Our biggest question from travel professionals is, ‘do we work with travel agents’ and thankfully the answer is a resounding, yes! We love to work with like-minded people in the travel industry.
So, if you are looking to partner with us to create unrivalled luxury travel experiences across Iceland, then here is our FAQ for you to get a better understanding of how we work as a DMC partner.
Visit our dedicated webpage to learn more about our role as a luxury DMC in Iceland.
Hidden Iceland, as a Destination Management Company (DMC) has forged many great relationships with travel professionals, travel agents, media and online resellers over the years. These relationships are key to growing our brand world-wide and connecting with guests who may not have discovered us otherwise. This page provides a little insight into how we work together.
Is Hidden Iceland a Destination Management Company (DMC)?
Yes, Hidden Iceland is both a DMC and direct Tour Operator.
We love to serve direct guests’ needs as well as working alongside some of the most prolific travel agencies around the world to craft full realised holidays in Iceland. We run all our tours with in-house trained guides and custom fitted vehicles. Rest assured, all trips sold will be with Hidden Iceland at the helm, making sure every aspect is of the highest quality.
Why should I choose Iceland as a luxury travel destination?
There’s no place on Earth quite like Iceland.
From black sand beaches and blue geothermal lagoons to towering glaciers and active volcanoes, Iceland’s dramatic natural beauty is otherworldly and unforgettable. It’s a destination that feels untouched, yet remarkably luxurious. For travellers seeking the extraordinary, the land of fire and ice is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression. This is what makes Iceland an increasingly popular destination for travel agencies and operators around the world.
Do you work with Travel Agents, Media and other third parties?
Yes, we do.
Whether you are a travel agent, blogger, OTA, reseller, local hotel, ‘travel with me’ influencer, journalist, media or a direct customer, we are open for business and can be very flexible with how we work together.
For ease of writing, I will now refer to all types of third parties as ‘Agents’ for the purposes of this page.
Do you offer Press or FAM Trips?
Yes, we do.
We do offer discounted services on a case by case basis. The level of service and discount provided will depend on numerous factors, such as whether we have an existing relationship already, the size of your company and expected future customer levels. Furthermore, the readership expected from any anticipated media coverage. Depending on the request, we can offer a free or discounted private or self drive tour.
Additionally, we occasionally run scheduled Press / FAM trips at all times of the year. This is on an invitation only basis, but you can reach out to our Marketing Manager, Ryan Connolly, to be added to an interest list at ryan@hiddeniceland.is. You can also sign up for our Newsletter below.
Do you have a Newsletter where I can get useful info?
Absolutely. Sign up below and make sure to put that you are a Travel Agent, Media, Reseller to only get relevant info. A lot of the content can be shared directly with your clients, or be used as inspiration for content.
Do you have content that I can get access to right away?
Absolutely.
We can provide you with example itineraries in the form of a booklet. We also have a large bank of images that we can share with you and have uncountable blog posts on our website to inspire travellers.
Further to this, Hidden Iceland runs educational presentations that can be adjusted to train your team or as a presentation for conferences, events or online seminars. These cover a wide variety of topics from Northern Lights, volcanic eruptions, ice caves, geothermal hot pools, glaciers, science, geology, many locations in Iceland, and useful tips on how to plan the perfect holiday to Iceland.
TRAVEL AGENT SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
How much of the full package does Hidden Iceland as a DMC partner book?
Everything, except for international flights.
Hidden Iceland has a dedicated trip planning and operations team who will be able to plan the entire trip for you and your guests (with your input). This covers everything from arrival to departure, excluding international flights and travel insurance. We have a DMC level of knowledge and resources at Hidden Iceland.
We will plan all Hidden Iceland operated tours that meet your client’s requests and partner with local trusted operators that we have personally vetted and approved. All hotels that we put our customers in have been personally tried and tested by our team. We even provide restaurant recommendations and things to do in during leisure time in Reykjavík. Effectively, everything that you or your client is likely to imagine is incorporated into your package.
Do you run your own tours?
Yes, we do.
Our private tours are run with our own passionate guides, every time. We do not contract out guides from other companies.
All the tours mentioned are operated by Hidden Iceland, except for some trusted partners who offer specialist activities such as snowmobiling or snorkelling. Any tour not run by Hidden Iceland is tested, vetted and approved by Hidden Iceland. We only ever work with companies that share our ethos for quality and safety.
What if I want to book everything myself, except for Hidden Iceland tours?
This is allowed, but not encouraged.
We prefer to be in control of all bookings while your guest is in Iceland, especially once your clients leave the safety of the capital city of Reykjavík. Aside from us being able to assure quality throughout the tour, it also means that we can quickly react and move things on the tour if weather, for example, gets in the way. If you, the agent, have some things booked and not others, then it ties us to those bookings which may not have the same cancellation policy or flexibility afforded with Hidden Iceland.
For self drive itineraries, we always book the entire trip from start to finish with no exceptions. This is because the guest has limited communication with local experts if they are driving themselves, so we need as much visibility as possible.
For private & package tours, we always book the entire trip outside of Reykjavík, with no exceptions. You can book hotels in Reykjavík if you have preferred hotels that you have used in the past, though we can still do this too, of course.
How quickly can I get a quote?
We aim to get back to your initial enquiry within 3 business days; however, it depends on the complexity of the request too and the time of year.
