Group Sales Manager (Business Development)
XANTERRA TRAVEL COLLECTION, Eau Claire, WI, United States
Overview
COMPANY SUMMARY
At Holiday Vacations, our mission is to enrich lives with valued travel experiences. We offer inclusive guided tours led by professional Tour Directors to more than 80 destinations on six continents. We travel by air, motor coach, trains, and cruises on itineraries that bring the destination alive for our guests. We are headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and are a subsidiary of Xanterra Travel Collection, the largest national park concessionaire in the U.S. Xanterra also owns other tour operator and cruise line brands including VBT Bicycling Vacations, Country Walkers, and Windstar Cruises.
WELCOME TO “THE HV WAY”
Honesty & Integrity:
We act with honesty and accountability, building trust with every guest, partner, and teammate. We keep our promises.
Create Community:
We create community by treating each other and our guests like extended family, fostering belonging, celebrating, and supporting one another.
Surprise & Delight:
We go beyond expectations to create meaningful experiences. We make every effort to exceed expectations.
Grow Together:
We embrace curiosity, feedback, and continuous learning – always striving to be better and do better.
Innovate Boldly:
We seek fresh ideas, adapt to change, and look for ways to stay ahead in a dynamic travel landscape
Protect What Matters:
We prioritize safety and sustainability for our people, our guests, and the places we explore.
Celebrate the Team:
We succeed together, value each person’s gifts and contributions, and take time to enjoy the journey along the way.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Group Sales Manager is responsible for building and scaling Holiday Vacations’ external group sales program. This role focuses on identifying, developing, and managing strategic relationships with Holiday Vacations’ guests, travel advisors, affinity groups, clubs, content creators, and corporate clients.
This position plays a key role in developing the long‑term vision and operational foundation of the group sales function. In addition to driving revenue, the Group Sales Manager is expected to bring a strategic, leadership‑oriented mindset – establishing scalable processes, influencing cross‑functional partners, and contributing to the evolution of the department as the program grows.
The successful candidate must reside within a reasonable commuting distance of our Eau Claire, Wisconsin headquarters, or be willing to relocate to the area.
Responsibilities CORE COMPETENCIES
Sales / Business Development:
Identifying, pursuing, and securing new opportunities to drive growth. Build strategic relationships, recognize market potential, and create solutions that align with organizational goals.
Strategic Thinking:
Taking a big‑picture view to anticipate future trends, identify risks and opportunities, and make informed decisions. Strategic thinkers use data, insights, and long‑term planning to guide actions and prioritize effectively.
Relationship Management:
Establishing and nurturing productive, long‑term partnerships. Relationship‑oriented professionals build trust, communicate effectively, and deliver consistent value to both internal and external stakeholders.
Communication and Presentation:
Clearly conveying ideas and information in both written and verbal formats. Skilled communicators tailor their message to the audience, facilitate understanding, and confidently present proposals, updates, or insights.
Cross‑Functional Collaboration:
Working effectively across teams and departments to achieve shared goals. Collaborative professionals value diverse perspectives, coordinate efforts, and foster alignment to drive results across functions.
AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Demonstrated ability to lead, scale, and mature a functional area. This includes setting vision, establishing structure and processes, mentoring others, and building capabilities that support long‑term organizational growth.
Design and execute a growth‑oriented group sales strategy aligned with annual revenue and passenger goals.
Develop and maintain strong relationships with Holiday Vacations’ guests, travel advisors, group organizers, and institutional partners to cultivate long‑term partnerships.
Proactively identify and pursue new group business opportunities through outreach, referrals, trade events, and digital channels.
Create and deliver customized group proposals and agreements tailored to client interests and tour availability.
Collaborate closely with Product Development, Marketing, Guest Services, and Operations teams to ensure alignment across the group sales lifecycle.
Maintain accurate records of client interactions, proposals, and sales pipeline activity.
Track, analyze, and report group sales performance metrics and monitor industry trends to inform strategy adjustments.
Monitor competitor activity and market trends to inform strategic adjustments and identify new opportunities.
Represent Holiday Vacations at trade shows, conferences, webinars, and other promotional events.
