Travel Designer at Wilderness

PRIMARY PURPOSE

The Travel Designer is responsible for generating and growing sales by securing, costing, and presenting journeys to our Sales agents accurately, efficiently, and timeously. To be equally invested in the “win” of each booking. The role requires a strong focus on sales, building relationships with Sales agents, and providing exceptional customer service in a highly competitive environment with tight deadlines. The Travel Designer must have extensive knowledge of Southern and East African destinations, regional logistics, and in-depth supplier knowledge to maximize the mutually beneficial relationship with our AP partners, their lodges/camps, and areas they are located.
The Travel Designer will play a vital role in driving sales, building relationships, and ensuring exceptional customer service in a highly competitive travel industry. Their knowledge, expertise, and strong focus on sales will contribute to the growth and success of our business.

​​​​​​​Detailed Responsibilities

Develop relationships with the Sales Agents

• Generate and grow sales by securing, costing, and presenting journeys to Sales agents in a timely manner
• Foster and build strong relationships with Sales agents to strengthen the bond and partnership, attending relevant familarisation trips with agents (if and when required).
• Deliver a speedy service to Sales agents, ensuring efficient communication and meeting tight deadlines.
• Demonstrate a strong focus on sales and be equally invested in the success of each booking.
• Liaise with the Reservations Manager on sales potential and any development on the agent relationship for all bookings.
• Continuous communication and excellent service delivery to agents at all times.

The Sale

• Manage the new request from the Sales agent, from quote to prov on the WW. Align the booking to client requirements until ready to confirm in the fastest possible time whilst maintaining the booking integrity on itrvl.
• Quote accurately and timeously keeping in mind our strategic and preferred AP and upsell where possible to benefit both teams.
• Build strong connections with all supplier reservations teams, nurture these relationships in order to help get more benefits when engaging regularly with them.
• Maximize the mutually beneficial relationship with AP partners, their lodges/camps, and areas they are located.
• Stipulate and utilize applicable specials in the WW and make appropriate notes as required as per AP’s systems and procedures.
• For special needs/high risk guests, flag concerns with the WS24 incident management teams and follow protocol to ensure the guests are safe to travel in the planned journey.
• Streamline the sales negotiations by reducing dead beds, waitlist chasing and maximising camp yield during the provisional stage of the booking process, where possible upsell to Wilderness camps thus increasing GP per booking.
• Liaise with RARA if rates, accommodation, transit points and activities are not loaded or correctly linked on the WW.
• Where issues are with itrvl, raise concerns with the Wilderness itrvl integration specialist.
• Understand the sales agents needs in each booking – including urgency of replies, if email does not help clarify first call the sales agent.
• Have an excellent understanding of the sales agencies preferred supplier list and great product knowledge to apply speedy turnaround for alternatives at play to help secure the deal effectively.
• Follow up on all outstanding provisional bookings with the sales agents, consistently understanding the yield implication of provisional space held.
• Follow up on daily WISH/WW expiry reports on the WW dashboard with the sales agents ensuring no bookings are auto released and bookings are managed effectively.Maintain the booking prov in the WW with all relevant documents uploaded in the booking file together with all information passed on about the guest at this stage of the booking process.
• For all provisional, correspond with relevant suppliers to effectively hold space, room types, flights and where possible use online facilities to maximise the response times.
• Escalate all suppliers with Res managers or product managers should there be any issue in the supplier service delivery.
• Handle all prov changes efficiently and constantly communicating with the sales agents on the status of all the open bookings.
• Once clients have paid the deposit in itrvl for the trip held, ensure the prov booking matches the excel with all the special offers applied, correct room types, correct flights held to connect a seamless journey before handing over to the Journey Specialist for confirmation.

Product Knowledge

• Possess excellent knowledge and intimate geographical understanding of all Southern and East African destinations.
• Stay up-to-date with day-to-day regional logistics and industry trends.
• Maintain in-depth supplier knowledge to provide accurate and valuable information to Sales agents and clients.
• Keep updated with all Wilderness and 3rd party product (AP), as well as technology updates on how it’s booked on the WW.
• Have a detailed understanding of the strategic and preferred suppliers, have intimate knowledge of their deals, specials and packages – know how to negotiate and incorporate these benefits into rate reductions for the client but not compromising the elevated guest experience.
• Continuously update and enhance product knowledge through training and research.

General

• Participate in industry events, trade shows, and familiarization trips as required.
• Keep apprised of company policies, procedures and system updates.
• Embrace a culture of continuous learning and improvement, actively seeking feedback and implementing suggestions for personal and professional growth.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Qualification:

• Minimum of Tertiary certificate in Travel & Tourism/hospitality

Experience:                    

• 4-5 years’ with Senior experience in handling customer relationships developing & promoting product and building journeys in the inbound travel industry.
• In depth knowledge of Southern and East Africa.
• Personal or educational travel experience is advantageous.
• Knowledge of Mozambique, Mauritius and Seychelles, an added advantage.
• Computer Literate (Microsoft Office: Outlook, Teams, Excel and Word).
• Working knowledge of TourPlan and WETU or similar booking/operating system.
• Excellent attention to detail.

Skills:           

• Dynamic, creative, organised and excellent communication skills.
• Thrives under pressure in the fast-paced environment with tight deadlines without compromising accuracy and prioritising demands.
• Ability to problem solve and maintaining high quality output.
• Highly detailed product knowledge – vital for speed in presenting alternatives.
• Strong financial skills, self-starter with high integrity level and ethical conduct.