About Explera and why a DMC runs this programme

Why does a DMC run a creator programme?

A destination management company arranges what happens after a traveller lands: the hotel, the car from the airport, the guide, the experience. That is the same set of things a creator needs to film a place well. Hosting creators on the services we arrange in Japan lets us show them honestly, through people whose audiences trust them, rather than through adverts.

What does Explera do in Japan?

In Japan, Explera arranges ground services for the travel trade: hotels and ryokan, transfers, guides, tours and activities. Our trade partners send their travellers to us; the creator programme uses the same services to host creators in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, the Fuji Five Lakes and Hakone. The destinations page explains each base.

What that means for you

• You deal with the team that arranges your ground services, not a middleman.
• The programme covers what a DMC does: hotel, transfers and activities. Flights, visas, insurance and cash fees sit outside it.
• Paid campaigns and commissioned content are handled separately from this programme.

How is the programme run?

Every application is reviewed against the same published rules, and every step after that runs through the creator portal. A reviewer checks reach, engagement, audience and fit; you get a decision within five business days; the agreement, itinerary, messages and proof of each post live in one place. The how it works page sets out the steps.

What do we ask of creators?

• Disclose clearly. Every hosted post is labelled for the audiences you publish to, including 「PR」 for viewers in Japan. The deliverables page explains the rules.
• Film like a guest. Shrines, temples and Gion's lanes are places people live and worship. We plan shoots around quiet hours and local rules.
• Keep your voice. We never script or pre-approve your editorial content. We check only the agreed tags, links and disclosure, and may ask for a factual correction.

What do we not do?

We do not buy reach, pay cash fees through this programme, or ask creators for reviews. We do not provide flights, visas or travel insurance, and we do not publish invented numbers: every figure on this site is read from the same data the programme runs on.

For Explera's travel-trade services in Japan, see explera.jp.