We do not offer ‘off the shelf’ packages with static prices. This is because our bespoke pricing depends on numerous factors including the number of people, length of stay, hotel types, time of year and activities chosen etc. Therefore, we only provide a unique price upon request when we get all the details necessary for planning the perfect experience. This means each quote takes time.
Our aim to get a response to you as soon as possible, although it may take longer than our defined 7 business days limit to get you the proposal offer. We will always do our best to work with you in a timely manner, especially for time-sensitive requests, but sadly, during the busier periods this isn’t always feasible.
How customisable are your package tour options?
Fully, within reason.
We consider all the information you provide us and come up with the best possible package within your set budget.
Bear in mind that you will be working closely with one of our Travel Experts. This means they will be able to advise against certain activities and locations based on various factors, which will be explained. So we will not necessarily say yes to every request if we don’t think it is the right option for the client. We will never sell a tour we wouldn’t be proud to send our family and friends on.
It’s also quite likely that your clients will have their thoughts and amendments after we provide the first quote. This is great, and we can further tweak the package option based on you and their feedback.
Can I change parts of the tour last minute or while in the country?
This is sometimes possible, but not encouraged.
The Hidden Iceland team may need to change things last minute. This is mostly because of bad weather. But as a whole, the itinerary that is created before the clients’ arrival should remain the same as planned. Changing hotels, activities, and dates is not something that is feasible most of the time, without cancellation fees and availability issues, especially in summer. It’s important that your clients be aware of this and are happy with the finalised itinerary before travel.
With that said, it’s common for a client to want to add things in last minute when they are inspired. This is great and if we can accommodate we will happily do so.
Do you provide commission for Agents?
Yes, we do.
This is a discussion with each individual agent privately regarding the amount and how it affects the overall price of a tour. Different rates are discussed depending on the type of tour. As a rule, commission is only paid out after the successful completion of a tour.
Does the Agent pay Hidden Iceland, or can the client pay directly?
Either is fine.
As noted below, we can be flexible with how we take payment.
Do you offer NET rates or GROSS rates for Agents?
Both options are available.
If you are an Agent who takes payment directly from your client, then we can offer NET rates. If you prefer your clients make payment directly to Hidden Iceland, then we can provide a GROSS rate with your commission/ fees embedded in the price. In both scenarios, the costs associated with a Hidden Iceland trip will remain the same. Although, if the clients pay us directly, then the VAT (11%) that would be on your commission amount needs to be factored in.
What are the first steps to creating a relationship?
Explore the examples of the types of tours we operate as a trusted DMC partner, then submit a form.
Before you reach out, the best way to get the ball rolling is for you to peruse our private luxury Iceland tours, VIP luxury Iceland trips, and self drive itineraries. Each package tour page has a handy form that you can fill out with your client details. At the bottom of the form, there’s a message box where you can mention that you are an Agent. Our Travel Experts will then amend their response accordingly. In our first email to you, we’ll share the Agent Terms & Conditions, which automatically supersede our general T&Cs.
If you’d prefer to just pop us an email to introduce yourself instead, that’s fine too. Simply email info@hiddeniceland.is.
What if I don’t have potential clients but want to learn more about Hidden Iceland?
Some of our agents and resellers like to fact find, usually with existing sample itineraries as a blueprint for planning future trips, before they reach out to their customer base. We can preemptively provide a bespoke quote for you, depending on the type of request and timescales. This can be done via the forms on our sample itinerary pages, too. Simply pick the trip that most closely aligns with your future trip idea and give us as much information as you can.
Does Hidden Iceland offer ‘group trips’ planned by Agents?
Yes, we do, though with caveats.
If you, the agent, intend to promote online and sell a trip to your customers (who don’t necessarily know each other) then we can work together in creating a bespoke itinerary. If you don’t necessarily know how much interest your promoted tour will muster up, then we can provide tiered pricing, e.g. per-person price for 6, 8, 10+.
It’s important to note that Hidden Iceland has fixed costs such as guides, vehicles, fuel, taxes, and other ancillary costs, so the per-person price will undoubtedly change quite a lot between 6 and 12 customers, for example. This is because the fixed costs are spread between more people, bringing the per-person price down. This is something you will need to keep in mind when promoting prices online to your clients.
We cannot guarantee that the price of the trip and availability is 100% secured until we have confirmed guest numbers from you. If you require us to speculatively hold rooms for you, then a 10% non-refundable deposit is required after 4 weeks.
The cut-off for final numbers varies for group size, but 3 months tends to be the latest to avoid cancellation fees for larger groups.
Do you have an Agent portal that I can use?
Unfortunately, this is not available since all our packages are bespoke.
Do I need to sign an Agent Agreement / Contract?
No. Once you have revealed that you are an Agent, it is Hidden Iceland’s responsibility to share our Agent Terms & Conditions with you. Once shared, these terms will automatically supersede our normal Terms & Conditions. It includes our terms and conditions, cancellation policies, payment options and operational expectations. You must read through it to understand how we operate.
Let’s get started!
We find that the Private & Package page is a great starting point to be inspired and learn about some sample itineraries Hidden Iceland offers. Scroll to the bottom and fill out the form. Just make sure to mention you are an agent, and we’ll amend our response to fit your business needs.
Email: info@hiddeniceland.is
Phone: +354-770-5733
