Vendor Agreement

1. Eligibility

To list on Hike Lanka, a Vendor must:

• Be a Sri Lankan registered business or a licensed individual outfitter operating lawfully in Sri Lanka.
• Hold current third-party public liability insurance covering the categories of trips listed, with a minimum cover the platform operator may publish from time to time.
• Hold current participant accident insurance for hikers on guided trips, or require participants to carry equivalent travel insurance as a booking condition.
• Hold a current Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) registration where the activity falls within SLTDA’s regulated scope.
• For technical, multi-day, or backcountry trips: hold Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) certification or an equivalent qualification recognised by Hike Lanka.
• Have a verifiable Sri Lankan bank account or Stripe Connect account for payouts.

Hike Lanka may request copies of registration, insurance certificates, and guide qualifications at any time. Vendors agree to keep credentials current and notify Hike Lanka within 7 days of any lapse, change, or revocation.

2. Commission & payouts

Hike Lanka charges a flat platform commission on the gross value of every confirmed booking. The default rate is 15% for entry-tier vendors. Paid membership tiers reduce this rate per the rate card published on the membership page.

Commission is deducted from the Vendor’s payout, not charged separately. Vendor membership fees, where applicable, are billed separately by Stripe subscription and are independent of per-booking commission.

The platform operator reserves the right to revise published commission rates and tier benefits on 30 days written notice. Bookings already confirmed at the time of any rate change are honoured at the prior rate.

3. Listing standards

Every Vendor listing must:

• Describe the trip accurately - itinerary, daily distance, elevation, accommodation type, group size, included meals, transport.
• Use real, vendor-owned or properly licensed photos. Stock images of generic mountains or unrelated regions are not permitted.
• Assign an honest difficulty rating using the Hike Lanka difficulty scale.
• Specify the seasonal window using the standard categories: Dry Season, Monsoon, Hill Country, or Mixed Regions. Do not use generic Summer / Winter language - it does not map to Sri Lanka’s actual hiking calendar.
• State the cancellation tier clearly on the booking page.
• Disclose any subcontracting or partner-guide arrangement.
• Comply with Sri Lankan advertising standards - no misleading superlatives, no testimonials that are not verifiable.

Hike Lanka may edit listings for clarity or compliance, with notice to the Vendor. Material edits require Vendor approval.

4. Safety obligations

Vendors must:

• Conduct a documented pre-trip safety briefing covering route, weather, expected difficulty, communication plan, evacuation route, emergency contacts, and group rules.
• Maintain a comms plan appropriate to the trip’s remoteness - see our backcountry safety tool for the minimum-comms model: PLB or satellite messenger for sub-reliable signal areas, scheduled check-ins to a non-trip contact.
• Carry a current first-aid kit appropriate to the group size and trip duration.
• Carry water-purification capability for multi-day trips in wet-zone or hill-country regions.
• Have a documented emergency response plan, including the nearest medical facility, evacuation transport contact, and the procedure for contacting Sri Lanka Disaster Management Centre.
• Report any incident - injury requiring medical attention, lost-hiker event, evacuation, near-miss with serious injury potential - to info@hikelanka.com within 24 hours.
• Co-operate fully with any subsequent Hike Lanka or regulator investigation.

5. Insurance & indemnification

Vendors warrant they hold the insurance specified under Eligibility, will maintain it for the duration of the agreement, and will provide certificates on request within 5 business days.

Vendors indemnify and hold harmless Hike Lanka, Harker International (Private) Limited, its officers, employees, and contractors against any claim, loss, damage, fine, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

• Injury or death of a hiker on a trip the Vendor delivered.
• Damage to property arising from a trip the Vendor delivered.
• The Vendor’s breach of these terms or applicable Sri Lankan law.
• Inaccurate or misleading content in a Vendor’s listings.
• Third-party IP claims relating to content the Vendor uploaded.

This indemnification survives termination of the agreement.

6. Payout mechanics

• Schedule: Payouts run monthly. Earnings clear after the trip’s cancellation window has closed and any disputes are resolved.
• Minimum threshold: A minimum payout of LKR 5,000 applies; balances below threshold roll to the next cycle.
• Method: Sri Lankan bank account via Stripe Connect.
• Statements: Vendors receive a monthly statement listing per-booking gross, commission, refunds, adjustments, and net payout. Available as CSV from the WCFM dashboard.
• Tax: Vendors are responsible for their own tax compliance. Hike Lanka provides booking data but does not withhold tax.

7. Content & IP licensing

Vendors retain ownership of their listing content. By uploading content, the Vendor grants Hike Lanka a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to display, reproduce, and adapt that content for the purpose of operating and promoting the Platform - including in social media, email campaigns, and search-engine snippets. The licence terminates 90 days after the Vendor’s account is closed, except for material already published in archived editorial content.

8. Marketing exclusivity

None required. Vendors may list the same trips on their own website, other booking platforms, or sell them directly.

9. Termination

Either party may terminate this agreement on 30 days written notice. Hike Lanka may terminate immediately for: safety incidents resulting in serious injury where the Vendor is found at fault; material misrepresentation in listings; fraud or attempted fraud; loss of required insurance or registration; failure to honour confirmed bookings; or material breach of Sri Lankan law.

On termination, the Vendor’s listings are removed from public view. Existing confirmed bookings are honoured by the Vendor where possible, refunded under the Refund Policy where not. Payouts due are settled within 60 days of termination.

10. Disputes

Disputes between Vendor and Hike Lanka follow the dispute-resolution path in our Terms of Service section 14: negotiation, then mediation in Colombo, then arbitration under the Sri Lanka Arbitration Act, seat Colombo, in English.

11. Vendor code of conduct

• Leave No Trace - pack out all waste, avoid camping outside designated areas in protected zones, do not feed wildlife.
• No disturbance of wildlife - keep distance, no playing recorded calls, no flash photography at nest sites.
• Respect local communities, sacred sites, and Buddhist / Hindu / Sufi / Catholic shrines on routes.
• Pay local guides, drivers, and porters fairly and on time. Hike Lanka may request payroll evidence in any complaint review.
• Honest reviews - Vendors may not solicit positive reviews in exchange for discounts or seek to suppress negative reviews. Hikers’ right to review is protected.
• No discrimination on the basis of race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

12. Acceptance

Acceptance of this Vendor Agreement is required at registration. The accepted version is stamped to the Vendor’s account record (currently v1-2026-05-30). When this agreement is revised, the platform operator will notify Vendors via the dashboard at least 30 days before the new version takes effect. Continued use of the Platform after that date constitutes acceptance of the revised version.