Provide exceptional service and support to clients throughout the entire sales and travel process, ensuring timely and professional communication with clients from proposal to post‑trip follow‑up.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE
Bachelor’s degree in business, hospitality, tourism, or related field, or equivalent work experience required.
Minimum of five (5) years of sales / business development experience required, with a strong preference for sales experience in the travel industry, particularly in tour operations or group travel.
Outbound business development experience is strongly preferred, including proactive lead generation, prospecting, and relationship cultivation.
Proven ability to manage a full sales cycle with a consistent track record of exceeding performance targets.
Experience leading or scaling a functional area, program, or initiative, including setting strategy, defining processes, and driving measurable outcomes.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
Detail‑oriented with strong organizational and time‑management skills.
Willingness to perform independent travel for client meetings, FAM trips, and industry events.
Proficient in Microsoft Office, with experience using CRM platforms; preference given to candidates with HubSpot experience. Proficiency in Smartsheet and familiarity with Copilot or other AI tools is a plus.
Strong understanding of guided tours, FITs, and custom group packages. (Preferred)
Experience working with international tour products and multicultural clients. (Preferred)
Familiarity with key travel consortia and host agencies. (Preferred)
Working Conditions and Arrangements
Work Location:
The preferred work location is the Holiday Vacations corporate headquarters in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The office environment may have moderate noise levels from office equipment and verbal interaction.
Schedule:
Work hours are generally 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the regular business week, but there may be variations due to the time of year, and department demands. This role also requires periodic independent travel for client meetings, industry events, and familiarization (FAM) trips, based on business needs.
Physical Requirements:
The job requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time, as well as the ability to frequently walk and lift or carry up to 35 lbs. May require bending, twisting, stooping, grasping, and reaching outward or above shoulders, lift/carry and push or pull up to 50 lbs.
Benefits For full‑time employees, Holiday Vacations offers a comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental & Vision; HSA & FSA; Life & Disability; Accident, Hospital & Critical Illness; Pet Insurance; Paid Time Off and Holiday Paid Time Off; 401(k) with Company Match; Employee Assistance Plan; Education Assistance; and Employee Travel Discounts and Travel Deals.
EEO Holiday Vacations is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.
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At Holiday Vacations, our mission is to enrich lives with valued travel experiences. We offer inclusive guided tours led by professional Tour Directors to more than 80 destinations on six continents. We travel by air, motor coach, trains, and cruises on itineraries that bring the destination alive for our guests. We are headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and are a subsidiary of Xanterra Travel Collection, the largest national park concessionaire in the U.S. Xanterra also owns other tour operator and cruise line brands including VBT Bicycling Vacations, Country Walkers, and Windstar Cruises.
WELCOME TO “THE HV WAY”
Honesty & Integrity:
We act with honesty and accountability, building trust with every guest, partner, and teammate. We keep our promises.
Create Community:
We create community by treating each other and our guests like extended family, fostering belonging, celebrating, and supporting one another.
Surprise & Delight:
We go beyond expectations to create meaningful experiences. We make every effort to exceed expectations.
Grow Together:
We embrace curiosity, feedback, and continuous learning – always striving to be better and do better.
Innovate Boldly:
We seek fresh ideas, adapt to change, and look for ways to stay ahead in a dynamic travel landscape
Protect What Matters:
We prioritize safety and sustainability for our people, our guests, and the places we explore.
Celebrate the Team:
We succeed together, value each person’s gifts and contributions, and take time to enjoy the journey along the way.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Group Sales Manager is responsible for building and scaling Holiday Vacations’ external group sales program. This role focuses on identifying, developing, and managing strategic relationships with Holiday Vacations’ guests, travel advisors, affinity groups, clubs, content creators, and corporate clients.
This position plays a key role in developing the long‑term vision and operational foundation of the group sales function. In addition to driving revenue, the Group Sales Manager is expected to bring a strategic, leadership‑oriented mindset – establishing scalable processes, influencing cross‑functional partners, and contributing to the evolution of the department as the program grows.
The successful candidate must reside within a reasonable commuting distance of our Eau Claire, Wisconsin headquarters, or be willing to relocate to the area.
