Our client is a well-established destination management
business specialising in inbound travel throughout South Africa and the wider
Southern African region. The organisation works with international travel
partners to deliver carefully planned, tailor-made journeys for high-end
leisure travellers. Its reputation is built on exceptional destination
knowledge, trusted supplier partnerships, responsive service and the ability to
turn individual preferences into seamless luxury travel experiences.
The Senior Travel Specialist will design, quote, book and
oversee bespoke itineraries for the high-end FIT market. This position manages
the complete travel-planning cycle, from understanding the initial brief and
developing a commercially sound proposal to confirming services, preparing
documentation, monitoring payments and supporting the journey while the client
is travelling. The successful candidate will combine luxury product knowledge,
operational precision and confident relationship management to exceed
expectations, meet demanding deadlines and contribute to agreed sales and
margin targets.
Conduct detailed consultations with travellers or
international travel partners to understand individual preferences, interests,
priorities, budget considerations and special requirements.
Transform each brief into a highly personalised,
practical and commercially viable itinerary for travel within South Africa and
the broader Southern African region.
Select luxury accommodation, private transport,
flights, transfers, dining arrangements and exclusive experiences that reflect
the traveller's expectations and desired style of travel.
Apply strong destination and product knowledge to
recommend suitable routing, timing and experiences while introducing creative
alternatives that add genuine value.
Prepare clear, comprehensive itineraries,
proposals, travel documents and supporting information that allow the client to
understand every element of the journey.
Acknowledge written requests from agents promptly
and work towards the required 24-hour turnaround time for quotations and
responses.
Provide accurate written proposals and
confirmations, ensuring that pricing, inclusions, conditions and deadlines are
communicated clearly.
Open and maintain complete client files in
accordance with internal operating standards and capture all reservations
accurately on Tourplan.
Confirm accommodation, transport, guiding,
activities, meet-and-greet services and other travel arrangements directly with
the relevant suppliers.
Coordinate the full trip logistics, including
flight details, transfers, service timings and operational dependencies, to
deliver a smooth end-to-end journey.
Maintain regular contact with agents regarding
reservation status, supplier availability, payment requirements, deadlines and
booking conditions.
Monitor every booking through to completion and
ensure that all confirmed services, amendments and traveller requirements are
reflected in the final documentation.
Build and retain strong client and agent
relationships through responsive, detailed and professional communication.
Ensure that all correspondence, quotations,
proposals, presentations, confirmations and travel documents are accurate and
delivered within the agreed timeframe.
Respond calmly and resourcefully to last-minute
amendments, unexpected disruptions or service concerns, limiting the impact on
the traveller wherever possible.
Handle complaints professionally, escalating
serious or unresolved matters through the appropriate internal channels.
Participate in manager-on-duty telephone support
and attend to urgent operational queries when rostered or requested.
Consistently pursue excellent service outcomes
while remaining mindful of the booking's commercial objectives, deadlines and
agreed service levels.
Develop constructive, long-term relationships with
preferred accommodation, transport, activity and experience providers.
Use supplier knowledge and professional
negotiation to secure the most appropriate availability, service delivery,
rates and value for each booking.
Identify the strongest product combination for the
client's needs rather than relying on standard or repetitive itinerary options.
Actively research new products, exclusive
experiences, emerging destinations and creative concepts suitable for the
luxury FIT market.
Maintain current first-hand knowledge of
destinations and products through ongoing research, supplier engagement and
structured learning opportunities.
Ensure that every confirmed service is correctly
reflected on the client invoice and that invoices are issued within the
required timeframe.
Monitor deposits, final balances and other
outstanding payments, following up promptly where payment has not been
received.
Arrange supplier or booking pre-payments when
required and ensure that all approved payment conditions are followed strictly.
Work closely with the Finance team to investigate
and resolve invoice, payment and account queries.
Reconcile booking files, monitor high or low
margin variances and provide clear explanations for any material differences.
Keep the Manager informed of payment, costing or
profitability concerns that could affect the booking or client relationship.
Apply all relevant departmental procedures,
operating policies and quality standards consistently across every booking.
Keep electronic files, supporting documents,
supplier confirmations and client records accurate, current and correctly
filed.
Submit requested reports within deadline and
maintain complete confidentiality regarding client information and commercially
sensitive business material.
Contribute proactively to a collaborative team
culture, share specialist knowledge and assist colleagues in areas of personal
expertise.
Provide reasonable support outside normal office
hours when operational circumstances or traveller needs require it.
Continuously strengthen product and industry
knowledge by attending internal training, supplier workshops, educational
trips, trade shows, seminars and conferences.
Remain informed about changing luxury-travel
trends, new products and developments within the inbound tourism sector.
Matric / Grade 12.
A minimum of five years' inbound tourism
experience in a senior travel-consulting role serving the high-end or luxury
market.
Strong, demonstrable experience designing and
managing tailor-made FIT itineraries.
Excellent geographical and destination knowledge
of South Africa and the wider Southern African region.
Proven ability to coordinate complex luxury travel
arrangements, suppliers, timelines and supporting documentation.
Excellent spoken and written English, including
the ability to prepare detailed client-facing proposals and correspondence.
A recognised Travel and Tourism qualification.
Practical Tourplan knowledge and the ability to
manage reservations accurately on the system.
Established knowledge of luxury accommodation,
experiences and preferred suppliers within Southern Africa.
Exceptional attention to detail and a strong
commitment to accuracy.
A mature, tactful and professional approach when
engaging with travellers, agents, suppliers and colleagues.
The confidence to communicate effectively with
stakeholders at all organisational levels.
Excellent planning, prioritisation, organisational
and analytical ability.
Integrity, discretion and respect for confidential
information.
Strong written and verbal communication skills,
with the ability to explain complex travel arrangements clearly.
Excellent problem-solving ability and the
composure to manage urgent changes without compromising service quality.
A proactive, collaborative mindset and the
flexibility required in a client-focused travel environment.
A competitive salary will be offered and determined
according to the successful candidate's relevant experience, luxury-travel
expertise and overall suitability for the position.
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.
