Reservations & Operations Manager | High-End Inbound Dmc | Cape Town Or Gauteng

HotelJobs; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

HotelJobs in South Africa is seeking an experienced Operations Lead to head Reservations and Operations for a boutique luxury inbound DMC across Southern and East Africa. Reporting to the owner, you will lead a five-person Travel Consultants team, manage the end-to-end booking process from enquiry to confirmation, and ensure quotes and itineraries are delivered promptly, accurately and profitably.

You will oversee Concierge and Journey Administration, with the TourPlan Rates and Product

Qualifications

• Ideally 10–15 years in luxury inbound DMC operations, with senior reservations management.
• Broad knowledge of destinations and products across Southern and East Africa.
• Track record designing and costing complex, high-end itineraries across multiple African countries.
• Meticulous costing, margins and profitability.
• Experience dealing directly with North American luxury travel advisors (Virtuoso/Serandipians or similar networks).
• Excellent written and spoken communication; strong agent relationships.
• Experience running a reservations pipeline with target quotes and higher conversions.
• Strong leadership to grow a high-performing reservations team.
• TourPlan experience is a strong advantage.

Responsibilities

• Lead the reservations and operations departments, reporting to the owner.
• Manage a team of five Travel Consultants from enquiry to confirmation, ensuring timely, accurate and profitable quotes.
• Oversee inquiries, manage timelines, follow up on leads and ensure a smooth booking experience for advisors.
• Coordinate Concierge and Journey Administration, and the TourPlan Rates and Product function, ensuring seamless transition from reservations to operations.
• Own reservations challenges, agent relationships, and staffing matters; drive process improvements and faster turnarounds.

Skills

Luxury travel operations

Reservations management

Team leadership

Costing & profitability

Agent relationships

Communication

Pipeline management

TourPlan experience

Tools

TourPlan

Job description

??? ??????????? ??????????? is partnering with a boutique, high-end inbound DMC that crafts tailor-made journeys across Southern and East Africa, to appoint a seasoned ???????????? & ?????????? ???????.

?????? ????: ??? ??? ?? ????? ?? ??? ???????’? ?????? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ?? ???????.

??? ???? ?? ?????? ?????, ???????? ? ?????? ?? ??????????? ????? ?? ????????? ???? ??? ????? ??????.

Reporting directly to the owner, this senior leadership role carries full responsibility for the reservations and operations departments. You will lead the team and oversee daily activities, allowing the owner to focus on growing the business.

You will manage a team of five Travel Consultants, overseeing the entire booking process from initial enquiry to confirmation. This includes ensuring quotes and itineraries are delivered promptly, accurately and profitably, with all costings approved before submission to agents.

As the key contact for travel advisor partners, you will oversee enquiries, manage timelines, follow up on leads and ensure a smooth booking experience.

The Operations Lead, responsible for Concierge and Journey Administration, along with the TourPlan Rates and Product function, will report to you. You will ensure a seamless transition from reservations to operations, accurate rates, competitive supplier pricing and appropriate product selection.

You will take ownership of reservations challenges, agent relationships, operational issues and staffing matters, while continually improving processes, turnaround times, costing accuracy and conversion rates.

Requirements

• Ideally 10 to 15 years in luxury inbound DMC operations, with a substantial period in senior reservations management
• Broad, first-hand knowledge of destinations and products across Southern and East Africa
• A track record of designing, costing and running complex, high-end itineraries that span several African countries
• Meticulous attention to detail, with a firm command of costing, margins and profitability
• Considerable experience dealing directly with North American luxury travel advisors, preferably including Virtuoso, Serandipians or comparable networks
• Outstanding written and spoken communication, with the confidence to look after important agent relationships and solve problems independently
• Experience running a reservations pipeline, keeping quote turnaround times on target and improving conversion
• Strong leadership ability, with the skill to manage, motivate and grow a high-performing reservations team
• Experience with TourPlan would be a strong advantage

Salary – On application

?PLEASE NOTE – Although we appreciate all applications received, we will only reply to those candidates who have the background and experience required. Please note this position is only open to South African Residents. Thank you!