Bella Vita Travels is a boutique, full-service travel agency creating unforgettable vacations and experiences since 2004. We specialize in high-end, tailor-made travel experiences to just about every country in Europe, namely Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Croatia, Morocco, Slovenia, Malta, England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland (and more to come!), plus Morocco! Combining our expertise and extensive professional connections, we deliver unforgettable vacations and adventures featuring exclusive destinations, resorts, and experiences for our clients and their families.

We design “Tailor-made Vacations” which include all accommodations, transportation, tours, and other special activities such as cooking lessons and wine tastings. We can also be hired to handle hotel reservations (without the whole tailor-made package), luxury cruises, barges, yachts, and private jet travel.

It takes more than a desire or passion to travel to be successful in this business. It requires a good understanding of your client’s needs, a strong work ethic, excellent customer service skills, and a lot of patience. You may work 6-12 months out on a client trip before seeing your entire commission. You will also be working with a team that primarily lives in Europe, so you will need to consider the time difference when it comes to communication and organization. We do our best to be available to you but maybe not at 3 am! 🙂

With that said, If you have decent knowledge about the destinations we work in and are travel industry savvy, this could be the right path for you.

As a travel designer/booking agent, you’ll be responsible for ensuring that all client travel arrangements, including flight, hotel, rental cars, and other travel needs are arranged in a timely and professional manner. You will communicate with clients, suppliers, and travel partners to create and execute itineraries plus resolve travel-related issues while staying within budget and policy guidelines. You will also provide excellent customer service to clients and act as the liaison between them and the travel vendors.

Qualifications:

• Excellent communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills, with a strong ability to build relationships and work effectively with clients and travel vendors
• Excellent time management, organizational, and multitasking skills (you will have several clients at a given time)
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Demonstrated expertise with travel logistics
• Strong attention to detail
• Excellent geography skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make sound decisions independently and efficiently
• Familiarity with MAC computers and software, as well as Google Suite, with an emphasis on Excel and Google Sheets proficiency
• Knowledge of other languages a plus
• Experience in the travel industry, including knowledge of travel agency operations, ticketing, and travel booking software, preferred but not required
• Pleasant, helpful, team-oriented personality
• Absolute honesty and integrity
• A commitment to excellence and patience during client emergencies which don’t always happen within your set business hours

Key Responsibilities:

• Consult with clients to determine their travel preferences, including destinations, budget, and interests
• Provide expert advice on travel options, including destinations, transportation, accommodation, and activities
• Research and book flights, hotels, transportation, tours, and other travel services.
• Handle reservations and issue tickets
• Prepare and deliver travel itineraries to clients, ensuring all details are clear and comprehensive
• Stay updated on travel trends, visa requirements, and safety guidelines
• Address any issues or concerns that may arise during travel and provide timely solutions
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients to encourage repeat business and referrals (which is the core of our business!)

Besides being a part of a really fun team of travel advisors specializing in incredible destinations and the ability to work from anywhere at anytime?! You will be a part of the Virtuoso network which opens the doors to incredible luxury travel suppliers and opportunities. You will have insider access to important travel conferences and other travel-based education opportunities. Our back office will assist you with all the necessary sales tools, accounting and monthly electronic statements, and commission chasing.

A bit of both. We will provide some warm leads, especially in the first few months of working with us, but we are also expecting you to have a network you plan on tapping into for clientele.

Absolutely! There will be an initial onboarding lasting 4-5 days that will take place in our Italy office (or via Google Meet if necessary). Here you will learn about our trip-planning process and of course, BVT’s internal practices, and systems. You will have additional training and mentoring every week until we mutually agree upon your ability and confidence to manage clients independently.

For leads provided by BVT, there is a starting commission split of 50%. For leads brought in by the IC, the commission split starts at 60% and increases based on sales volume. We will discuss in detail the compensation plan during the interview process.

While most likely a part-time job to begin with, this position offers the potential to learn and grow – and a great jumping-off point for someone who wants to have a full-time career as a luxury travel designer and advisor.