Luxury Tours Manager

Tourismupdate; Somerset West; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Job summary

Tourismupdate seeks an experienced Luxury Tours Manager to oversee the end-to-end delivery of high-end travel experiences in Southern Africa. The role combines hands-on itinerary curation, supplier contracting, and mentorship of a team of tour consultants, with a focus on VIP client service.

You will craft tailored journeys, coordinate logistics with hotels and ground handlers, and ensure exceptional service across bookings, amendments, and pre-departure briefings.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in travel design and operations with leadership experience.
• Deep knowledge of Southern African destinations and luxury lodge portfolios.
• Proven ability to manage bookings, supplier relations, and travel logistics.
• Experience with tour operating systems and CRM/booking platforms.
• Grade 12 plus a Diploma / degree in Tourism.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of luxury travel experiences.
• Mentor tour consultants and approve complex quotes.
• Design high-end itineraries with private transfers and luxury properties.
• Oversee bookings, pre-departure briefings, and CRM updates.
• Collaborate with sales, marketing, and operations to refine packages.

Skills

Team leadership

Client consultation

Itinerary design

Communication skills

Crisis management

Attention to detail

Destination knowledge

Ground handling

Education

Diploma / degree in Tourism

Grade 12

Tools

CRM systems

Booking platforms

Email

AI

Spreadsheets

Job description

Competitive industry & experience related

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years in travel design and operations, including 1-2 years in a team-lead or supervisory role.
• In-depth, firsthand knowledge of Southern African destinations, luxury lodge portfolios, and ground handling, with strong destination knowledge of the Western Cape, Garden Route, Addo, Kruger National Park, and other key Southern African regions.
• Proven skills in itinerary planning, client consultation, and end-to-end trip coordination, including managing bookings, supplier relationships, and travel logistics.
• Proficiency in tour operating systems and general office software (CRM systems, booking platforms, email, AI, and spreadsheets), with a willingness to learn new systems.
• Grade 12 plus a Diploma / degree in Tourism.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with meticulous attention to detail, strong organisational and time-management abilities, and a calm, resourceful approach to crisis management and complex travel challenges.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive, non-discriminatory customer service.
• Valid Code EB (08) driver’s licence and own transport.

Description

As our Luxury Tours Manager, you will oversee the end-to-end delivery of high-end travel experiences. This full-time, hybrid leadership role combines hands-on itinerary curation, supplier contracting, and quality assurance with direct mentorship of our tour consultants. You will consult with clients to understand their travel preferences, craft tailored journeys, and coordinate logistics with suppliers, hotels, and on-the-ground partners.

You will handle bookings, confirmations, and amendments, ensure high service standards, and proactively resolve any issues that may arise before or during travel. The role involves close collaboration with sales, marketing, and operations teams, maintaining accurate documentation and CRM records, and staying current with Southern African destinations, products, and trends in luxury travel. Additionally, you will contribute to refining tour packages, improving processes, and supporting marketing efforts with destination insights and product knowledge.

Key Responsibilities

• Client & Agent Engagement: Handle direct high-net-worth client and agent enquiries with sophisticated, highly personalised service, ensuring every touchpoint reflects our commitment to exceptional luxury travel standards.
• Team Leadership: Supervise, mentor, and support tour consultants, ensuring error-free execution and continuous product upskilling. Review and approve complex custom quotes and proposals.
• Itinerary Design & Client Service: Design tailor-made, high-end itineraries incorporating private transfers and luxury properties. Act as the primary escalation point for VIP client requests and emergency support.
• Supplier Relations & Contracting: Maintain elite relationships with lodge portfolios, ground handlers, and agents while negotiating favourable rates. Conduct regular product research and site inspections.
• Operations & Quality Assurance: Oversee booking management, documentation accuracy, pre-departure briefings, and STO rate sheet calculations. Ensure high service standards and maintain accurate documentation and CRM records.

Additional Information

Established in 2007, Hotspots2c leverages extensive local travel expertise to deliver superior touring experiences. In 2018, we launched Africa Select Journeys to specialise in bespoke, uniquely Southern African multi-day journeys, driven by the philosophy that high-end travel should be effortless, immersive, and purposeful.

As a privately owned operator, we believe travel builds relationships and fosters positive change—which is why we also established our non‑profit organization, 2cChange, in 2016 to support the environment, our wildlife and the communities we visit.

We are looking for an experienced Luxury Tours Manager to lead our operations, curate elite itineraries, and mentor our growing team.