Global 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 (Visit

SPC) 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.

• 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 Visit
  
  SPC’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.