Travel Trade & Business Development Coordinator
Location: Edinburgh, office-based
Salary: £30,000–£34,000 depending on experience
Hours: Full-time
Reporting to: Operations Manager & Director
About the role
Islander is looking for a highly organised, commercially minded Travel Trade & Business Development Coordinator to join our growing team in Edinburgh.
This is a hands-on role combining the day-to-day coordination of our travel trade and group bookings with proactive business development.
The role is heavily administration and coordination focused. You will be responsible for keeping our travel trade operation running smoothly, from managing bookings, contracts and tour series to coordinating OTA partners, invoicing and partner communications.
Alongside this, we want someone who can spot opportunities and go after them.
That could mean researching corporate groups who may be interested in team-building workshops, developing our hen and celebration group market, identifying new tour operators and DMCs, building relationships with hotels and event partners, or looking at quieter workshop periods and finding ways to generate additional bookings.
We are looking for someone who is comfortable doing both sides of the role: keeping the detail under control while actively helping us grow.
Key responsibilities Travel trade coordination
- Manage incoming travel trade, group and private booking enquiries from first contact through to completion.
- Coordinate contracted tour series and scheduled group bookings across our workshop locations.
- Set up and maintain travel trade contracts, agreed rates and booking arrangements.
- Manage availability, allocations and bookings across internal systems and partner platforms.
- Coordinate bookings and relationships with Online Travel Agencies, including platforms such as GetYourGuide and Viator.
- Manage bookings and inventory through FareHarbor.
- Prepare invoices, monitor payments and ensure booking records are accurate and up to date.
- Maintain organised records of contracts, rates, bookings, partner information and correspondence.
- Liaise closely with workshop teams to ensure group visits are communicated and delivered smoothly.
- Respond to partner queries promptly and professionally.
- Support the management of workshop capacity, availability and seasonal demand.
- Assist with reporting on travel trade performance, bookings and partner activity.
Business development
- Proactively identify opportunities to grow Islander's travel trade, corporate and group business.
- Research and approach new tour operators, DMCs, travel agents and relevant tourism partners.
- Develop opportunities within the corporate and team-building market.
- Identify and approach organisations, event planners and businesses that could bring groups to our workshops.
- Help grow our hen party, celebration and private group market.
- Build relationships with hotels, concierge teams, event companies, visitor attractions and tourism partners.
- Identify opportunities to increase bookings during quieter workshop sessions or periods.
- Follow up new leads and develop opportunities from first contact through to confirmed business.
- Attend selected travel trade events, networking sessions, familiarisation visits and exhibitions.
- Help organise familiarisation visits and workshop experiences for prospective partners.
- Monitor competitor activity and emerging opportunities within the visitor experience and tourism market.
- Review booking and sales information to identify trends, gaps and areas for growth.
- Bring forward ideas for new partnerships, packages and routes to market.
About you
You will be someone who combines strong organisation with commercial confidence.
Ideally, you will have:
- Experience within travel trade, tourism, hospitality, attractions, events, group sales or a similar environment.
- Strong administrative and organisational skills.
- Previous experience in sales, business development, account management or proactive lead generation.
- Confidence approaching new businesses and starting commercial conversations.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong attention to detail.
- The ability to manage multiple bookings, partners and deadlines at the same time.
- A proactive and self-motivated approach.
- Confidence using booking systems, spreadsheets and CRM or sales systems.
- Strong relationship-building skills.
- A practical and commercially aware approach to problem solving.
Experience using FareHarbor, GetYourGuide, Viator or similar tourism booking platforms would be advantageous but is not essential.
Most importantly, we are looking for someone who can keep the operational side of the role accurate and organised while also looking for new ways to bring business through the door.
About Islander
Islander is a Scottish handbag and accessories brand, best known for our popular Islander Workshop.
Our workshops give customers the opportunity to design and create their own Islander bag and attract individual visitors, tour groups, private parties, corporate groups and travel trade partners.
We operate workshops across Edinburgh, St Andrews and London, and this side of the business has grown significantly.
We are now looking for someone who can help us manage that growth while developing new opportunities across travel trade, corporate and group sales.
What we offer
- Salary of £30,000–£34,000 depending on experience
- Private healthcare after successful completion of probation
- Staff discount
- Free parking
- Full-time, office-based role in Edinburgh
If you are highly organised, commercially curious and enjoy building relationships as much as you enjoy keeping the detail under control, we would love to hear from you.
Pay: £30,000.00-£34,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Private medical insurance
Work Location: In person
