Head of Travel Partnerships

AirlinePros International; Dubai; Remote; AED 441,000 - 661,000; Full time

Job summary

AirlinePros International seeks a seasoned Travel Partnerships leader to drive global growth across tourism boards, DMCs, attractions, and cruise lines. You will define market opportunities, lead proposals, and position AirlinePros as a trusted, full-service partner worldwide.

This remote/hybrid role requires coordinating with regional offices, managing multi-region client relationships, and delivering programs on time and within budget.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in business development, commercial strategy, or account management in travel or related fields.
• Fluent English; Spanish, Portuguese or French a plus.
• Experience with tourism boards, DMCs, attractions, or cruise lines is highly desirable.
• Proven track record of originating and closing B2B contracts, including RFPs.

Responsibilities

• Define and refine the Travel Partnerships product scope, pricing, and delivery.
• Set global growth priorities and pitch new client opportunities.
• Lead proposals, RFP responses, and contract negotiations.
• Onboard clients and coordinate with regional teams to deliver programs.
• Manage senior client relationships and represent AirlinePros at events.

Skills

Business development

Commercial strategy

Account management

Executive communication

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Department

Commercial / Travel Partnerships

Reports to

Chief Executive Officer

Location

Remote / Hybrid — global role, HQ coordination with regional offices

Direct reports

Regional representation managers and/or BD teams, as the portfolio grows

Travel

Regular international travel required

Role Overview

Travel Partnerships is AirlinePros’ representation business for the non-airline side of travel: tourism boards, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), DMCs, attractions, cruise lines, and other travel suppliers who need in-market representation, trade and consumer marketing, and commercial development in the regions AirlinePros operates in — the same GSA-style model AirlinePros has long applied to airlines, now extended across the broader travel ecosystem.

This Position Has Dual Mandates

• Program Development Mandate. Lead the global growth and commercialization of Travel Partnerships by defining the market opportunity, leading the pitch (RFP/presentation), and positioning AirlinePros as a trusted, full-service partner for travel organizations worldwide.
• Business Build & Execution Mandate. Expand the program with scalable business practices by refining the service portfolio, pricing structure, and delivery expectations to successfully expand Travel Partnerships across the AirlinePros network.

Key Responsibilities

Product & Strategy Development

• Define and continuously refine the Travel Partnerships product: service scope, pricing model, deliverables, and the markets and client types it targets (tourism boards, DMCs, attractions, cruise lines, and other travel suppliers).
• Set the global growth strategy and priorities for the product, in line with AirlinePros’ broader commercial goals.
• Build the internal playbooks, templates, and processes needed to deliver representation programs consistently and scale them across new markets.

New Business Development

• Identify, prospect, and pitch tourism boards, DMCs, attractions, and cruise lines on AirlinePros’ representation services.
• Lead proposals, RFP responses, and commercial negotiations to close new representation contracts.
• Build and manage a global pipeline of prospective clients, prioritizing by market opportunity and strategic fit.

Client Program Delivery

• Onboard clients to the designated market and ensure that the local market has the introductions, training, materials, and access for a successful start with new clients.
• Coordinate with regional teams and in-market resources to ensure programs are delivered on time and on budget.
• Track program deliverables against client investment, and report results back to clients as part of account retention.

Relationship & Account Management

• Serve as the senior relationship owner for tourism board, DMC, attraction, and cruise line clients.
• Act as the internal bridge between clients, regional offices, and delivery teams.
• Represent AirlinePros at industry events, trade shows, and client meetings globally.

Reporting & Performance

• Define KPIs for the Travel Partnerships product overall and for each client program (new contracts signed, revenue, retention, program ROI).
• Report performance and growth of the product regularly to executive leadership.
• Recommend where to invest further, adjust pricing, or sunset underperforming client relationships.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in business development, commercial strategy, or account management within travel, tourism, or destination marketing.
• Great communication skills, fluency in English required and either Spanish, Portuguese or French preferred.
• Direct experience with tourism board, DMC, attraction, or cruise line representation, marketing, or sales is a strong plus.
• Track record of originating and closing new B2B contracts, ideally including RFP-based sales processes.
• Experience managing global or multi-region client relationships and coordinating remote, in-market teams.
• Strong commercial and negotiation skills, and comfort building a new product or business line from an early stage.
• Excellent executive presence — this role sits directly with client-side leadership (tourism board directors, DMC principals, etc.).
• Bachelor’s degree required

What Success Looks Like In The First Year

• A refining Travel Partnerships product — scope, pricing, and delivery model — is documented and being used to pitch new clients.
• A clear, prioritized global pipeline of prospective tourism boards, DMCs, attractions, and cruise lines is in active development.
• At least a small number of new representation contracts are signed and in delivery.
• Executive leadership has full visibility into the product’s growth, client roster, and account performance.