Red Sea Global
Senior Manager, Travel Trade
- Permanent
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Experience 10 - 15 yrs
- Urgent
Job expiry date: 21/12/2025
Job overview
Date posted
06/11/2025
Location
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Salary
SAR 40,000 - 50,000 per month
Compensation
Comprehensive package + relocation
Experience
10 - 15 yrs
Seniority
Senior Manager
Qualification
Bachelors degree
Expiration date
21/12/2025
Job description
The Senior Manager, Travel Trade at Red Sea Global is responsible for developing and executing the destinationâs travel trade strategy across GCC and surrounding regional markets. Reporting to the Senior Director of Travel Trade, this role focuses on building strong commercial partnerships with regional tour operators, destination management companies (DMCs), online travel agencies (OTAs), travel agents, and wholesalers to drive bookings, awareness, and brand visibility for one of the worldâs most ambitious luxury tourism destinations. The incumbent will lead the implementation of regional action plans aligned with the global Travel Trade strategy, ensuring alignment between trade partners and hotel operators. The Senior Manager will oversee all trade activations, including GCC trade shows, B2B roadshows, and familiarization (FAM) programs, while managing budgets, KPIs, and ROI reporting for all market initiatives. The role requires close collaboration with destination marketing, MICE, communications, and online experience teams, as well as external partners such as airlines, tourism boards, and regional associations. The position demands a deep understanding of regional travel trade networks, distribution systems, and partner engagement practices within the luxury or premium travel segment. Strong leadership, analytical skills, and the ability to drive performance through measurable outcomes are essential to this high-impact position.
Required skills
Key responsibilities
- Develop and implement regional trade action plans for GCC and nearby markets aligned with the global Travel Trade strategy.
- Identify and prioritize key trade partners including tour operators, DMCs, OTAs, and travel agencies to optimize regional reach and conversion.
- Build and maintain strong commercial relationships with regional trade partners and hotel operators to ensure alignment and consistent messaging.
- Design and execute co-op marketing and sales initiatives with regional partners to enhance brand visibility and bookings.
- Lead participation and representation at GCC and regional trade events including Arabian Travel Market, Riyadh Travel Fair, and roadshows.
- Coordinate and manage partner participation to ensure cohesive destination representation at all trade events.
- Oversee the planning and execution of familiarization (FAM) trips from GCC and neighboring markets to promote destination awareness and trade engagement.
- Act as liaison between hotel operators, DMCs, and travel agencies to support contracting and joint marketing activities.
- Collaborate with internal departments such as Destination Marketing, MICE, Customer Care, Communications, and Online Experience to synchronize regional activations with global campaigns.
- Partner with tourism boards, airlines, and associations to leverage joint marketing opportunities and expand reach.
- Define, track, and report on KPIs related to market share, awareness, distribution, leads, and conversions in regional markets.
- Manage regional budgets efficiently and ensure all trade initiatives deliver measurable ROI.
- Supervise regional executives or coordinators and manage relationships with regional representation offices or agencies.
- Mentor junior staff to ensure professional development and adherence to Red Sea Globalâs governance and performance standards.
Experience & skills
- Bachelorâs degree in Business, Marketing, Tourism, or a related field.
- 10â12 years of professional experience in the travel trade sector, with at least 6 years focused on GCC or regional markets.
- Demonstrated experience managing partnerships with tour operators, DMCs, OTAs, and travel agencies.
- Proven success representing a luxury destination, hotel group, or airline at major regional trade events.
- Strong expertise in regional travel trade distribution systems and OTA platforms.
- Proficiency with CRM systems, lead management tools, and partner portal operations.
- Advanced knowledge of co-op campaigns, sales incentive programs, and ROI measurement techniques.
- Experience managing trade marketing budgets and evaluating vendor contracts.
- Analytical ability to interpret market data and track performance metrics.
- Strong leadership and communication skills with experience mentoring and managing regional teams.
- Familiarity with digital trade engagement tools such as webinars and e-learning systems.
- Ability to adapt strategies to cultural nuances and market-specific dynamics across the GCC region.
