Travel Director

Role Profile

Position Summary

At Diventures, we're in the relationship business. The Travel Director is the executive leader of Diventures Travel, LLC – a stand-alone, IATA-accredited travel agency and dive-travel wholesaler. This individual is accountable for the continued profitable growth, financial performance, operational integrity, and strategic direction of the travel company as a distinct business entity.

As a full-fledged business executive, the Travel Director owns the P&L and is responsible for building positive experiences and lasting relationships with customers, dive-shop wholesale partners, destination and vendor partners, airlines, and trip leaders through high-touch, high-communication, personal service. The Director leads a business that now encompasses:

• 150+ group scuba trips per year
• A substantial and growing private/FIT (Foreign Independent Travel) book of business
• Wholesale distribution to multiple independent dive shops
• Full IATA-accredited travel agency operations
• Airfare ticketing and management via the Sabre GDS

The Director partners with Diventures store teams, managers, and the Executive Leadership Team to maximize this critical revenue stream while upholding Diventures' Vision, Mission, and Core Values.

Core Accountabilities

Business Leadership & P&L Ownership

• Serve as the executive responsible for the overall profitable growth of Diventures Travel, LLC.
• Own and manage the travel company P&L, including revenue, cost of goods, gross margin, operating expenses, and net profit.
• Establish annual budgets, revenue targets, and profit goals; forecast and report performance to the GM/SALT.
• Set pricing strategy and margin standards across group, FIT, and wholesale channels.
• Drive year-over-year growth in bookings, revenue, and profitability.
• Make capital, staffing, and investment recommendations to support scalable growth.

Strategic Planning & Growth

• Develop and execute the multi-year strategic plan for the travel business.
• Identify and pursue new markets, destinations, products, and distribution channels.
• Expand the wholesale program to additional dive shops and partners.
• Grow the private/FIT travel segment as a distinct, high-margin line of business.
• Monitor competitive landscape, industry trends, and macro travel conditions to inform strategy.

Group Travel Program (150+ Trips/Year)

• Develop exciting program calendars offering unique, dive-centric travel opportunities.
• Source, negotiate, and contract competitive rates from destination and vendor partners.
• Ensure trips are planned and filled to profit-maximizing levels.
• Collaborate with store teams on selling through training, special events, and promotions.
• Oversee trip logistics, operations, and risk management end-to-end.

Private / FIT Travel

• Build and scale the custom/independent travel business for individuals, families, and small groups.
• Deliver bespoke, high-touch itinerary planning and concierge-level service.
• Maximize per-booking margin while maintaining exceptional customer experience.

Wholesale / B2B Distribution

• Lead Diventures Travel's role as a wholesaler to multiple independent dive shops.
• Recruit, onboard, and manage wholesale accounts and reseller relationships.
• Establish wholesale pricing, net rates, commission structures, and terms.
• Provide partner support, product training, and marketing resources.
• Protect brand standards and service quality across all distribution partners.

Travel Agency Operations & Compliance (IATA / Sabre)

• Maintain the agency's IATA accreditation and ensure ongoing compliance with all requirements.
• Oversee airfare sourcing, ticketing, and management via the Sabre GDS.
• Ensure compliance with airline, GDS, ARC/BSP, and regulatory requirements.
• Manage ticketing accuracy, ADMs/debit memos, refunds, exchanges, and schedule changes.
• Maintain supplier contracts, agency agreements, and travel-industry certifications.
• Oversee Seller of Travel registrations, insurance, bonding, and consumer-protection requirements as applicable.

Financial Controls & Risk Management

• Implement robust financial controls, reconciliation processes, and audit readiness.
• Manage deposits, supplier payments, chargebacks, and cash flow for the travel entity.
• Ensure appropriate travel insurance, liability coverage, and waivers are in place.
• Lead emergency response and duty-of-care protocols for travelers.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, develop, and grow the travel team (Travel Coordinator, operations, and support staff).
• Recruit, train, and manage trip leaders; establish selection standards and training programs.
• Set clear performance expectations, coach to results, and build a high-performing culture.
• Serve as a servant leader to store teams, partnering with location managers to achieve company goals.

Customer Experience & Relationships

• Own the end-to-end customer experience across all travel channels.
• Deliver high-touch, high-communication service that builds lasting relationships.
• Resolve escalated customer and partner issues with professionalism and integrity.
• Cultivate long-term relationships with customers, partners, airlines, and vendors.

Enterprise Collaboration

• Work closely with the GM, SALT, and Executive Leadership Team on enterprise-level projects and cross-functional initiatives.
• Align travel strategy with overall Diventures brand, retail, and training operations.
• Contribute to organizational continuing education and company-wide goals.

Key Performance Indicators

• Travel company net profit and gross margin
• Total revenue and year-over-year growth (group, FIT, wholesale)
• Number of group trips operated and average trip fill rate
• FIT bookings volume and margin
• Wholesale account count, revenue, and retention
• Customer satisfaction / Net Promoter Score
• On-time, error-free ticketing and operations metrics
• Supplier/partner cost savings and contract terms
• Compliance standing (IATA, ARC/BSP, Seller of Travel)

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Proven executive or senior-leadership experience in travel, tourism, or a related business with full P&L responsibility.
• Experience operating an IATA-accredited agency and/or managing GDS (Sabre strongly preferred) airfare ticketing.
• Demonstrated success in group travel operations, FIT/custom travel, and/or wholesale/B2B distribution.
• Strong financial acumen: budgeting, forecasting, pricing, and margin management.
• Demonstrated ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing teams.
• Excellent negotiation, contracting, and vendor-management skills.
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building ability.

Preferred

• Scuba diving certification and passion for the dive/adventure-travel lifestyle.
• Established relationships with dive destinations, liveaboards, resorts, and travel suppliers.
• Experience with Seller of Travel compliance, travel insurance, and duty-of-care programs.
• Familiarity with CRM, booking, and travel back-office systems.

Competencies & Attributes

• Executive ownership mindset and bias for profitable action
• Strategic thinking balanced with operational discipline
• Integrity, honesty, stewardship, and personal accountability
• Servant leadership and team-first orientation
• High-touch, customer-obsessed service ethic
• Sound judgment under pressure, especially in traveler-safety situations
• Alignment with Diventures' Vision, Mission, and Core Values

Role Expectations

• Full-time executive role; as-needed evenings and weekends tied to events, group departures, and traveler needs.
• Travel required for site inspections, group leadership, partner meetings, and industry events.
• Must be reachable for traveler emergencies across time zones.

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