Travel Trade Manager

Responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with tour operators, travel agents and other industry partners to generate leisure, FIT and group bookings and revenue by promoting Oklahoma City’s tourism assets. This role requires attending travel trade shows and networking events, executing sales strategies, and collaborating with internal teams to meet the needs of FIT and Group clients.

• Actively prospect and identify potential group clients through networking, industry events, Travel Trade shows and direct outreach.

• Develop and implement targeted sales strategies to attract group business from travel agents and tour operators, both domestic and international.

• Assist with research and identification of emerging consumer tradeshow markets that can increase awareness for the Leisure Market.

• Conduct site inspections, presentations, and proposals to showcase the destination or property's group capabilities.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key travel trade and industry partners, including Tour Operators, wholesalers, and Travel agents.

• Supply leads and opportunities to local industry partners from tour operators, group leaders, and travel agents.

• Organize and execute familiarization tours with key travel trade partners to enhance destination awareness.

• Collaborate with industry partners in customizing group packages and itineraries tailored to different market segments.

• Identify opportunities to develop new group products and services to enhance appeal to different client types.

• Monitor and analyze sales performance metrics, including group booking trends, room nights, international visitation, international offerings of Oklahoma City, and revenue generated.

• Generate detailed reports to track progress towards targets and identify areas for improvement.

• Work with the Director of Travel Trade to forecast future group sales based on market trends and client activity.

• Participate in industry trade shows and conferences to promote leisure and group travel options and network with potential clients and visitors.

• Collaborate with the Marketing team to create compelling collateral and promotional campaigns specifically targeted at the Leisure, FIT, International and group travel markets.

• Four-year degree from an academic institution and at least one year of hospitality industry experience, or associate’s degree and two years of hospitality industry experience.

• Proven experience in travel sales, preferably with a focus on leisure, group and travel trade relationships.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills to effectively pitch group packages to clients.

• In-depth knowledge of the tourism industry, market trends, and competitor landscape.

• Ability to manage multiple projects and prioritize tasks to meet sales targets.

• Proficiency in CRM systems and sales reporting tools.

• Experience with Microsoft Office Products and PC’s is required.