There is a lack of research into how firms in the international tourism industry develop and maintain relationship with counterpart firms. It was viewed as particularly useful to consider the relationships of Australian suppliers with wholesaler often exert considerable market influence. An exploratory study was carried out in two major gateways of Australia's most important inbound market-Japan. The study focuses on the perceptions and attitudes of Australian tourism suppliers in the relationships with large Japanese ourist wholesalers and inbound operators in the Australian market. Conceptually, the research contributes to the understanding of dependancy in a cross-national tourism context; managerially,it offers insights into how local suppliers can succesfully manage their relationships with Japanese wholesalers.