Destination Specialist / Program Developer – Australia/New Zealand

About Vaya Adventures

We are a growing travel company that specializes in tailor-made travel experiences around the world. Our goal is to provide our clients with the most personalized, memorable and meaningful trips possible. We have a fantastic team of Destination Specialists, all of whom have deep expertise in their areas of specialty, and a very efficient Operations team that works closely with our Destination Specialists and our Suppliers to help execute these fantastic trips. Job Title: Destination Specialist / Program Developer - Australia/New Zealand Reports to: Director of Sales Location: Remote

Job Overview:

Our travel company is seeking a passionate and experienced Destination Specialist / Program Developer to drive the development of travel programs across Australia/NZ or North America (including Mexico and the Caribbean). The ideal candidate combines a passion for travel with a deep knowledge of the destination, and the ability to create unique, authentic, and unforgettable travel experiences for our customers.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage travel programs across Australia/NZ, from inception to delivery, in accordance with the company's overall business plan, goals, and standards.
• Collaborate with clients to understand their travel preferences and interests and creatively put together truly outstanding travel programs for them. This includes explaining in detail the nature of our trips; answering questions about the trips; making suggestions based on information received from the potential clients; and determining whether the person is a good fit for the types of tours that we offer.
• Design and book customized travel itineraries that exceed client expectations.
• Prepare itineraries: includes drafting trip outlines, communicating with in-country operators and suppliers about availability and logistics; preparing proposals for potential clients; completing sales; and booking itineraries.
• Prepare trip documents for booked itineraries, including final itineraries and Pre-Departure Materials.
• Build strong relationships with suppliers, including hotels, tour operators, airlines, and local guides, to ensure we provide the best possible experience for our clients.
• Develop in-depth knowledge of the cultural, culinary, and adventure experiences available in the assigned destination.
• Stay up-to-date on travel trends and changes in the travel industry.
• Manage client inquiries and bookings throughout the travel planning process.
• Provide exceptional customer service and support to clients before, during, and after their trips.
• Work collaboratively with other team members (in Operations and other departments) in connection with booked clients to help make sure that clients are taken care of throughout all of their interactions with Vaya.
• Data entry for new leads and new clients.
• General administrative work related to bookings and existing clients.
• Whatever other tasks need to be accomplished.

Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience selling high-end custom travel in one or more of the mentioned destinations and, ideally, time spent living in one or more of the destinations.
• Ability to work well remotely and as part of a team of remote employees.
• Travel experience in our destinations (at least some, but not necessarily all) and some Spanish skills.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, to interact with highly educated, inquisitive, and demanding clients who expect a very high level of service.
• Excellent writing skills, for both communicating by email with clients and drafting and finalizing client proposals and final itineraries. It is essential that the candidate have strong writing skills and be comfortable writing in grammatically correct English with potential clients.
• Customer service experience is required. This business requires excellent customer service skills, including: patience, enthusiasm, attention to detail, and efficient and effective follow-up.
• Excellent computer skills are essential, including full working knowledge of Word and Excel.
• Must be highly organized and be able to multi-task and handle a wide variety of responsibilities.
• Must be able to work effectively and use sound judgment with minimal supervision.
• Must have a B.A. or B.S. from an accredited university.
• Strong references that can confirm experience dealing with challenging, detail oriented work.
• Passion for travel and for our destinations.
• Fluent in English (additional languages are a plus).
• Willingness to travel to destination areas frequently.

This is a full-time role with competitive salary and benefits, and the opportunity to work with a dedicated and passionate team to create memorable travel experiences for our customers. If you share our passion for travel and have what it takes to help us take our business to the next level, we invite you to apply for this exciting opportunity.

Originally posted on Himalayas