£28,000 to £32,000 depending on experience
Destinations Experience Executive- Saga Travel
Salary from £28,000 - £32,000 per annum
Permanent
Full Time - 35 hours per week
Hybrid role – Hybrid – 3 days a week in office Folkestone, Enbrook, Kent
We are seeking a proactive, guest-centric Destinations Experience Executive to deliver an exciting range of innovative, market-leading shore excursions for Saga’s cruise ships across our European and Worldwide destinations. This role is hands-on, offering the opportunity to make a real impact by shaping our product range and ensuring it meets the highest commercial, operational, and guest experience standards.
You will be responsible for sourcing, developing, and managing excursions that not only align with our product strategy but also set us apart in a highly competitive marketplace. Working with autonomy, you’ll negotiate with suppliers, refine products through competitor analysis, and ensure every excursion delivers exceptional value and unforgettable experiences for our guests.
The ideal candidate will have a background in commercial operations, with proven experience in negotiating contracts, managing supplier relationships and driving profitability. You will be guest focused, proactive, results-oriented, and able to work on your own initiative, with the autonomy to develop your geographic product range and the determination to deliver on commitments in a fast-moving environment.
Role Responsibility
* Plan, develop, and deliver a diverse range of innovative, market-leading shore excursions across all destinations along with a differentiated selection of included tours in every port.
* Negotiate and secure the best commercial terms with suppliers for excursions and shuttle services.
* Draft, review, and sign supplier contracts, ensuring compliance with company policies and standards.
* Build and maintain strong supplier relationships, addressing any issues that may impact service quality.
* Champion product quality by ensuring all excursions meet health, safety, and insurance guidelines.
* Conduct research and competitor analysis to refine, enhance, and refresh the excursion portfolio.
* Collaborate with cruise itinerary planners to maximise commercial opportunities.
* Provide accurate excursion details and updates to content, marketing, and operations teams.
* Brief and debrief ship staff to ensure smooth delivery and guest satisfaction.
* Monitor programme performance, ensuring pricing, margins, and profitability targets are achieved.
The Ideal Candidate
* Strong organisational, time management, and multi-tasking skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively and meet tight deadlines.
* Guest-centric, focused on understanding, anticipating, and fulfilling the unique needs and preferences of each guest to create positive and memorable destination experiences.
* Flexible, adaptable, and detail-oriented, remaining calm under pressure with a proactive, self-motivated approach.
* Excellent communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills.
* Strong reasoning, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
* Commercially minded with proven negotiation and influencing skills (mentoring available to further develop these).
* Ability to build and maintain productive supplier relationships to achieve optimum results.
* European and worldwide travel experience or product knowledge is desirable.
* Confident IT user with strong systems knowledge (Taurus, Word, Excel, Outlook) and high levels of numeracy and literacy.
* Knowledge of contracting processes and additional European languages are advantageous but not essential.
* Flexible and willing to travel within Europe and internationally as required.
Saga Values: Make it Happen, Do the Right Thing, Customer First, Excellence Every Day, Our People Make Us Special
Package Description
At Saga we recognise that our people make us special. We believe our colleagues deserve rewards for the excellence they demonstrate every single day, that's why we have put together an amazing benefits package for all colleagues.
BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO ALL COLLEAGUES:
* 25 days holiday +