Global Travel Trade Strategy Director

Global Travel Trade Strategy Director (CVB Manager) Location: 8200 Bryan Dairy Road, Largo, FL 33777 Schedule: Requires frequent domestic and international travel for trade shows, sales missions, and industry events. The position may require evening, weekend, and holiday work to support global markets and the CVB’s sales activities. Eligible for up to two remote workdays. The Global Travel Trade Strategy Director is a leadership role with Visit St. Pete/Clearwater (VisitSPC) and the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), Pinellas County’s Destination Marketing Organization. The Director develops and leads the County’s international tourism and travel trade strategy to increase visitation, tourism revenue, and global market presence. The Director oversees international market development, strategic partnerships, budget investments, and a team of professionals focused on delivering measurable results. Key Responsibilities: Develop and implement international travel trade and market development strategies. Manage relationships with travel trade partners, in-market representatives, and industry stakeholders. Oversee international market investments, budgets, and performance metrics. Identify and pursue growth opportunities in established and emerging markets. Collaborate with Marketing and Advertising teams to convert destination demand into bookable travel. Lead, mentor, and develop staff while fostering a culture of accountability and performance. Represent VSPC at trade shows, sales missions, and other industry events. Own and drive VisitSPC’s global travel trade and international sales strategy, including market prioritization, annual sales plan development, budget allocation, and KPI setting across all international markets. Serve as the senior internal authority on international travel trends, competitive positioning, and market intelligence; translate insights into actionable strategic recommendations for leadership. Direct, coordinate, and evaluate the performance of contracted in-market sales representatives in Tier 1 markets (UK, Germany, Brazil, Mexico) and emerging Tier 2 markets; establish clear goals, deliverables, and accountability structures. Build and manage relationships with global travel trade partners including international tour operators, travel advisors, group planners, and major accounts. Lead and participate in major international trade shows, targeted sales missions, and FAM (familiarization) trip programs. Direct the creation and ongoing development of packaged travel product (hotels, attractions, itineraries) in collaboration with trade partners and destination partners, designed to grow bookable inventory in international markets. Oversee co-operative marketing programs and joint marketing agreements with tour operators and travel advisors to amplify reach in priority markets. Collaborate with airlines, airports, and economic development stakeholders to support air service development that connects key international markets to Pinellas County/Tampa Bay. Monitor international airlift capacity and booking trends to inform market strategy and resource allocation. Track and analyze international visitation data, length of stay, visitor spend, and trade partner performance; generate regular reports for CVB leadership and the Tourist Development Council. Utilize Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools, including Simpleview, to manage contacts, track activity, and generate market reports. Measure and report on ROI by market, by trade partner, and by trade show or sales mission to continually optimize investment allocation. Partner with the CVB Marketing/Advertising division to ensure international strategy informs demand-generation campaigns and that marketing materials are accurate, current, and culturally appropriate for target markets. Collaborate with other CVB departments to provide international leads and ensure a unified destination experience. Represent VSPC at industry committees, Tourist Development Council meetings, and partner events as required; serve as an organizational ambassador to international trade and media. Perform other related work as assigned or required. Additional Information: Supports key international markets, including the United Kingdom/Ireland, Germany (DACH), Brazil, and Mexico. Frequent international travel is required. Must possess strong leadership and cross‑cultural communication skills, and be available to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed. What Do You Need to Have? Education and Experience: Eight (8) years of professional and specialized advertising agency experience, work in tourism, or a marketing/advertising capacity with a convention and visitors bureau for the tourism and hospitality industry, implementing sales and marketing plans and programs for tourism that includes major sales and/or management programs plus team leader projects/assignments with major emphasis in large visitor and travel events, meetings, and conventions, and includes two (2) years as a supervisor or manager; or an Associate’s degree with major coursework in advertising, marketing, business administration, or a related field and six (6) years of experience as described above; or a Bachelor’s degree and four (4) years of experience as described above; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience. Additional Requirements: Fluency in Spanish, German, and/or Portuguese (verbal and written communication) is highly desirable. Must possess and maintain a current, valid Florida Driver’s License and passport. Ability and willingness to travel both domestically and internationally, and work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required. Assignment to work a variety of schedules including compulsory work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations. Work is performed in a fast‑paced environment requiring flexibility and responsiveness to changing priorities. Other knowledge, skills, abilities, and credentials required for a specific position. For a full classification description including Physical/Mental Demands, Working Conditions, and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities, please refer to the CVB Manager documentation. #J-18808-Ljbffr