Business Development Manager

C&M Travel Recruitment; England; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working after probation

Competitive compensation & bonus

Job summary

C&M Travel Recruitment is seeking a driven Business Development Manager to grow cruise bookings across a nationwide network of travel agents. You will encourage and support agents to book more cruise holidays through our specialist cruise team, becoming a visible brand ambassador at industry events.

You will forge relationships with cruise lines and suppliers, design and deliver training, analyse sales data to spot trends and drive revenue and margin.

Qualifications

• Experience in business development or sales within cruise sector or tour operations.
• Solid understanding of cruise, retail travel and supplier landscape.
• Proven ability to spot opportunities and convert relationships into commercial wins.

Responsibilities

• Turn inactive or low volume agents into regular cruise bookers.
• Grow engagement and revenue across the network.
• Build relationships with cruise lines, suppliers and distribution network.
• Design and deliver cruise training and ship visits/fam trips.
• Analyze sales data to drive growth in revenue and margin.
• Collaborate with Sales, Product and Marketing to launch offers and campaigns.
• Support website, social media and member communications.
• Feedback insights from focus groups to cruise strategy.

Skills

Business development

Account management

Sales

Cruise industry

Job description

Do you have experience working in the cruise or travel industry for a cruise specialist, cruise online travel agency (OTA) or tour operator? We're looking for a driven Business Development Manager to grow cruise bookings across a nationwide network of travel agents, encouraging and supporting them to book more of their customers' cruise holidays through the company's specialist cruise team.

Business Development Manager – Role & Responsibilities:

• Turn inactive or low volume agents into confident, regular cruise bookers, growing engagement and revenue across the network.
• Get to know agents businesses, spotting opportunities to help them book more cruise holidays for their customers through the specialist cruise team.
• Be a visible face for the brand at industry events, bringing energy and insight to every interaction.
• Forge and nurture relationships with cruise lines, suppliers and the wider distribution network, creating opportunities for joint training and promotional activity.
• Design and deliver cruise training, including sessions for members new to selling cruise, alongside ship visits, fam trips and other hands-on product experiences.
• Dig into sales data and member activity to spot trends, prioritise your time and drive measurable growth in cruise revenue and margin.
• Collaborate with Sales, Product and Marketing colleagues to shape and launch cruise offers and campaigns that resonate with members and their customers.
• Support with website, social media and member communications as needed.
• Feedback insight from a dedicated focus group back into the wider cruise strategy.

Business Development Manager – Skills & Experience Required:

• Background in business development, account management or sales, within cruise sector or tour operations.
• Solid understanding of cruise, retail travel and the supplier landscape.
• A track record of spotting opportunities and turning relationships into commercial wins.
• Comfortable and confident representing the business at events and industry functions
• Experience of delivering or contributing to training sessions or presentations.
• A natural communicator who can influence and collaborate across teams.
• Sharp commercial instincts, backed by the ability to read data and translate it into action.
• Well organised, proactive and able to juggle competing priorities without missing a beat.

Business Development Manager – Additional Information:

• Competitive salary plus bonus
• Hybrid working after initial probationary period
• Professional development and career progression on offer.
• Great opportunity for candidates from a cruise line, cruise OTA, tour operator with existing cruise industry contacts.