Groups and Incentives Operations Consultant (BH_G&I_OpsConsultant) at andBeyond

• &Beyond is built, almost entirely, on the strength of remarkable people who give passionately to their roles, work tirelessly, and have the guest experience at the core of their focus daily and care of the sustainability of our communities and environment.  Every single ‘&Beyonder makes a huge difference to our success and our contribution to the world, regardless of their role or function. For this reason, we choose ‘&Beyonders’ very carefully – they are the strength and the future of this company.

KEY OUTPUTS:

• Responsible for delivering and performing land tour programs and events
• Handle/Travel on groups and ensure coordination in Southern and East Africa on a regular basis
• Help with the preparation and support of all operations of traveling files, ensuring quality control measures are in place
• Work with Operations Manager to ensure through strong commercial focus that all files are profitable and that margins remain in line with &Beyond guidelines
• Maintain good relationships with partners and monitor adherence to service level standards by suppliers
• Support and communication with accounts teams to ensure debtors are collected timeously and inform management of any potential bad debt
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date information on all confirmed services
• Oversee client itineraries and documents and ensuring prompt delivery
• Ensure all country travel restrictions are taken into account in planning and executing of groups traveling
• Recommendation to Operations Manager and Groups Manager to improve guest experiences and customer service
• Ensure all client and/or guest complaints are forwarded to Operations Manager and Groups Reservations Manager to be replied to immediately and follow process
• Be on call for any major emergencies and immediately alert the client and Regional Touring Manager
• Assisting with special projects and other duties as assigned by Management

KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED:

• In-depth knowledge of the tourism industry, including travel industry channels, current trends, destination management, and customer expectations
• Good understanding of terms and conditions, markets in which andBeyond operates in, product knowledge, third party and andBeyond Product destinations
• Relevant understanding of Business to create and formulate a strategy and make commercial decisions.
• A passion for delivering service excellence
• A good knowledge of South Africa, Southern and East Africa with the ability to provide recommendations and assistance preferable
• Experience of crisis management protocols and procedures, including emergency response and risk mitigation strategies.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:                                                                                                  

• Minimum of 2 – 5 years previous inbound tour consulting experience required.

SKILLS REQUIRED:

• Organization and time management skills
• Able to keep up with moving priorities, projects, clients, and technology.
• Able to think clearly in emergencies and ensure smooth tour operations in accordance with schedules
• Excellent communication skills (E.g. verbal, written, reporting and body language)
• Good understanding of terms and conditions, product knowledge, general knowledge, third party and andBeyond Product destinations
• Financial analysis, modelling and management
• Understanding and knowledge of the different markets in which andBeyond operates in
• Understanding of travel industry channels
• Excellent computer skills including: Tourplan (preferred) or any other reservation system, MS Office applications, Teams, Zoom
• Analytical skills
• Negotiation skills
• Experiential Creativity (Crafting Experiences)
• Yielding

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

• Detail-oriented
• Proactive
• Adaptable
• Decision-maker and problem-solver
• Service-oriented with strong multi-tasking skills
• Teamwork and interpersonal skills
• Conflict management and resolution