Senior Travel Designer,

Insphired Recruitment; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 300 000 - 400 000; Full time

Job summary

A travel services company in South Africa is seeking a Senior Travel Designer to manage travel bookings and enhance customer relationships. The ideal candidate will have 4-6 years of experience in the inbound travel sector, with detailed knowledge of Southern Africa and excellent communication skills. Responsibilities include liaising with reservations, designing travel itineraries, and ensuring smooth operations. The role demands a strong attention to detail and high service standards, offering a competitive salary based on experience.

Qualifications

• 4 - 6 years of senior experience in inbound travel industry.
• In-depth knowledge of South Africa and surrounding regions.
• Excellent attention to detail and high service levels.

Responsibilities

• Liaise with the Reservations Manager for bookings and issues.
• Design and plan guests' journeys, quote accurately and timely.
• Maintain booking files, ensuring all information is updated.

Skills

Dynamic

Detail-oriented

Organized

Excellent communication skills

Problem-solving

Strong time management

Education

Matric Certificate with Maths

Tertiary Certificate in Travel & Tourism / Hospitality

Tools

Microsoft Office (Outlook, Teams, Excel, Word)

Hotel Window

Tour Plan

WETU or similar booking system

Job description

Our client in Information Technology is currently looking for a Senior Travel Designer, in Rivonia, Johannesburg.

Responsibilities

Liaise with the Reservations Manager on sales potential and any development on the agent relationship for all bookings. Liaise with the Reservations Manager on booking issues, managing all the changes and adding any developments to the booking to ensure that the client's trip is booked and planned perfectly. Ensuring all relevant systems are updated i.e. : Hotel Window, WISH, Tour Plan and any other internal systems not mentioned. Handle Accommodation, flights transfer & touring bookings. Book relevant tickets as required. Book relevant accommodation for early-morning / late-night pick-ups and drop-offs. Ensure all booking details pull through accordingly once confirmation emails are received. Handle queries from Agents on various matters. Process any additional changes / updates after confirmation to the itinerary. Maintain booking file (electronically) incl. Agent correspondence, AP correspondence, costings, invoices & credit notes and updated booking file cover / summary and ensure all documents are in order. Communication: Continuous communication and excellent service delivery to agents always. Build relationships with agents based on trust and support, knowing their business trends and guests' needs. Build relationships with Operations Specialist. Keep Agents' booking information updated in the ARM (likes / dislikes - booking habits etc.) Streamline operational negotiations by also reducing dead beds, waitlist chasing and maximising camp operations role to create those life-changing journeys for guests. Quoting bookings - Design, develop and plan guests' journeys : Quote accurately and timeously keeping in mind our strategic and preferred AP and upsell where possible to benefit both company and the agent ensuring relevant information is obtained from the ARM prior to quoting. Stipulate and utilise applicable specials in the WW and make appropriate notes as required as per AP's systems and procedures. Understand the agents / guests needs in each booking. Design itineraries around company guidelines and product knowledge e.g., area, variety, product status and service consistency in accommodation standard, distances travelled and time saving aspects. Follow up on all outstanding provisional bookings with the agents, consistently understanding the yield implication of provisional space held. Measure sales and GP% per agent in conjunction with Sales, identifying variations and maintaining good GP margins per booking. Keep agent booking information updated in the ARM (likes / dislikes - booking habits etc.) Streamline operational negotiations by also reducing dead beds, waitlist chasing and maximising camp operations role to create those life-changing journeys for guests. Confirmed Bookings in accordance with company procedures : Create the automated deposit invoice including all services that are confirmed and need to be delivered in accordance with the agents agreed T&Cs, ensure bookings are not exposed on the TFS reports working closing with the Reservations Operations Manager - Americas JHB or CPT. Ensure that the deposit requirements in the WW match what the AP advises on the quote to mitigate exposure risk in each booking. Process any additional changes / updates after confirmation to the itinerary. Review guest travel docs completed in conjunction with the operations team support. All required travel information to be obtained from the Agent uploaded into the Window e.g., bed configuration, dietaries, ages of children, group dynamics and any other additional information from the agent. General : Attending relevant familiarization trips. Keep updated with all company and 3rd party product (AP), as well as technology updates.

Requirements

Matric Certificate - with math's (minimum standard grade or above) Tertiary Certificate in Travel & Tourism / hospitality is advantageous. 4 - 6 years with Senior experience in handling customer relationships and developing & promoting products and building journeys in the inbound travel industry. In depth knowledge of South Africa, specifically Cape Town, Garden Route & Safari Destinations and Southern Africa, specifically Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia and East Africa, specifically Zanzibar, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda. Personal or educational travel experience in the above areas is advantageous. Knowledge of Mozambique, Mauritius and Seychelles, an added advantage. Computer Literate (Microsoft Office : Outlook, Teams, Excel and Word) Proven English literacy. Working knowledge of Hotel Window, Tour Plan and WETU or similar booking / operating system. Excellent attention to detail. Skills : Dynamic, detail orientated, organized and excellent communication skills. Remain steady in busy environment and consistent with output, task driven. Ability to problem solve without compromising accuracy and prioritize changes. Driven to offer high quality service levels, strong time management. Highly detailed product knowledge - vital for speed in presenting alternatives. Strong financial skills, self-starter with high integrity level and ethical conduct.

Remuneration: R R per month.