Responsibilities CORE COMPETENCIES
Sales / Business Development:
Identifying, pursuing, and securing new opportunities to drive growth. Build strategic relationships, recognize market potential, and create solutions that align with organizational goals.
Strategic Thinking:
Taking a big‑picture view to anticipate future trends, identify risks and opportunities, and make informed decisions. Strategic thinkers use data, insights, and long‑term planning to guide actions and prioritize effectively.
Relationship Management:
Establishing and nurturing productive, long‑term partnerships. Relationship‑oriented professionals build trust, communicate effectively, and deliver consistent value to both internal and external stakeholders.
Communication and Presentation:
Clearly conveying ideas and information in both written and verbal formats. Skilled communicators tailor their message to the audience, facilitate understanding, and confidently present proposals, updates, or insights.
Cross‑Functional Collaboration:
Working effectively across teams and departments to achieve shared goals. Collaborative professionals value diverse perspectives, coordinate efforts, and foster alignment to drive results across functions.
AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Demonstrated ability to lead, scale, and mature a functional area. This includes setting vision, establishing structure and processes, mentoring others, and building capabilities that support long‑term organizational growth.
Design and execute a growth‑oriented group sales strategy aligned with annual revenue and passenger goals.
Develop and maintain strong relationships with Holiday Vacations’ guests, travel advisors, group organizers, and institutional partners to cultivate long‑term partnerships.
Proactively identify and pursue new group business opportunities through outreach, referrals, trade events, and digital channels.
Create and deliver customized group proposals and agreements tailored to client interests and tour availability.
Collaborate closely with Product Development, Marketing, Guest Services, and Operations teams to ensure alignment across the group sales lifecycle.
Maintain accurate records of client interactions, proposals, and sales pipeline activity.
Track, analyze, and report group sales performance metrics and monitor industry trends to inform strategy adjustments.
Monitor competitor activity and market trends to inform strategic adjustments and identify new opportunities.
Represent Holiday Vacations at trade shows, conferences, webinars, and other promotional events.
Provide exceptional service and support to clients throughout the entire sales and travel process, ensuring timely and professional communication with clients from proposal to post‑trip follow‑up.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE
Bachelor’s degree in business, hospitality, tourism, or related field, or equivalent work experience required.
Minimum of five (5) years of sales / business development experience required, with a strong preference for sales experience in the travel industry, particularly in tour operations or group travel.
Outbound business development experience is strongly preferred, including proactive lead generation, prospecting, and relationship cultivation.
Proven ability to manage a full sales cycle with a consistent track record of exceeding performance targets.
Experience leading or scaling a functional area, program, or initiative, including setting strategy, defining processes, and driving measurable outcomes.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
Detail‑oriented with strong organizational and time‑management skills.
Willingness to perform independent travel for client meetings, FAM trips, and industry events.
Proficient in Microsoft Office, with experience using CRM platforms; preference given to candidates with HubSpot experience. Proficiency in Smartsheet and familiarity with Copilot or other AI tools is a plus.
Strong understanding of guided tours, FITs, and custom group packages. (Preferred)
Experience working with international tour products and multicultural clients. (Preferred)
Familiarity with key travel consortia and host agencies. (Preferred)
Working Conditions and Arrangements
Work Location:
The preferred work location is the Holiday Vacations corporate headquarters in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The office environment may have moderate noise levels from office equipment and verbal interaction.
Schedule:
Work hours are generally 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the regular business week, but there may be variations due to the time of year, and department demands. This role also requires periodic independent travel for client meetings, industry events, and familiarization (FAM) trips, based on business needs.
Physical Requirements:
The job requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time, as well as the ability to frequently walk and lift or carry up to 35 lbs. May require bending, twisting, stooping, grasping, and reaching outward or above shoulders, lift/carry and push or pull up to 50 lbs.
Benefits For full‑time employees, Holiday Vacations offers a comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental & Vision; HSA & FSA; Life & Disability; Accident, Hospital & Critical Illness; Pet Insurance; Paid Time Off and Holiday Paid Time Off; 401(k) with Company Match; Employee Assistance Plan; Education Assistance; and Employee Travel Discounts and Travel Deals.
EEO Holiday Vacations is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.
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