Working with Booking.com

  • Updated

Additional information is available to FareHarbor employees.

Booking.com is a global online travel agent (OTA) based in the Netherlands that operates the first travel online marketplace for accommodations, as well as for car rentals, taxis, tours, and activities.

Booking joined the FHDN as an API affiliate in 2025. The integration is only available in the US, EU, and UK during this initial phase, with more regions to be added in the future.

Please note, at this time, Booking.com is only accepting a very limited number of FareHarbor experiences into their integration. As a result, we are not currently able to process new requests to connect additional FareHarbor accounts to Booking.com. If Booking.com expands the availability of this integration in the future, we'll be happy to revisit new connection requests at that time.

Eligibility

3 general criteria must be met in order to be listed on Booking.com:

  1. Must be part of the FHDN program.
  2. Items must use the Content Builder optimization tool.
  3. Items must meet Booking.com’s Eligibility and Minimum Content Requirements (see below) to get bookings from Booking.com. No further work is required on your end.

Note: the following are not currently supported but may be in the future as we continue to develop a more comprehensive integration with the Booking.com team:

  1. Tiered pricing of any kind, per person or per group.
  2. Per group customer types.
  3. Items priced using a custom field.
  4. Multi-language items where the language is not specified by the customer types (i.e. only uses public headlines).
  5. Items that include transportation or pickup options (as those cannot be collected from end customers).
  6. Multi-day activities.
  7. Activities with mandatory fees, surcharges, or additional costs not included in the base ticket price.

Listing experiences on the FHDN does not guarantee sales on Booking.com. Like many OTAs, Booking.com has a curated selection of products–meaning that it may opt not to display certain products that do not align with traveler demand or inventory. For example: A product may not be displayed if Booking.com is not active in a certain destination, if a product does not fit the criteria, or if similar products are already offered.

Minimum Content Requirements

Below is the minimum required content for Booking.com. Please note that while having this content is required, it does not guarantee to be listed on Booking.com. To review your content, visit the “Listings” section of each item.

Do you want to work on setting your items up for success? Use our Booking.com self-audit sheet to optimize your items.

Minimum Content Requirements

  1. Language
    • Booking.com requires your item content to be available in English to be listed on their platform. 
    • If your main Dashboard language is not English, please ensure your English translations are accurate compared to your main language, and meet the below Minimum Content Requirements. Learn more about translations.
  2. Item Gallery – in “Photos” tab
    • Gallery must contain a minimum of 3 relevant, high-quality photos.
    • Photos must be in JPG or PNG format and cannot contain logos or brands.
  3. Name – in “Basic Info” tab
    • A clear and specific title that is clearly representative of the activity.
  4. Short Description – in “Content Builder” tab (if a Headline is not present in the "Basic Info" section)
    • A short, engaging description of the experience or activity.
    • Format: 1–2 sentences.
  5. Description – in “Content Builder” tab
    • A full overview of the product or experience.
    • Word Count: approx. 120 words across 2-3 paragraphs.
    • Should include: key details, setting, what the customer can expect, tone and energy of the activity.
    • Prices and promo codes cannot appear in the Description or Headline.
    • Coordinated transportation and/or pickups cannot be mentioned. Predetermined pick ups or mentioning where to meet is allowed.  
  6. What’s included – in “Content Builder” tab
    • A bullet-point list of everything included in the booking.
    • Minimum: 1 bullet point.
    • Format: Bullets must start with one of the following symbols: *, -, or +. New lines by hitting enter without bullet points will also work, but are more prone to errors.
    • Coordinated transportation and/or pickups cannot be mentioned. Predetermined pick ups or mentioning where to meet is allowed.  
    • Example: 
      – Guided walking tour of the Old Town
      – Includes local snacks and beverages
      – Includes entry ticket to historical museum
  7. Valid place ID is required (no Long ID) in “Settings” –> “Locations” –> on the Primary Location
  8. A primary or start location must be assigned to each item under Info & Policies –> Notes & Policies
    • The assigned location must be complete with Country, State or province, City, and Zip/Postal Code. This must also include a valid Google Place ID.

