Destinations Experience Executive- Saga Travel

Saga

  • Folkestone, Kent
  • £28,000-32,000 per year
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 6 days ago
Destinations Experience Executive- Saga TravelSalary from £28,000 - £32,000 per annumPermanentFull Time - 35 hours per weekHybrid role - Hybrid - 3 days a week in office Folkestone, Enbrook, KentWe are seeking a proactive, guest-centric Destinations Experience Executive to deliver an exciting range of innovative, market-leading shore excursions for Saga's cruise ships across our European and Worldwide destinations. This role is hands-on, offering the opportunity to make a real impact by shaping our product range and ensuring it meets the highest commercial, operational, and guest experience standards.You will be responsible for sourcing, developing, and managing excursions that not only align with our product strategy but also set us apart in a highly competitive marketplace. Working with autonomy, you'll negotiate with suppliers, refine products through competitor analysis, and ensure every excursion delivers exceptional value and unforgettable experiences for our guests.The ideal candidate will have a background in commercial operations, with proven experience in negotiating contracts, managing supplier relationships and driving profitability. You will be guest focused, proactive, results-oriented, and able to work on your own initiative, with the autonomy to develop your geographic product range and the determination to deliver on commitments in a fast-moving environment.Role Responsibility
  • Plan, develop, and deliver a diverse range of innovative, market-leading shore excursions across all destinations along with a differentiated selection of included tours in every port.
  • Negotiate and secure the best commercial terms with suppliers for excursions and shuttle services.
  • Draft, review, and sign supplier contracts, ensuring compliance with company policies and standards.
  • Build and maintain strong supplier relationships, addressing any issues that may impact service quality.
  • Champion product quality by ensuring all excursions meet health, safety, and insurance guidelines.
  • Conduct research and competitor analysis to refine, enhance, and refresh the excursion portfolio.
  • Collaborate with cruise itinerary planners to maximise commercial opportunities.
  • Provide accurate excursion details and updates to content, marketing, and operations teams.
  • Brief and debrief ship staff to ensure smooth delivery and guest satisfaction.
  • Monitor programme performance, ensuring pricing, margins, and profitability targets are achieved.
The Ideal Candidate
  • Strong organisational, time management, and multi-tasking skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively and meet tight deadlines.
  • Guest-centric, focused on understanding, anticipating, and fulfilling the unique needs and preferences of each guest to create positive and memorable destination experiences.
  • Flexible, adaptable, and detail-oriented, remaining calm under pressure with a proactive, self-motivated approach.
  • Excellent communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills.
  • Strong reasoning, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
  • Commercially minded with proven negotiation and influencing skills (mentoring available to further develop these).
  • Ability to build and maintain productive supplier relationships to achieve optimum results.
  • European and worldwide travel experience or product knowledge is desirable.
  • Confident IT user with strong systems knowledge (Taurus, Word, Excel, Outlook) and high levels of numeracy and literacy.
  • Knowledge of contracting processes and additional European languages are advantageous but not essential.
  • Flexible and willing to travel within Europe and internationally as required.
Saga Values: Make it Happen, Do the Right Thing, Customer First, Excellence Every Day, Our People Make Us SpecialPackage DescriptionAt 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 TO ALL COLLEAGUES:
  • 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
About the CompanyOver the past 70 years we have become the UK's specialist provider of products and services to people aged over 50 in the UK. We're one of the most recognised and trusted brands amongst UK consumers in this demographic, recognised for its high-quality products and exceptional standards of service. Our product portfolio includes cruises, holidays, insurance, personal finance products and our Saga Magazine.We aim to be the most-trusted brand for older people in the UK. 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. Our values underpin our approach and help guide us to deliver our purpose.We're committed to making sure that colleagues can be their best, be themselves and make a difference - more than anywhere else. We do 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 has been ranked 6th in the UK's Best Employers 2025 by the Financial Times and Statista. This recognition, based on the voices of 20,000 employees across the UK, is a testament to the great culture we've 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. We're also a committed Disability Confident employer and ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible.Your application will have fair consideration, and you'll receive personal communication throughout your applicant journey when you apply to join Saga.For more information on our DEI policies, colleague stories and other opportunities across the business, please visit Jobs and careers with SagaSaga 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. Saga will not be responsible for any fees related to CVs received in this unsolicited manner.#LI-LC1

Saga