A luxury experiential travel company that tailor-makes exclusive safaris and tours in Africa, Asia and South America is looking for a Travel Specialist to join their team. The candidate must have experience in the following areas:

KEY OUTPUTS:
• Constant, consistent interaction and clear communication with colleagues, agents, operators guests and suppliers, telephonically and via email.
• Creative and out of the box planning and designing of leisure FIT tailor-made itineraries
• Managing the reservations process including handling of bookings from quote to finalising, including invoicing and travel documents
• Ensuring turn around times are strictly adhered to according to standard operating practices
• Proactive selling of products and services ensuring the best possible itinerary for the guests
• Saturday duty on a rotation basis
• Public Holiday duty on a rotation basis
• Backup for colleagues when they are away from the office
• Expanding product knowledge through attending training sessions
• Upholding the values of the company; Care of the people, Care of land and Care of the wildlife

KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED:
• A good knowledge on any of the destinations that the company promotes within South, Southern and East Africa
• An in-depth geographical, logistical and product knowledge of two of the following regions: South, Southern and East Africa
• Good understanding of delivering excellent service to agents/guests
• An in-depth knowledge of Tourplan or a similar booking system
• A willingness and aptitude to learn
• Good organisational ability
• Lateral thinking ability
• Initiative

SKILLS REQUIRED:
• Communication skills and fluent in written and spoken English
• Organisational skills which include time management and prioritising of tasks which will require a person who likes dealing with detail
• Computer literate with experience with Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
• Web reporting portal
• Understanding of travel industry through study or work experience
• Market knowledge and how it operates
• Attention to detail
• Working in an orderly manner to ensure that files can be continued by other Consultants when necessary
• Working knowledge of Tourplan, WETU and GDM
• Understanding of quantitative and qualitative data
• Relevant understanding of the Business to create strategy and making commercial decisions
• Sales process and methodologies
• Sales and Brand representation
• Experiential creativity (crafting experiences)
• Guest/Client delight
• Teamwork and interpersonal skills
• Conflict management and resolution
• Speed reading and speed typing
• Paperless filing and Database filing and management
• Excellent verbal, written and reporting skills.
• Good organisational ability
• Initiative
• High energy levels needed
• Must be able to ADD VALUE
• Able to travel; flexibility in terms of working hours
• Self-driven; very responsible but fun; passionate about &Beyond
• Proactive, have a sense of urgency and be able to act quickly to resolve problems

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:
• Good interpersonal skills
• Sense of urgency
• Passionate about guest delight
• Diligence and self-motivation to meet deadlines and keep on top of your job
• Willingness/ability to share information and teach and inspire others

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
• Must have at least 4 or more years tour operating experience
• Tourplan experience is an advantage

The successful candidate should have an enquiring mind, be methodical, pay attention to detail, be creative, show perseverance and patience, ability to work under pressure, ability to accept routine and mundane tasks, have high energy level, be flexible, and have the ability to overcome obstacles and persist with the task at hand, be decisive and adaptable.