Group Tour Sales Manager

Group Tour Sales Manager

VisitPITTSBURGH is a tourism development organization dedicated to expanding the tourism economy across Allegheny County. The organization generates positive economic impact across the tourism verticals of business events, sports, and leisure travel. VisitPITTSBURGH achieves its goals, including ensuring the region of certain economic benefits, through the combined efforts of all team members throughout the organization.

Reporting to the Executive Vice President of Business Events & Destination Experiences, this position will also collaborate closely with local stakeholders, including hotels, attractions, and cultural institutions, who are active in the group travel market, ensuring a unified approach to promoting the region’s tourism assets.

Essential Functions

• Scale group tour business opportunities to Allegheny County by developing and promoting the region’s amenities through direct sales efforts to domestic and international group tour operators.
• Lead the collaboration of a regional county partnership that supports the growth of the group tour sector among surrounding Southwest Pennsylvania counties, ensuring a strategic approach to group tourism promotion.
• Build and maintain an inventory of marketing assets highlighting regional tourism amenities and experiences that appeal to group tour organizers.
• Attend and represent the Pittsburgh region as a group tour destination at industry trade shows such as ABA, Heartland, PBA, NTA, and SYTA.
• Plans, develops, coordinates, manages, and executes group tour activities, including familiarization tours, and personally conducts site inspections for sales opportunities to promote the Greater Pittsburgh area.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, ensuring alignment with VisitPITTSBURGH’s strategic goals and objectives.
• Provide complete event services support for all definite group tour events, ensuring client relationships are maintained and expectations are met.
• Maintain client, prospect, and event information in the iDSS database to monitor and assess sales progress, including room nights booked, partner referrals, tour operator engagements, sales activities, etc.
• Partner closely with Visitors Services while directly responding to and managing inquiries and event fulfillment from tour operators, ensuring timely and effective follow-up.

Skills & Specifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, hotel management, tourism, or a related field or equivalent experience.
• 4-6 years of sales experience, particularly within the hospitality or tourism industry.
• Extensive knowledge of group and international tourism markets, working with tour operators and managing domestic and international travel sales.
• Superior communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to present to diverse audiences and build strong relationships.
• Strong problem-solving, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Detail-oriented with excellent follow-up and organizational abilities.
• Creative thinking and initiative to drive tourism growth and deliver results.
• Advanced computer skills and knowledge of MS Office programs, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Abode, and possess the ability and advanced knowledge to query and convert database information to the spreadsheet and apply it to communications, publications, and reports required.
• The individual must be able to travel by air and must possess a valid passport and a Pennsylvania driver’s license.
• This position requires that the incumbent be willing to travel domestically and internationally approximately 15% of the time

This role is exempt and operates under a hybrid schedule. A minimum of 3 days in the office is required; however, flexibility to be in the office or on-site in other locations is expected.