B2B Sales and Account Manager
Role
Location
Pay
Reporting to
Who you are
We are seeking a passionate, creative and analytical B2B Sales and Account Manager to join our dynamic and growing team. Working collaboratively with the Commercial team, you will be tasked with curating and selling exceptional active UK travel experiences to our North American market with specific focus on Travel Agents (TAs) and Tour Operators (TOs).
As our B2B Sales Account Manager, you will play a vital role in managing new and existing relationships with Travel Agents and Tour operators generating group and private sales leads. You will have responsibility for sourcing and securing new and incremental bookings, enhance partner retention, and deliver the highest level of personalized service. You will also manage relationships with the OTAs
Core to the success of the role will be your relationship with and support of the Commercial Director and the rest of the Active England team to drive growth in this function.
In addition, you will be tasked with supporting the development of existing active travel products tailored to both the luxury VIP market and mid-range travel market. You will also support, where required, on designing new, sustainable, exciting, and unique guided and self-guided active UK travel itineraries for bespoke TA, TO and OTA enquiries that showcase the best of the UK’s natural beauty through active exploration.
Who we are
Active England Tours (AET) is an active travel company providing an unrivalled premium experience for active inbound North American tourists and residents in England. AET runs a high number of beautifully curated, high-end, active tours including guided, self-guided and bespoke cycling, walking, swimming and wellbeing adventures. From our origin in the Cotswolds, we have become the premier provider of active holidays across England. We run trips in Devon, Cornwall, The Lake District, Yorkshire and Northumberland. While running our own direct tours we also work with numerous business partners within the industry, creating and operating their English active holidays. Our mission is to open up England as a destination for active travel and continue to be the go-to travel company to book and work with! We are proud to show off our incredible countryside, seaside and rich heritage.
Required skills and abilities
- A self-starter with a forward-thinking approach
- Highly organized multitasker, able to prioritize and manage competing and ever-changing deadlines in a fast-growing business
- Exceptional communication and negotiation skills
- Excellent project management and organizational skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaborate across teams.
- Passion for adventure, sustainability, and delivering unforgettable travel experiences.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and Travel Management Software
- Attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Proven experience in B2B sales within the travel or tourism industry (minimum 2-5 years preferred but not essential).
- Excellent knowledge of the UK travel market at the luxury end and mid-range point, including knowledge of restaurants, hotels, walking, biking routes and unique experiences. We will look at applications for candidates from outside of the Travel industry.
- Strong understanding of the active travel sector and experience selling adventure travel products. (As above)
- Ability to build relationships and network with industry stakeholders at all levels.
- Experience with CRM tools and sales reporting software.
- Ability to travel as needed for meetings, conferences, and events.
Main responsibilities
- Extend our database of TAs, TOs and OTA’s and manage the database on a day-to-day basis
- Manage new B2B trade enquiries and convert leads – identify, respond to, and guide travel enquiries toward successful bookings, ensuring seamless transitions from initial interest to completed bookings.
- Build and maintain relationships with selected B2B partners, including TAs, TOs and OTAs, with a core focus on TAs, from the major consortia through to the single agent TAs
- Negotiate and finalize contracts and pricing with all selected B2B partners.
- Collaborate on marketing & sales efforts – work closely with Marketing and Commercial teams on the strategic decision-making to enhance TA, TO and OTA outreach and conversion rates.
- Drive sales & customer loyalty with our TA partners – Increase revenue and extend existing relationships by demonstrating travel expertise and delivering the highest levels of front-line service.
- Analyse client feedback and market demand to refine existing products and create tailored itineraries.
- Support on designing new and exciting active travel products to add to Active England’s portfolio, while helping to enhance Active England’s existing portfolio of active travel products including walking, cycling, and cultural tours across the UK
- Stay informed on travel trends – Develop and maintain in-depth knowledge of regional travel opportunities across assigned trips and the broader trip collection while staying up to date on consumer, competitor, and market trends to optimize sales strategies.
- Identify and target new business opportunities through networking, research, and outreach.
- Develop & execute sales strategies – Build and implement creative, results-driven sales strategies that focus on brand expertise, traveller experience, and conversion optimization, while identifying areas for improvement.
- Ensure smooth booking transactions – Complete all related administrative tasks accurately and efficiently to finalize bookings, manage payments, and provide travellers with a seamless experience.
- Act as a brand ambassador – Promote the company’s vision, drive sales through relationship-building, and increase brand awareness by participating in tradeshows and industry events as needed.
- Align with business & revenue goals – work cross-functionally to ensure sales strategies and objectives directly support the company’s overall revenue and growth targets.
- Provide feedback to product and operations teams to continuously improve B2B offerings.
- Additional responsibilities – Perform other duties as required to support business objectives and sales operations.
- Conduct product presentations and meetings with B2B clients to demonstrate the value of our active travel offerings.
- Monitor market trends and competitor offerings to refine sales strategies.
- Track sales performance and manage a database of key accounts and leads.
- Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of sales opportunities to meet revenue targets.
Company benefits
- 25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays
- Hybrid Working
- Annual appraisals and salary reviews
- Annual Bonus scheme
- Promotion & Growth development within AET
- Equipment Hire – Includes Bicycles, Paddleboards & Walking Equipment
- Discounts with Local & Third-party vendors
- Qualifications and Personal Development Offered
- Social Events throughout the year, including away days and Team Fundraising challenge
