Destination Manager

COMPANY SUMMARY

At Holiday Vacations, our mission is to enrich lives with valued travel experiences. We offer inclusive guided tours led by professional Tour Directors to more than 80 destinations on six continents. We travel by air, motor coach, trains, and cruises on itineraries that bring the destination alive for our guests. We are headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and are a subsidiary of Xanterra Travel Collection, the largest national park concessionaire in the U.S. Xanterra also owns other tour operator and cruise line brands including VBT Bicycling Vacations, Country Walkers, and Windstar Cruises.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Destination Manager plays a vital role within Holiday Vacations, overseeing the full product lifecycle from planning to operational delivery. This position involves analyzing, planning, and negotiating assigned products to ensure market competitiveness. A deep understanding of the competitive landscape for each destination is essential, along with focused oversight to maximize tour revenue, occupancy, and profitability while maintaining strict cost controls.

With an emphasis on innovation and guest satisfaction, the Destination Manager identifies and integrates unique and cost-effective elements that enhance the guest experience. Success in this role requires a blend of entrepreneurial creativity and precise fiscal management to uncover opportunities, eliminate sales barriers, and address complex business challenges.

At Holiday Vacations, how we work is just as important as what we deliver, welcome to The HV Way! 

• Honesty & Integrity: We act with honesty and accountability, building trust with every guest, partner, and teammate. We keep our promises.
• Create Community: We create community by treating each other and our guests like extended family, fostering belonging, celebrating, and supporting one another.
• Surprise & Delight: We go beyond expectations to create meaningful experiences. We make every effort to exceed expectations.
• Grow Together: We embrace curiosity, feedback, and continuous learning – always striving to be better and do better.
• Innovate Boldly: We seek fresh ideas, adapt to change, and look for ways to stay ahead in a dynamic travel landscape
• Protect What Matters: We prioritize safety and sustainability for our people, our guests, and the places we explore.
• Celebrate the Team: We succeed together, value each person’s gifts and contributions, and take time to enjoy the journey along the way.

CORE COMPETENCIES

At Holiday Vacations, a successful Destination Manager possesses and demonstrates: 

• Accountability by taking ownership of their actions and outcomes. They embrace feedback, make improvements when needed, and work diligently to ensure the highest standards in all aspects of their work.
• Collaboration by working effectively with others, leveraging individual strengths, and fostering a cooperative environment. They actively listen, share ideas, and respect diverse perspectives to build strong, effective teams.
• Innovation by developing new and creative ideas that challenge the status quo. They experiment with novel approaches and drive continuous improvement in processes, products, and services.
• Analytical Thinking by breaking down complex problems into manageable components, logically assessing situations to identify key issues, and developing well-reasoned conclusions to drive informed decision-making.
• Communication Skills by conveying information clearly and effectively across various channels, actively listening to others, and tailoring their messages to ensure mutual understanding and engagement with diverse audiences.
• Negotiation by skillfully finding common ground, managing conflicts, and reaching mutually beneficial agreements that create win-win outcomes.
• Project Management by defining clear project scope, coordinating resources effectively, and ensuring successful completion of objectives within deadlines and budget.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Proactively plan, develop, own, and manage HV tours from inception to execution, aligning with business schedules.
• Manage the critical path for planning and delivery, involving colleagues and departments.
• Define and ensure operational delivery standards, guest scores, and product quality targets through timely review of survey results.
• Collaborate with marketing and sales teams to produce accurate marketing content and optimize tour departure occupancy and yield management.
• Create momentum for change and help drive new initiatives that will benefit the business.
• Continuously develop recommendations and implement initiatives to improve product P&L.
• Submit proposed component-level tour pricing following internal budgetary guidance, subject to review and approval by the HV finance and accounting team.
• Review product performance, comparing sales to budgets, and proactively address product or pricing issues.
• Thoroughly analyze products to optimize revenue and occupancy, focusing on cost controls.
• Proactively seek opportunities to enhance margins and customer value through supplier review, selection, and negotiation.
• Produce competitive analysis to support new tour proposals and existing tour reviews.
• Partner with the hotel procurement team to negotiate and purchase rooms based on criteria such as location, budget, and inclusions.
• Develop relationships with relevant tourist boards to leverage marketing and contribution opportunities.
• Stay informed about emerging trends, opportunities, and threats for assigned regions.
• Conduct itinerary training for Tour Directors and Tour Sales Consultants.
• Conduct online travel shows and participate in media interviews to promote and enhance visibility for tours and destinations.
• Active and professional participation in weekly team meetings.
• Travel domestically and internationally for site inspections, destination familiarization, conferences, and other related activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

PORTFOLIO LEADERSHIP & DESTINATION SPECIALIST COORDINATION  

• Support a collaborative, respectful, and accountable working relationship with Destination Specialists, encouraging open communication, continuous learning, and shared ownership of portfolio success.
• Lead the day-to-day coordination of assigned Destination Specialist support to ensure portfolio priorities, deadlines, and deliverables are completed accurately and on time.
• Set clear expectations for assigned work, communicate priorities, delegate tasks appropriately, and monitor progress to maintain high-quality outcomes.
• Provide timely, direct feedback to Destination Specialists regarding work quality, accuracy, communication, follow-through, and deadline management.
• Partner with the Director of Destinations & Product Development to ensure Destination Specialists receive the coaching, training, tools, and development needed to successfully support assigned portfolios.
• Identify workflow, training, communication, or performance concerns that may impact portfolio success and communicate those concerns promptly to the Director of Destinations & Product Development.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience that includes three years of experience in tourism, sales, marketing, business administration, and/or travel-related experience.
• Preference will be given to candidates with at least three years of management experience in the travel industry, specifically with product and commercial responsibilities.
• Candidates must have significant knowledge of various destinations (geography) and experience with the travel methods included in our tour packages, such as motor coaches, cruises, trains, and aircraft.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to direct the actions of others.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to problem-solve and work under pressure of immediate deadlines.
• Preference provided to candidates with two years of supervisory management experience.
• Proficiency in Office 365 Word, Outlook, OneNote, PowerPoint, and Teams required.
• Advanced proficiency with Excel is required.
• Proficiency with CoPilot is preferred.
• Experience with group tour reservation systems (Peak15) preferred
• Demonstrated ability to develop subject matter expertise (SME) in new systems and processes

WORKING CONDITIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS

Work Location: The location for work is the Holiday Vacations corporate headquarters in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The office environment may have moderate noise levels from office equipment and verbal interaction.

Schedule: Work hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST with a one-hour lunch break. There may be schedule variations due to the time of year and department demands.

Physical Requirements: The job requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time, as well as the ability to frequently walk and lift or carry up to 35 lbs. May require bending, twisting, stooping, grasping, and reaching outward or above shoulders, lift/carry and push or pull up to 50 lbs.

BENEFITS: For full-time employees, Holiday Vacations offers a comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental & Vision; HSA & FSA; Life & Disability; Accident, Hospital & Critical Illness; Pet Insurance; Paid Time Off and Holiday Paid Time Off; 401(k) with Company Match; Employee Assistance Plan; Education Assistance; and a variety of Employee Travel Discounts and Travel Deals.

EEO: Holiday Vacations is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.