TRAVEL - Destination Specialist - S Pacific

POSITION TITLE

Destination Specialist - South Pacific

DEPARTMENT

Reservations

REPORTS TO

Director of Reservations

CLASSIFICATION

Full-time – Exempt Salaried

WAGE

$55,000 - $64,000

DIRECT REPORTS

None; Non-Supervisory Position

WORK LOCATION

Main Office: Portland, OR

REMOTE WORKER?

No

About Avanti Destinations

Avanti Destinations is a leading travel company specializing in fully customizable international travel. Working exclusively with travel advisors, we design tailored experiences across Europe, Asia, Central & South America, and the South Pacific. Our focus is on hand-picked, locally owned accommodations and unique travel experiences, supported by innovative technology and expert consultants.

Position Overview

The Destination Specialist – is responsible for selling customized international vacations across multiple regions, including Asia, Central & South America, and the South Pacific. This is a sales-driven role handling highly qualified inbound leads from travel advisors nationwide.

Destination Specialists design and execute bespoke itineraries, acting as the primary point of contact from initial quote through booking completion and traveler return. This role directly impacts sales performance, customer satisfaction, and overall company growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Design customized, multi-component itineraries for travel advisors
• Build and price itineraries using proprietary systems, while offering creative solutions beyond standard product offerings when appropriate
• Own the advisor relationship from quote to post-travel completion
• Communicate clearly and professionally via phone and email, including proactive follow-ups
• Drive revenue through upselling and cross-selling value-added services and experiences
• Create and manage small group bookings, maintaining profitability between FIT and group pricing
• Collaborate with Destination Product Managers to share market trends, competitor insights, and product opportunities
• Support marketing initiatives to increase advisor awareness of assigned regions
• Represent Avanti as a sales and brand ambassador, including participation in educational travel programs

This Full-Time position is eligible for participation in a comprehensive company benefits & perks program. Avanti

offers low-cost medical and dental coverage, paid-time off, paid holidays, reduced cost Tri-Met passes (benefit eligibility begins at the beginning of the month following 60 days of employment).

Requirements, Skills and Experience

• Advanced knowledge of one or more international regions (Asia, Central & South America, South Pacific preferred)
• Proven success meeting or exceeding sales goals
• Strong customer service mindset with excellent relationship-building skills
• Clear, confident verbal and written communication skills
• Professional phone presence and positive, team-oriented attitude
• Strong organizational, multitasking, and problem-solving abilities
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, performance-driven environment
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and related business systems
• Call center or travel industry experience preferred
• Passion for international travel and geography

Education and Qualifications

• Have high school diploma or GED equivalent
• Must be available for travel for 2 – 4 weeks of the year to relevant destinations to build up product knowledge.
• Must have a valid passport to allow travel outside of the USA.

Performance Measurements

• Accurate and complete information about Company products and services is provided to customers.
• Good working relationships and coordination exist with customers, staff, and management. Supervisor is informed of activities.
• The Company's professional reputation as a leader in the travel industry is conveyed and maintained.

Business Relationships

Avanti’s Destination Specialists (all disciplines) exceed Company objectives by working closely with supervisors to ensure accuracy, quality, exceptional customer service and business goals/standards are met.

Physical Activities and Requirements

• FINGER DEXTERITY: Using primarily just the fingers to make small movements such as typing, picking up small objects, or pinching fingers together.
• TALKING: Especially where one must frequently convey detailed or important instructions or ideas accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• AVERAGE HEARING: Able to hear average or normal conversations and receive ordinary information.
• AVERAGE VISUAL ABILITIES: Average, ordinary, visual acuity necessary to prepare or inspect documents or products or operate machinery (copy machine, keyboard, etc.).
• PHYSICAL STRENGTH: Sedentary work; sitting most of the time. Exerts up to 10 lbs. of force occasionally.

Mental Activities and Requirements

• REASONING ABILITY: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved instructions and to deal with problems involving a few variables.
• MATHEMATICS ABILITY: Ability to perform very basic math skills including adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing two-digit numbers; the four basic arithmetic operations with money; and operations with units such as inch, foot, yard; ounce, and pound (or their metric counterparts).
• LANGUAGE ABILITY: Ability to use passive vocabulary of 5,000-6,000 words; read at a slow rate; and define unfamiliar words in dictionaries for meaning, spelling, and pronunciation. Ability to write complex sentences, using proper punctuation and using adjectives and adverbs. Ability to communicate in complex sentences, using normal word order with present and past tense and good vocabulary.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is possible that physical and mental requirements may be

modified to reasonably accommodate disabled individuals. However, no accommodations will be made which may pose

serious health or safety risks to the employee or others or which impose undue hardships on the organization.

OUR MISSION

Avanti Destinations connects the components for customized international travel utilizing our technology and educated staff. Working exclusively with travel advisors, we deliver a unique vacation experience to individuals and groups.

OUR VISION

Connecting the past, present and future through international travel sales.

Avanti Destinations’ vision is to connect customers with the past, present, and future for their international travel events by delivering amazing and unique experiences. This is done through selling our expert service, selling our diverse products, and promoting our people. This is accomplished with EVERY employee at Avanti Destinations being part of the sales cycle.

Regardless of your position we all have a role to play in our companies’ success. Each interaction you have with a vendor, supplier or travel agent impacts the health and growth of Avanti. You are selling the company and our integrity with every interaction you have. Anytime someone asks you “where do you work?” or “what do you do?”, you are selling the Avanti brand to this person with the answer you give.

Marketing will make use of our individual and collective expertise as we promote Avanti to the travel trade.

ABOUT AVANTI DESTINATIONS

Avanti Destinations is the market leader in independent travel management, working exclusively for travel agents, with expertise in customizable travel to Europe, Central & South America, and Asia, including air, rail, cars, hotels, sightseeing, transfers, and other experiential travel options.

We specialize in providing hand-picked, locally owned hotels in large and small cities, as well as hard-to-find-options for experienced travelers at the best values. Avanti is rapidly growing; breaking barriers and using innovative technologies to make sure travel agents continue to book vacations through our travel consultants.

Avanti Destinations participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information if hired, to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

We are world-travelers and embrace diversity and inclusion. We celebrate individual expression and uniqueness. We do not tolerate harassment or discrimination.

We are committed to hiring individuals that reflect the world community we serve without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics. We are an equal opportunity employer.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.