Job Summary
Leading Inbound Destination Management Company based in Bryanston is looking for a Travel Designer. The Travel Designer is responsible for owning the client relationship end to end; from lead qualification and itinerary curation to proposal delivery ; booking oversight ; crisis handling, and post travel retention. This role requires a high degree of product knowledge ; strategic design capability, commercial accuracy and exceptional written and spoken communication skills. The Travel Designer crafts high touch, luxury inbound journeys for the USA, UK, Europe ; and Australian B2C markets ; ensuring “Unreasonable Hospitality” is delivered throughout. Duties: Lead Intake & Qualification: Receive and acknowledge new leads assigned via CRM (HubSpot). Conduct discovery through email, phone or video: purpose, budget, dates, preferences, personality. Perform visa/restriction checks. Build instant rapport and position yourself as the expert. Research & Itinerary Design: Design all itinerary concepts including destinations, routing, pacing, experiences. Research all flights, hotels, tours, transfers and relevant logistics. Obtain supplier quotes, evaluate promotions and ensure availability. Draft initial itinerary and refine based on client feedback. Proposal Development: Build polished, accurate proposals (PDF, System or CRM generated). Create pricing breakdowns and comparison options Present proposals to clients (email, phone, or virtual meeting). Ensure pricing accuracy through error checks. Booking & Supplier Coordination Upon client confirmation, the travel designer hands the file to the Junior Assistant but retains accountability. Quality checks all supplier bookings. Issue invoices and process payments. Manage FOREX considerations and apply ROE adjustments. Oversee release dates and ensure financial accuracy. Documentation & Pre Travel Processing: Conduct visa, passport, insurance, and compliance checks. Approve all documents assembled by the Junior Assistant. Ensure final travel pack is complete, accurate, and branded to standard. During Travel Support: Prepare detailed client bio for on ground suppliers. Serve as first line support for all complex issues. Handle disruptions, emergencies, and supplier escalations. Identify/Look for opportunities for Unreasonable Hospitality moments. Post Travel Client Retention Send follow up messages, gifts, postcards. Call clients personally. Capture all feedback into CRM. Encourage reviews / referrals and update client preferences for future trips. Requirements: Grade 12 A formal travel & tourism qualification At least 5+ years inbound travel consulting for luxury FIT markets. Proven experience with multi country Africa itineraries. GDS experience advantageous. Tourplan knowledge advantageous. Luxury itinerary design expertise (Southern & East Africa). Strong written and spoken communication. High attention to detail & pricing accuracy. Problem solving under pressure. CRM fluency (HubSpot preferred). Client centred mindset with warm, polished tone. Commercial awareness (margins, FOREX, supplier terms). Ability to own full sales cycle and convert efficiently.