Travel Product Manager in Farnborough

Explore is an adventure travel expert focused on sustainable, small group holidays which create stories to tell for a lifetime. From classic group tours and family adventures, to walking, wildlife and cycling trips. With around 100 countries to choose from, our customers explore the world with us. Join us on our journey, creating extraordinary travel experiences for all. Sustainability has always been at the heart of what we do, as has the ethos of continual improvement. A trusted brand – B Corp certified and a Feefo Platinum Service Award holder, we pride ourselves on doing the right thing, by our people, our customers, and the planet.

This role is based in Farnborough, Hampshire with 2 days per week in the office. Our office is within walking distance of the train station and has free parking. This is a full-time position, however work life balance is important to us and so we are open to discussion on flexible working patterns (minimum 4 days per week). Salary: £39,000 - £43,000 p.a. + bonus.

About The Role

You will create our unforgettable worldwide adventures – be it a cultural holiday, a bucket-list trek, a cycle ride through the backroads of a little-known destination or an amazing family adventure. It’s the Product Manager’s role to develop and deliver sustainable, profitable itineraries which operate within our safety guidelines. You will be continually monitoring feedback and innovating your product, to ensure that Explore always offers market leading trips which exceed our customers’ expectations. The successful candidate for this role will look after a variety of destinations in Southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. You will manage this portfolio of tours and be (or become) the company expert for these regions.

Responsibilities

• You will be in regular contact with our overseas suppliers for various reasons – discussing on the ground delivery, talking about itinerary improvements, obtaining discounts for staff/press trips or just having a catch-up chat.
• Completing specific tasks such as negotiating rates, setting dates/capacity, or putting together inspiring text for new tours.
• Conducting competitor analysis, onboarding a new local partner, talking to a tour leader about on the ground operations or reviewing customer feedback and implementing changes to improve customer satisfaction.
• Training the wider Explore team on your portfolio of trips and presenting at trade or customer events.
• Answering pre-travel questions or discussing customer experiences on recent trips.
• Dealing with unexpected issues, perhaps helping with an on-tour issue or as a member of the crisis team.
• Taking on responsibility for the out of hours duty phone on a rota basis – typically around 3-4 weeks per year.

Am I the right person?

We are looking for your application to demonstrate:

• Extensive travel experience in Southeast Asia.
• Good working knowledge of the small group adventure market.
• Experience of working in a product role in the past.
• A passion for sustainable travel, and a knowledge of what this means.
• Ability to celebrate diversity and build great relationships with global partners, whilst having high and fair expectations of them.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Passion for providing exceptional customer experiences.
• Experience of delivering quality improvements to a portfolio of tours would be beneficial.
• A growth mentality, curiosity, and adaptability.
• Confidence in bringing new ideas to the table.
• Strong negotiation skills and ability to get things done.
• Experience of working to tight deadlines, under pressure.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Able to travel overseas to visit suppliers.

We aim to be better than yesterday and our values will be close to your heart. Diversity is to be celebrated. Life would be dreary, and change would be slow, if we all thought the same way. We challenge our ideas, each other, and our business partners - always with respect and kindness.

Explore is part of Hotelplan Group, a well-established and diverse family of specialist tour operators, with a long tradition of developing and operating market-leading experiences. Sustainability and responsible tourism is at the core of everything we do, and should be a passion for everyone employed by the group. Explore is a global adventure travel company with 40 years’ experience in providing exciting and authentic travel experiences.