Land-only DMC · Vietnam · Cambodia · Laos
Land programmes · Booking
How agents book a land programme
The steps between your first request and the morning your clients land, and what we need from you at each one. Deadlines, deposits and cancellation scales are set in the agency contract, not on this page.
Before the first booking: the agency contract
We work with agencies and tour operators under a written agency contract. It sets the things this website deliberately does not: how long quotes are valid, when deposits and balances are due, when the rooming list must reach us, how cancellation charges scale in normal and peak seasons, and how free places for tour leaders work on series groups.
You can send a quote request before the contract is signed; we will quote. A booking is confirmed only once the contract is in place. Deposit, balance and cancellation terms are written into each quotation and into the agency contract; the contract prevails where it says something different.
The booking steps
- 01
Request
Send the form: agency name, dates, group size, format and hotel level. Mention the sample programme if you are starting from one.
- 02
Itemised quote
Each service on its own line, hotels named, flights in a separate block. We note anything that is already tight on your dates.
- 03
Confirmation
You confirm in writing. We book every line and report its status: confirmed, waitlisted or on request.
- 04
Deposit and balance
Paid as set in the agency contract. Some suppliers need payment earlier than others, and we say which.
- 05
Rooming list
Names exactly as in passports, room types, bed preferences, flights, dietary and access needs.
- 06
Final documents
Vouchers, the day-by-day programme with hotel addresses, guide names, and the operations contact for the trip.
What a good request contains
- The agency or company name, so that we can match the request to your contract
- Travel dates, or the month and the number of nights if the dates are not fixed
- Number of travellers and how they share rooms
- Hotel level, or two levels if the client has not decided
- Nationalities, because visa routes and some entrance rules depend on them
- Format: private FIT, series group, or tailor-made group
- Anything that rules out a part of the programme: mobility, small children, diet, a fear of boats
A request with dates, group size and hotel level is enough for a first quote. Everything else makes the first quote closer to the final one.
Confirmation statuses, and what each one means
| Status | Meaning | What you can tell the client |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmed | The supplier has accepted the booking for these dates and names | Booked |
| Waitlisted | The supplier is full; we are on its waiting list | Not booked yet; an alternative is being held or proposed |
| On request | The supplier has not answered yet | Not booked yet |
| Alternative proposed | The original choice is unavailable; we propose a named replacement | Needs your decision |
We report status per line, not per programme. A trip is “confirmed” only when every line is.
The rooming list
Hotels, boats, domestic airlines and, for some crossings, border officials work from the names we send. A name that differs from the passport by one letter can cost a flight seat or a boarding at a pier. We ask for names exactly as in the passport, surname first or marked clearly, with the room-sharing and bed type next to each name.
The rooming list deadline, and what can still change after it without charge, is set in the agency contract. The operations page explains what we do with the list once it arrives.
After the trip
When the clients have left, we reconcile the trip: services that were not used, changes made on the ground, and any incident reported during the trip. Refunds for unused services depend on whether the supplier refunds us, and we show that per line.
Plan your trip
Ready to send a request?
Use the form. We reply by email to the address you give.
Common questions
Questions agents ask
Do we need a contract before asking for a quote?
No. You can request a quote at any time. A booking is confirmed only after the agency contract is signed.
When is the rooming list due?
At the deadline agreed in the agency contract. It differs between FIT and series groups and between normal and peak seasons.
Can we change names after the rooming list is sent?
Usually yes for hotels and land services, within the rules of the contract. Flight name changes follow the airline's rules and may cost a fee or a new ticket.
What payment methods do you accept?
Bank transfer and card, with the exact steps set out on each quotation. The agency contract may set a different arrangement for regular agencies.
Related
Read next
Land programmes · Pricing
Land quote pricing
The components of a land quote, the variables that move it, and peak-date rules.
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How it works · Operations
Operations
Rooming lists, guide briefings, on-trip support and how changes are handled.
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Land programmes
Land programmes
The list of sample land programmes, by format, length and countries.
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Contact
Contact
How to reach Indochina Land Tour: the request form for agents and tour operators.
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Example journey
Indochina series group 15 days
Series group, 15 days: a repeatable Hanoi to Siem Reap departure for catalogue operators.
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About
About
What Indochina Land Tour does, who it works for and what it does not do.
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Start planning
Send a land quote request
Request type, group size and travel month are enough to start. Add your agency name so we can match the request to your contract. We reply by email with an itemised land quote or the questions needed to write one.