Director of DMC UK + Benelux (General Manager)

Kuoni Global Travel Services; London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

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Director of DMC UK + Benelux (General Manager), London

Location: London, European Union

Job Category: Tourism

Job Reference:

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Job Views:

1

Posted:

12.04.2025

Expiry Date:

27.05.2025

Job Description:

At Kuoni Tumlare, we design and deliver exceptional travel experiences through a comprehensive portfolio of destination management solutions. With over 100 years of expertise, we serve a global network of partners by offering series tours, educational trips, MICE events, guaranteed departure tours, and more. Our marketplace strategy is at the forefront of digital transformation, ensuring a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving travel landscape.

About the Role

We are on an exciting growth journey and in a period of expansion and development. The role would suit a visionary and entrepreneurial person who can drive us to our goal of being the leading DMC for UK + Benelux.

Reporting to the COO and working closely with other Leadership Team members, you will drive the company strategy across functions and have full P&L responsibility for your area.

The position expects a sustainable balance between strategic thinking and operational capability and entrepreneurship. Travel is required as is networking outside working hours.

Key Responsibilities

Leading directly 6 Managers who report directly to you, with a total team size of 70 underneath. Spread across: Hotel Procurement & Hotel Reservation, Operations, Destination Management (Product & Quotation), Customer Service, Direct Sales (i.e. domestic, markets where we don’t have a Sales structure), MICE (dominantly Incentive & Meeting & Events).

1. Leverage your strong internal relationships with HR, Finance, IT and support offices and work collaboratively with departments across Europe.
2. Manage and drive relationships with direct clients, suppliers, sales offices, tourism organizations and travel associations.

Operations (Destination Management & Customer Service)

1. Responsibility for the operational excellence in destination and for the service quality delivered by the local office.
2. Secure optimal spread of tasks in the local office and streamlining of work processes and routines.
3. Overall responsibility for service level agreements with sales.
4. Monitoring Operations KPI’s in terms of speed, fulfilment quality and deadline.
5. Overall responsible for customer service setup during office hours.
6. Communicate with clients, representing the destination, meet & greet of key customers and clients.
7. Fully aware of complaint issues and ratio (KPI’s) and take measures to avoid any complaints.
8. Responsible to applying the company’s market-leading hotel & Destination service procurement strategy (right product, right price, right collaboration).
9. Align Sales’ expectation (demand side) with destination trends (supply side) to maintain a competitive product portfolio.
10. Ensure sufficient hotel inventories for all source markets requirements and in line with seasonal needs.
11. Ensure rate competitiveness & sufficient hotel & Destination service portfolio (in line with market rates and demand and set KPI targets) and give corrective measures.
12. Monitor market trends and product innovation and reflect in product development in close cooperation with the Sales & Destination Management team.
13. Ensure destination and product knowledge will be transferred to all stakeholders (Sales / Hotels Reservation / Operations).
14. Ensure your area offers special / exclusive agreements with key suppliers.
15. Provide realistic additional revenue targets such preferred partnership agreements with individual partners, National Tourist offices or Regional offices overrides, commissions and rebates.
16. Ensure all business activities and employees comply with relevant financial, legislative, legal demands and ethical standards of the organisation.
17. Control and monitor contracting deadlines.

Management (HR / Finance / others)

1. Manage and build up a high performing team and regularly hold meetings to ensure a strong office team spirit with open communication and exchange.
2. Define strong MBO who support the overall company strategy and values.
3. Ensure staff trainings, development of key talents and mentoring your team.
4. Reward outstanding performance and hold a fair and balanced salary policy in line with financial budget.
5. Workload control, vacation planning and assigning accountabilities.
6. Increase team effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orientating, training, coaching, counselling and disciplining team members, communicating values, strategies and objectives.
7. Budgeting (monthly) Managing business pipeline and regular forecasting in close cooperation with Finance is required.
8. Constantly control overall profitability GOP and Operating Profit of the destination via internal Business Intelligence System (BIS).

To Succeed in the Role, You Should Have:

1. Total experience of 15+ years in travel industry is ideal. With a minimum 5-7 years of experience in a senior management position (ideally in a hospitality or international travel industry, including Asia, Japan, and European & USA market) or DMC background.
2. Well connected to the UK and preferably Benelux travel trade (Travel Agency, NTO (i.e. Visit Britain), Tourism region, Hotels, excursion and attractions).
3. Sales skills or experience dealing with customers (agencies or corporate companies).
4. Strong communication skills (written / spoken) in English at business level.
5. Proven ability to work effectively for one of the largest travel company in the world, achieving objectives through personal leadership.
6. Experience in business transformation, integrations and change management.
7. Effectively build relationships at senior levels (LT) and manage external as well internal resources.
8. Strong delivery focus and a proven track record of implementing workable solutions.
9. Experience in managing large international teams effectively with the ability to inspire, energize and motivate.
10. IT proficiency including good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (focus on data analysis in Excel and management reporting in PowerPoint).

What We Offer:

1. Global Brand: Opportunity to work in an international environment spread across 33 countries and growing.
2. Stability: 100 Years at the top of our field and still pushing into new territory.
3. Progression: We reward high performers and look to promote key talent internally.
4. Learning and Development opportunities for growth and Upskilling.
5. A Supportive Management Culture and autonomous working environment.
6. Company Wide Bonus Scheme.
7. Dedicated Employee Engagement Activities.
8. Flexible & Hybrid Working.
9. Annual Awards and Recognition for high Performers.
10. Friendly and Collaborative work environment.