Our client is an established destination management business
specialising in inbound travel across Southern Africa. The organisation
partners with international travel companies to create well-planned, locally
informed journeys for leisure groups and scheduled group series. Known for
service excellence, strong supplier relationships and detailed operational
delivery, the business offers a collaborative environment in which destination
knowledge, commercial awareness and exceptional client care are highly valued.
The German Groups & Group Series Specialist will manage
the full journey-planning and booking cycle for German-speaking overseas travel
partners. The role combines itinerary design, quotation preparation,
reservations, supplier coordination, tour guide liaison, operational
documentation and financial administration. Success requires accurate delivery,
responsive communication and the ability to balance client expectations with
budget, product availability, service quality and agreed turnaround times.
Interpret each agent brief carefully, taking the
travellers' interests, special requirements, accessibility needs and available
budget into account.
Acknowledge new written enquiries promptly and
provide accurate proposals, responses and booking confirmations within the
required turnaround times.
Develop attractive, practical itineraries for
group travel and scheduled series throughout South Africa and the wider
Southern African region.
Prepare client-specific proposals in German and
compile accurate costings for groups of different sizes and requirements.
Create and maintain reservations in Tourplan,
including the required programme cost-management records for every group
series.
Secure written confirmation of accommodation,
transport, guiding and other travel services from the relevant suppliers.
Monitor group-series utilisation, booking
deadlines, payment milestones and reservation conditions, keeping the overseas
agent informed throughout the process.
Keep each electronic booking file accurate,
complete, current and organised in line with internal operating standards.
Prepare and quality-check all operational
documentation, including final itineraries, guide packs, service vouchers,
rooming lists and supporting booking records.
Update documentation and guide briefings whenever
an itinerary, service or traveller requirement changes.
Reconcile completed files and ensure all services,
supplier confirmations, costs and supporting records are correctly captured
before closure.
Build trusted, long-term relationships with
German-speaking agents through clear, accurate and proactive communication.
Ensure proposals, confirmations, presentations and
other correspondence are professional, complete and delivered on time.
Recommend the most suitable available products and
rates while continuing to introduce fresh ideas that strengthen the client
offering.
Remain available to the agent and tour guide
during travel, resolving service issues, complaints and urgent operational
matters calmly and efficiently.
Participate in manager-on-duty telephone support
and attend to operational queries when rostered or requested.
Obtain post-travel feedback from agents, summarise
the findings and identify recurring service themes or improvement
opportunities.
Follow up consistently on active enquiries,
outstanding decisions and potential sales opportunities in support of agreed
targets.
Develop productive relationships with preferred
suppliers and negotiate the strongest available rates, value and booking terms.
Maintain a detailed understanding of supplier
products and actively research new experiences, destinations and creative
itinerary options.
Book appropriate tour guide services well in
advance and liaise with the relevant guide coordination team regarding
availability and assignments.
Select guides with due consideration for the
group's language, cultural background, traveller profile and the guide's proven
capability.
Brief guides thoroughly on the itinerary, service
standards and all special traveller requirements, and remain in regular contact
while the group is travelling.
Confirm that every booked service is invoiced
correctly and that the booking file reflects accurate revenue and cost
information.
Track deposits, final payments, short payments and
overdue balances, following up with the relevant agent or internal stakeholder
when necessary.
Work closely with the Finance team to resolve
account queries and ensure that agreed payment conditions are enforced.
Monitor booking margins, investigate high or low
variances and provide clear explanations where results differ from
expectations.
Escalate potential payment, costing or
profitability concerns to the Team Manager before they place the booking at
risk.
Apply all departmental procedures, service
standards and business policies consistently, while protecting confidential and
commercially sensitive information.
Submit accurate reports within deadline and
maintain disciplined electronic filing across the team.
Contribute to a positive, accountable team culture
through open communication, knowledge sharing, coaching and mentoring where
required.
Support the implementation and refinement of
practical operating procedures, and contribute to training and expense planning
when requested.
Assist colleagues in areas of personal expertise
and provide reasonable support outside normal office hours when operational
circumstances require it.
Keep destination and product knowledge current by
attending internal training, supplier workshops, educational trips, trade
events, seminars and industry conferences.
Stay informed about travel trends, the German
source market and the legal considerations that affect German travellers and
travel partners.
Matric / Grade 12.
Full professional fluency in spoken and written
German.
Demonstrated experience with group and
group-series reservations, quotations and costings.
A minimum of three years' relevant experience
working with groups and scheduled travel series is preferred.
Practical Tourplan knowledge and the ability to
manage reservations accurately on the system.
Sound knowledge of the tourism industry, inbound
travel operations and customer service expectations.
Excellent geographical knowledge of South Africa
and the broader Southern African region.
Strong destination, product and travel logistics
knowledge.
The ability to negotiate supplier rates, terms and
availability effectively.
A recognised Travel and Tourism qualification.
Knowledge of the German travel market and the
travel-law principles relevant to German clients.
Experience handling client complaints, operational
emergencies and complex group movements.
Exceptional attention to detail and a strong
commitment to accuracy.
Mature, tactful and professional engagement with
people at every organisational level.
Excellent planning, prioritisation, organisational
and analytical ability.
Confident written and verbal communication in both
German and English.
Sound judgement, integrity, discretion and respect
for confidentiality.
Strong interpersonal, negotiation, research and
stakeholder-liaison skills.
A practical, solutions-focused approach to
complaints, changes and time-sensitive operational challenges.
The flexibility and composure required to manage
several group files, deadlines and stakeholders simultaneously.
A competitive salary will be offered and determined
according to the successful candidate's relevant experience, technical
knowledge and overall suitability for the role.
Only applicants who meet the essential requirements
will be considered. While every effort will be made to acknowledge
applications, candidates whose experience does not align with the minimum
criteria may not receive individual feedback.
Our industry development experts will understand your business needs and can connect you with top talent to support your project and organizational needs on a temporary or long-term basis. Our staffing agency is grounded on obsessive customer service and lighting speed delivery!
Whatever the business, large or small, an organization is only as strong as the people it relies on to deliver its services, and this is especially the case in the industry sectors we operate in, therefore matching the right person to the right job is key to success.
We have an excellent track record of finding the best talent across all disciplines for our clients, and we are so confident that we can find the best match that we offer a no placement no fee service, plus a very reasonable refund policy in the unlikely event that a successful candidate leaves within the first 3 months.