 

Content Guidelines

Customer Types and Ages Ranges

  • Only "Person"-like customer types like Adult, Child, or Person can be sent via the API. 
  • Booking.com has 5 standard Customer Types: Infants (0–1), Children (2–17), Adults (18+), and Person (0-100). Ages will default to these ranges unless previously noted in the item description or customer type note.
  • Age ranges can be adjusted if there are different parameters in FareHarbor. The “Person” ticket can be used for all ages or for customer types that only have a minimum age (example: ages[5]+)

**If there are age restrictions for your products this must be clear in FareHarbor to ensure those are translated to B.com accurately. **

Content must not include:

  • Excessive punctuation or capitalization
  • URLs or website links
  • Contact details (phone number, email, address)
  • Any advertising or promotional language about specific services or providers
  • Promo Codes
  • Prices cannot appear anywhere in the Content Builder Description or Headline (it’s fine for the pricing section)
  • Any additional fees must be added in the “Exclusions” section

Photo Guidelines

Quantity & Format

  • Minimum: 3 photos per listing (more is preferred)
  • Accepted formats: .jpg or .png (not .webp)
  • Max file size: 50MB per photo
  • Recommended dimensions: 2500x1600px or higher

Requirements

  • Images must directly relate to the travel experience
  • No nudity or implied nudity
  • No children unless using appropriate stock images
  • No promotional banners, logos, or watermarks
  • No branded images or advertisements

Opting into Genius Discount

40% of Attractions bookings come from Genius members. We recommend opting into the program and granting a 10% discount at an item level, as this can increase the chance of being displayed on Booking’s website and actively selling.

To enable Genius Discount:

  1. Navigate to the Items tab, and select the item to be discounted.
  2. Select Integrations from the sidebar.
  3. In the Channel Settings tab, select Opt into Booking.com Genius Discount (10%).
  4. Click the Save changes button to finalize the update.

Frequently asked questions

How does Booking.com sell tours and activities?

Booking.com offers these products to their travelers in two main ways:

  1. Products can be sold on the Attractions pages of the Booking.com website, where travelers can browse activities for a select variety of destinations.
  2. Products can be sold directly to travelers via email, when they currently book accommodations through Booking.com for a specific destination.

Booking.com is not active in every destination, and may offer products differently in various destinations.

Can I sign an agreement directly with Booking.com?

Booking.com does not offer direct agreements to tour and activity operators, and will instead select products using the FHDN.

What if I am already selling on Booking through an OTA, like Viator or Musement, and am on FHDN?

If you are already selling on Booking through an OTA integration, your products may appear multiple times on Booking’s site. Booking will pull inventory from different platforms, whether it is from the FHDN or other OTA partners. By clicking into the supplier details on the product page, you will be able to see which system the product is being sent from.

Is there a way to promote my trips on booking.com like I do with other OTA platforms to increase my impressions?

Consider opting in to Genius discounts! This has been proven to attract Booking.com users and boost conversions. See the section above on how to Opt in to Genius Discounts.

How can I opt out of the Booking integration?

You must opt out of FHDN to opt out of the Booking integration.

How can I opt into FHDN only for the Booking integration?

You cannot single out one OTA. You must fully opt in to FHDN to be sold on Booking.

I also offer accommodations and/or hotel products in addition to activities. Can I connect those accommodation products to Booking.com?

The integration between Booking.com and the FHDN is only for the Attractions section.

Can I decide which activities I list with FHDN and Booking.com?

Yes! Using our affiliate rules feature, you can decide which products, dates, times etc. are available to the FHDN API affiliate to help tailor your channel mix. Any restrictions will apply to all partners in the network, including Booking.com.

How can I change the way my products show up on Booking?

Since the integration is through FHDN, the product details will pull directly from your FareHarbor Dashboard. Product content can be edited via an item’s page.

Can I modify my pricing for Booking.com?

FHDN products are resold using your online retail rates. Unique pricing cannot be set for Booking.com or FHDN affiliates.

Will custom fields flow through the API?

Custom fields are not currently available via the API. However, we expect to release additional functionality in the future. If you have activities with mandatory fees built as custom fields those are not currently eligible.

Why do I need to prepare English descriptions for my products if I don’t offer any English-speaking tours?

Booking.com requires product details, descriptions, etc. to be provided in English as an operational standard for products sold on the site. Booking.com does not require offering tours in English; it simply means that English content is required to build the tour in the Booking system.

Are bookings from Booking.com subject to API fees?

No API fee is applied, since bookings flow through FHDN.

What commission rate does Booking.com take on bookings?

Standard commission is 25% through FHDN API.

How do I modify a Booking.com booking from the FHDN API?

As for all FHDN API bookings, the affiliate (Booking.com) needs to process any booking modification so you will need to instruct your customer to reach out to Booking.com’s customer service directly for it to be effective.

How do I cancel a Booking.com booking from the FHDN API?

Cancellations made in FareHarbor will automatically sync with Booking.com. Please note, cancellations made in the FareHarbor Dashboard do not automatically notify Booking.com to process a refund, please provide customers with a written proof confirming the cancellation and refund so they can provide this to Booking.com to initiate the refund on their end.