Senior Tour Consultant

Our client is a South African-based tour operator specializing in adventure safari tours across Southern and East Africa. They are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Tour Consultant to join their team.

Job Description:

The Senior Tour Consultant will be responsible for effectively managing product reservations and scheduled tour operations, ensuring client and supplier expectations are exceeded.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Scope:

• Managing reservations for bookings received via internal and external B2B and B2C channels.
• Overseeing scheduled seat-in-coach tours.
• Liaising with clients, including international agents, local tour operators, and online direct consumers.
• Managing supplier relationships with accommodations, excursion operators, tour guides, and transport providers.

• Categorizing, actioning, and filing emails daily.
• Adhering to response standards and turnaround times.

• Acknowledging and responding to customer inquiries promptly.
• Adhering to live chat standards and maintaining online presence during working hours.

• Understanding day tour and transfers pricing structures.
• Following standard quoting procedures for different products.
• Applying financial and operational knowledge to tour planning (routes, distances, vehicle requirements, border policies, etc.).

• Booking and confirming allocated tours, airport transfers, day tours, add-on nights, and charter requests.
• Ensuring timely actioning of booking requests.
• Monitoring tour group sizes to prevent overbookings.
• Converting provisional bookings before the cutoff period.
• Managing supplier allocations and maintaining reservation quality control.
• Understanding supplier negotiations, terms, and tour costing.
• Monitoring tour profitability.
• Processing accurate invoicing and ensuring timely supplier payments.

• Understanding and adhering to cancellation policies and travel regulations.
• Negotiating cancellation fees and refund requests with suppliers and clients when necessary.
• Ensuring accurate processing of cancellations and refunds.

• Reviewing tour dispatch details (vehicle equipment, food & beverage arrangements).
• Verifying booking details, room configurations, and securing alternative accommodations when required.
• Sending rooming lists to suppliers and confirming tour departures.
• Capturing and booking guest travel requirements, including pre/post-accommodation, airport transfers, and optional day trips.
• Allocating vehicles and tour guides in accordance with schedules.
• Ensuring supplier pre-payments are processed.
• Preparing guest and guide documentation.
• Briefing tour guides and ensuring they have necessary funds.

• Assisting guests with lost luggage incidents and transfer arrangements.
• Checking in with tour guides and resolving on-tour issues.
• Reporting issues affecting tour experiences.

• Maintaining high service standards and effective communication with clients and suppliers.
• Processing requests promptly and providing clients with destination-related information.
• Upselling additional accommodations, transfers, and tours.
• Ensuring timely and accurate documentation.
• Handling emergency phone duties when required.

• Reporting incidents promptly and following resolution procedures.
• Compiling and logging incidents in reports as required.
• Qualifying client inquiries and suggesting additional relevant products.
• Following up on quotes to convert sales.
• Understanding and implementing sales strategies.

• Monitoring guest and guide feedback and escalating relevant issues.
• Updating product content as needed.
• Understanding tour itineraries in detail.

Qualifications & Expertise:

• Matric / Grade 12.
• Excellent knowledge of Southern African regional tourism (routes, distances, attractions, transport infrastructure).
• Experience with online booking systems essential.
• Minimum of 3 years experience in group or series tour consulting within the tour operating industry.
• Knowledge of Tourplan preferred.
• Strong verbal, written, and telephonic communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving abilities.
• Organizational and time management expertise.
• Negotiation and decision-making skills.
• Innovative, proactive, and detail-oriented.
• Basic financial knowledge.
• Team player with strong tourism industry insight.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Teams).

Salary:

The salary for this position is competitive and dependent on relevant experience.

Application Process:

Interested candidates who meet the above criteria are encouraged to apply with their updated CVs.