Global Trade Strategy Director

Global Travel Trade Strategy Director (CVB Manager)

Location: 8200 Bryan Dairy Road, Largo, FL 33777

Schedule: Frequent domestic and international travel required for trade shows, sales missions, and industry events. The position may require evening, weekend, and holiday work. Eligible for up to two remote workdays.

The Global Travel Trade Strategy Director leads the County’s international tourism and travel trade strategy to increase visitation, tourism revenue, and global market presence. 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.

This position supports key international markets, including the United Kingdom/Ireland, Germany (DACH), Brazil, and Mexico. Frequent international travel is required. The successful candidate must possess strong leadership and cross‑cultural communication skills, and must be available to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed to support global business objectives.

Global Strategy & Leadership

• Owns and drives 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.
• Serves as the senior internal authority on international travel trends, competitive positioning, and market intelligence; translates insights into actionable strategic recommendations for leadership.
• Directs, coordinates, and evaluates the performance of contracted in‑market sales representatives in Tier 1 markets (UK, Germany, Brazil, Mexico) and emerging Tier 2 markets; establishes clear goals, deliverables, and accountability structures.
• Leads and manages a team of internal staff by providing coaching, mentorship, and performance guidance.
• Develops and monitors annual department budget; manages expenditures, expense reporting, and return‑on‑investment analysis by market and trade partner.

Travel Trade Development

• Builds and manages relationships with global travel trade partners including international tour operators, travel advisors, group planners, and major accounts.
• Leads and participates in major international trade shows, as well as targeted sales missions and FAM (familiarization) trip programs.
• Directs 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.
• Oversees co‑operative marketing programs and joint marketing agreements with tour operators and travel advisors to amplify reach in priority markets.

Airlift & Air Service Development

• Collaborates with airlines, airports, and economic development stakeholders to support air service development that connects key international markets to Pinellas County/Tampa Bay.
• Monitors international airlift capacity and booking trends to inform market strategy and resource allocation.

Market & Performance Management

• Tracks and analyzes international visitation data, length of stay, visitor spend, and trade partner performance; generates regular reports for CVB leadership and the Tourist Development Council.
• Utilizes Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools, including Simpleview, to manage contacts, track activity, and generate market reports.
• Measures and reports on ROI by market, by trade partner, and by trade show or sales mission to continually optimize investment allocation.

Integration &…