a Tripadvisor brand, we deliver a decade of industry experience, exclusive OTA partnerships, and money-saving perks to accelerate our customers’ growth and support their continued success. Bókun customers enjoy extra benefits when selling on:

  • Viator: We waive Bókun booking fees on all Viator reservations (which is why we’re the #1 booking management platform for Viator users). Viator users can also auto-import products to our platform, and they receive (12, 24, or 48) free subscription checks each year.
  • GetYourGuide: Our premium connectivity partnership ensures best-in-class API performance, access to GYG’s latest features, and improved visibility in traveller search results.
  • Google Things to do: Bókun users can automatically enrol in Google’s program and promote their tours and travel services in search results and on Google apps. This lets them reap all the benefits of selling on the most popular search engine, and skip the lengthy application and set-up process.

There are a couple of ways Bókun users leverage Marketplace:

  • Resell others’ travel services to add revenue streams. We don’t set these rates; resellers can determine commission rates with suppliers so that everybody wins.
  • Connect with resellers who will earn you bookings. Bókun booking fees are only 1% to 1.5% for partner bookings.
  • Create packages with partners. This is a nice way to diversify your product line, create comprehensive travel packages, and provide your customers with conveniences beyond your standard offerings.

Users love our Marketplace because:

  • It makes connecting with other travel companies, whether in your neighbourhood or another continent, easy and accessible. And we don’t cap the number of partnerships you can have.
  • Bókun provides user-friendly partner and contract management tools so you can make the first contact, negotiate partnership terms, and store all contracts and communications in our system. We even help you find complementary partners and streamline discussions with options to establish standard contract terms visible to everyone in the Marketplace.
  • Contract renewal alerts help you keep tabs on all partners and negotiations so you can improve contract terms and optimise distribution strategies.
  • Our system also provides a dashboard of sales performance reports so you can analyse bookings and revenue by source to invest in more of what’s bringing you business.

Bókun users see an average GBV increase of 43% after joining the Marketplace. Check out some of our customers’ Marketplace success stories below:

Choosing the right solution for your growth goals

While FareHarbor Distribution Network offers a worthwhile avenue for travel professionals looking to add revenue streams, it presents significant challenges for tour operators seeking overall growth. With combined commission fees reaching 35% to 40% per booking, FHDN’s affiliate program can substantially impact profit margins and create unsustainable acquisition costs.

For businesses prioritising increased bookings and sustainable growth, distribution solutions with lower fees — like Bókun Marketplace — provide a clearer path to profitability.

See what your business could achieve with the right distribution network. Start your 14-day free trial of Bókun here.

You can also learn more about Bókun and why we’re one of the top travel industry solutions in our guides below: