Destination Experiences Executive

Destination Experience Executive

Make sure to read the full description below, and please apply immediately if you are confident you meet all the requirements.
Salary £26,000 to £30,000 depending on experience
Permanent
Hybrid / Folkestone
At Saga, we believe the moments that stay with you are the ones that feel truly special. And this is a brilliant opportunity to help create more of those moments for our guests. As a Destination Experience Executive, youll play a key role in shaping the shore excursions and destination experiences that bring our river and ocean cruises to life.
This is a rare opportunity to join our Destination Experiences team and make a real difference. Youll have the freedom to get stuck in, use your ideas and take real ownership of your product range, working with fantastic destination partners and suppliers around the world. From discovering a new experience to bringing it to life for our guests, youll be involved throughout the journey and youll see your work make a difference.
We work in a hybrid way at Saga, both at home and in the office. In this team we work mainly from Enbrook
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 FOR THIS ROLE:
25 days holiday + bank holidays
Option to purchase additional leave - 5 extra days
Pension scheme matched up to 10%
Company performance related annual bonus - Up to 5%
Life assurance policy on joining us, 4 x salary
Wellbeing programme
Colleague discounts including family discounts on cruises, holidays and insurance
Range of reductions and offers from leading retailers, travel groups and entertainment companies
Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
Grandparents leave
Income protection
Access to Saga Academy, our bespoke learning platform
Main Responsibilities
Youll be responsible for developing and delivering an exciting, innovative and market-leading portfolio of bespoke shore excursions and destination experiences across Sagas river and ocean cruise programmes. Youll support the full experience lifecycle from destination research and product development through to supplier contracting, commercial planning, operational delivery and follow-up.
Youll have the opportunity to:
Plan and develop a compelling range of shore excursions, making sure we have the right capacity to meet forecast margins and our product guidelines.
Negotiate and contract commercially considered shore excursions, building strong and positive supplier relationships whilst keeping our guests at the heart of every decision.
Champion your product range and ensure every experience delivers the high levels of quality Saga guests expect.
Create innovative excursions that attract first-time buyers while continually refreshing and improving our existing experiences.
Represent Saga with suppliers, organisations, political bodies and trade contacts, building relationships at the highest levels.
Work closely with cruise itinerary planners and our onboard Explore Ashore teams to make sure the best possible guest experience can be delivered.
Research, spot new opportunities and use your commercial and analytical skills to ensure a bespoke and market leading range of excursions.
Work with suppliers to enhance the guest experience and bring fresh ideas to life.
Brief marketing, content and wider teams on new products, ensuring destination and excursion information is accurate across all platforms.
Monitor pricing and programme performance to deliver great value for guests while achieving budget and profit targets.
Ensure all contracts, costs, rates and systems are accurate, clear and fully agreed, helping us maximise guest experience and margins.
Support ships staff with product briefings for their specific cruises.
Make sure products meet insurance, health and safety requirements, arranging route proofing where needed.
Keep a close eye on costs, revenue controls and any non-budgeted expenditure or refund requests, ensuring these are managed robustly.
The Ideal Candidate
Were looking for someone who loves travel, thrives on bringing ideas to life and enjoys getting things done. Youll be hands-on, proactive and comfortable working with autonomy, while also being a great team player. This is a fast-moving role where no two days are quite the same, so youll need to be organised, commercially minded and calm under pressure.
Have worked in a similar role within the travel industry.
Strong organisational and multi-tasking skills, with the ability to prioritise and manage competing deadlines.
Excellent time management, attention to detail and a flexible, adaptable approach.
Good communication, influencing and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong working relationships.
Good problem-solving and analytical skills, alongside a self-motivated and results-focused approach.
Strong commercial awareness, with negotiation experience an advantage.
The ability to develop close relationships with suppliers and work collaboratively to achieve great results.
European and worldwide travel product knowledge would be an advantage.
Good IT and database skills, including Word, Excel, Outlook and internal systems such as Taurus, Destiny and MXP.
Strong numerical and literacy skills.
Additional European languages would be advantageous but are not essential.
A willingness and flexibility to travel worldwide as part of the role when required.
Knowledge of contracting processes would be an advantage but is not essential.
Saga Values: Make it Happen, Do the Right Thing, Customer First, Excellence Every Day, Our People Make Us Special
About The Company
Over the past 75 years we have become the UK's specialist provider of products and services to people aged over 50 in the UK. Were the most trusted brand amongst UK consumers in this demographic, recognised for high-quality products and exceptional standards of service. Our product portfolio includes cruises, holidays, insurance, personal finance products and?our Saga Magazine.
Our focus on delivering exceptional products and service empowers our colleagues to create moments that are personal and special for our customers and for each other and our values underpin our approach and help guide us to deliver our purpose.
Were committed to making sure that colleagues can be their best, be themselves and make a difference more than anywhere else. We have done this by creating a truly inclusive culture, where all colleagues can bring their full and authentic selves to work and be treated with dignity?and respect in an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment.
Thanks to our people, Saga was awarded with a Gold for Best Customer Centric Culture in 2025. This is testament to the great culture weve built together. This award belongs to all our colleagues who collectively make Saga a fantastic place to work.
We are champions of age inclusivity and signatories of the Age-Friendly Employer Pledge, we are proud of our multigenerational teams we have in place. Were also a committed Disability Confident employer and ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. Your application will have fair consideration, and youll receive personal communication throughout your applicant journey when you apply to join Saga.
Saga does not accept agency CVs unless specifically engaged on the role by the Talent Acquisition Team. Please do not forward CVs to our recruiters, employees or any other company location. xrnqpay Saga will not be responsible for any fees related to CVs received in this unsolicited manner.
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