German Groups & Group Series Specialist

Our client is an established destination management business specialising in inbound travel across Southern Africa. The organisation partners with international travel companies to create well-planned, locally informed journeys for leisure groups and scheduled group series. Known for service excellence, strong supplier relationships and detailed operational delivery, the business offers a collaborative environment in which destination knowledge, commercial awareness and exceptional client care are highly valued.

The German Groups & Group Series Specialist will manage the full journey-planning and booking cycle for German-speaking overseas travel partners. The role combines itinerary design, quotation preparation, reservations, supplier coordination, tour guide liaison, operational documentation and financial administration. Success requires accurate delivery, responsive communication and the ability to balance client expectations with budget, product availability, service quality and agreed turnaround times.

Interpret each agent brief carefully, taking the travellers' interests, special requirements, accessibility needs and available budget into account.

Acknowledge new written enquiries promptly and provide accurate proposals, responses and booking confirmations within the required turnaround times.

Develop attractive, practical itineraries for group travel and scheduled series throughout South Africa and the wider Southern African region.

Prepare client-specific proposals in German and compile accurate costings for groups of different sizes and requirements.

Create and maintain reservations in Tourplan, including the required programme cost-management records for every group series.

Secure written confirmation of accommodation, transport, guiding and other travel services from the relevant suppliers.

Monitor group-series utilisation, booking deadlines, payment milestones and reservation conditions, keeping the overseas agent informed throughout the process.

Keep each electronic booking file accurate, complete, current and organised in line with internal operating standards.

Prepare and quality-check all operational documentation, including final itineraries, guide packs, service vouchers, rooming lists and supporting booking records.

Update documentation and guide briefings whenever an itinerary, service or traveller requirement changes.

Reconcile completed files and ensure all services, supplier confirmations, costs and supporting records are correctly captured before closure.

Build trusted, long-term relationships with German-speaking agents through clear, accurate and proactive communication.

Ensure proposals, confirmations, presentations and other correspondence are professional, complete and delivered on time.

Recommend the most suitable available products and rates while continuing to introduce fresh ideas that strengthen the client offering.

Remain available to the agent and tour guide during travel, resolving service issues, complaints and urgent operational matters calmly and efficiently.

Participate in manager-on-duty telephone support and attend to operational queries when rostered or requested.

Obtain post-travel feedback from agents, summarise the findings and identify recurring service themes or improvement opportunities.

Follow up consistently on active enquiries, outstanding decisions and potential sales opportunities in support of agreed targets.

Develop productive relationships with preferred suppliers and negotiate the strongest available rates, value and booking terms.

Maintain a detailed understanding of supplier products and actively research new experiences, destinations and creative itinerary options.

Book appropriate tour guide services well in advance and liaise with the relevant guide coordination team regarding availability and assignments.

Select guides with due consideration for the group's language, cultural background, traveller profile and the guide's proven capability.

Brief guides thoroughly on the itinerary, service standards and all special traveller requirements, and remain in regular contact while the group is travelling.

Confirm that every booked service is invoiced correctly and that the booking file reflects accurate revenue and cost information.

Track deposits, final payments, short payments and overdue balances, following up with the relevant agent or internal stakeholder when necessary.

Work closely with the Finance team to resolve account queries and ensure that agreed payment conditions are enforced.

Monitor booking margins, investigate high or low variances and provide clear explanations where results differ from expectations.

Escalate potential payment, costing or profitability concerns to the Team Manager before they place the booking at risk.

Apply all departmental procedures, service standards and business policies consistently, while protecting confidential and commercially sensitive information.

Submit accurate reports within deadline and maintain disciplined electronic filing across the team.

Contribute to a positive, accountable team culture through open communication, knowledge sharing, coaching and mentoring where required.

Support the implementation and refinement of practical operating procedures, and contribute to training and expense planning when requested.

Assist colleagues in areas of personal expertise and provide reasonable support outside normal office hours when operational circumstances require it.

Keep destination and product knowledge current by attending internal training, supplier workshops, educational trips, trade events, seminars and industry conferences.

Stay informed about travel trends, the German source market and the legal considerations that affect German travellers and travel partners.

Matric / Grade 12.

Full professional fluency in spoken and written German.

Demonstrated experience with group and group-series reservations, quotations and costings.

A minimum of three years' relevant experience working with groups and scheduled travel series is preferred.

Practical Tourplan knowledge and the ability to manage reservations accurately on the system.

Sound knowledge of the tourism industry, inbound travel operations and customer service expectations.

Excellent geographical knowledge of South Africa and the broader Southern African region.

Strong destination, product and travel logistics knowledge.

The ability to negotiate supplier rates, terms and availability effectively.

A recognised Travel and Tourism qualification.

Knowledge of the German travel market and the travel-law principles relevant to German clients.

Experience handling client complaints, operational emergencies and complex group movements.

Exceptional attention to detail and a strong commitment to accuracy.

Mature, tactful and professional engagement with people at every organisational level.

Excellent planning, prioritisation, organisational and analytical ability.

Confident written and verbal communication in both German and English.

Sound judgement, integrity, discretion and respect for confidentiality.

Strong interpersonal, negotiation, research and stakeholder-liaison skills.

A practical, solutions-focused approach to complaints, changes and time-sensitive operational challenges.

The flexibility and composure required to manage several group files, deadlines and stakeholders simultaneously.

A competitive salary will be offered and determined according to the successful candidate's relevant experience, technical knowledge and overall suitability for the role.

Only applicants who meet the essential requirements will be considered. While every effort will be made to acknowledge applications, candidates whose experience does not align with the minimum criteria may not receive individual feedback.