Director, Regional Sales (APAC)

We are seeking an accomplished, commercially astute, and regionally experienced Director, Regional Sales (APAC) to lead outbound travel growth across three of the most strategic origin markets in Asia: China, Australia, and Southeast Asia. As a leading travel agency group with a strong legacy across Asia-Pacific, our organization is accelerating its regional footprint and scaling outbound travel verticals across multiple sectors - including premium FIT, leisure groups, MICE, sports travel, cruise, and luxury experiential journeys.The Director will serve as a senior commercial leader responsible for regional sales strategy, business planning, strategic partnerships, pipeline management, demand generation, and total revenue performance. This role will serve as the key architect of outbound expansion initiatives from China, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and other high-growth Southeast Asian markets.The role demands deep market knowledge, strong industry networks, and a sophisticated understanding of outbound behaviour, destination trends, aviation partnerships, and global supplier ecosystems. The successful candidate will influence regional decision-making, shape multi-market product strategies, and represent the organization at the highest levels with global partners.This is a high-visibility senior leadership role, interfacing with country managing directors, global tourism boards, airlines, luxury hospitality groups, DMCs, and global travel stakeholders.Key Responsibilities1. Regional Sales Leadership & Outbound StrategyLead the end-to-end regional sales strategy for outbound travel originating from China, Australia, and Southeast Asia, covering both mass and premium customer segments.Design multi-market commercial plans, sales objectives, revenue models, and competitive positioning for FIT, leisure groups, corporate travel, MICE, and luxury outbound categories.Identify growth opportunities in key markets such as Mainland China (Tier 1–3), Australia’s East Coast cities, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.Develop long-range regional revenue strategies aligned with evolving travel patterns, seasonal peaks, consumer motivations, and emerging outbound destinations.2. Revenue Growth & P&L ResponsibilityOwn regional revenue accountability spanning passenger volume, gross margin expansion, partner incentives, and multi-vertical sales growth.Oversee annual regional business planning including financial forecasts, commercial priorities, market share targets, and sales governance frameworks.Build a predictable, high-quality sales pipeline through strategic contracting, tactical campaigns, retail activation, and demand generation initiatives.Drive operational excellence through quarterly business reviews (QBRs), revenue intelligence analytics, performance dashboards, and margin optimization.3. Strategic Partnerships & AlliancesLead high-level engagement with global and regional partners, including: Airlines (legacy carriers, LCCs, interline, codeshare alliances), Cruise brands (ocean, luxury expedition, river cruise), Global hotel groups & luxury hospitality brands, Tourism boards and national tourism organizations, Destination Management Companies (DMCs)Negotiate multi-year cooperative marketing agreements, volume commitments, tactical campaign contracts, and multi-market collaboration models.Represent the organization at leading B2B events including ITB, WTM, AIME, ILTM, ATM, and CITM.Strengthen destination partnerships in Europe, Middle East, Japan/Korea, USA/Canada, and emerging long-haul markets relevant to APAC outbound travellers.4. Outbound Product & Market DevelopmentProvide leadership and market intelligence to shape outbound product development for China, Australia, and SEA.Guide design of differentiated travel propositions including: Premium FIT itineraries, Luxury private journeys, Small group specialist tours, MICE and incentive travel programs. Cruise packages and pre/post land arrangements, Seasonal campaigns and long-haul signature journeysEnsure product competitiveness, pricing accuracy, margin integrity, and brand alignment across all outbound markets.Forecast emerging destinations and niche categories (e.g., wellness travel, sports travel, adventure travel, culinary travel).5. Regional Stakeholder ManagementWork closely with country general managers and national sales directors to harmonize regional strategy with local execution.Align plans across B2C, B2B, corporate travel, e-commerce, and retail networks.Ensure consistency in commercial governance, negotiation standards, and supplier engagement across all markets.Implement commercial training programs for retail agents, frontline teams, and regional sales staff.6. Sales Operations, Analytics & GovernanceStrengthen commercial governance through standardized contract frameworks, supplier onboarding, CRM usage, and regional reporting structures.Direct implementation of performance dashboards and commercial analytics to monitor: Booking trends, Profitability, Market share, Channel performance, Campaign effectivenessDrive continuous process improvements to ensure faster contracting, stronger retail capability, and higher margins.Ensure alignment with regulatory requirements across China, Australia, and ASEAN jurisdictions.7. Leadership, Team Development & Organizational InfluenceLead a regional/matrix sales team across multiple countries, ensuring a high-performance culture and strong regional collaboration.Recruit, mentor, and develop senior sales managers and outbound market leads.Promote a culture of data-driven decision-making, commercial accountability, and innovation.Contribute to organizational strategic discussions on global expansion, digital transformation, and customer experience evolution.Qualifications & RequirementsEssentialBachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Tourism, or related discipline; MBA preferred.12–18 years of progressive commercial leadership experience in travel, aviation, hospitality, or tourism distribution, including at least 7 years in a regional APAC role.Deep outbound market experience in Mainland China, Australia, and Southeast Asia, with proven success in leading multi-market commercial growth.Strong negotiation track record with airlines, tourism boards, DMCs, cruise lines, and hotel groups.Demonstrated P&L management ability with multi-million-dollar revenue portfolios.Expertise in inbound–outbound dynamics, long-haul travel behaviour, premium travel trends, and partner ecosystem management.Strong network across Asia-Pacific’s travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors.Excellent communication and presentation skills; able to represent the organization externally at senior levels.PreferredFluency in Mandarin highly advantageous due to China market responsibilities.Familiarity with Australian consumer travel patterns and distribution frameworks.Deep experience in luxury travel, premium FIT, high-net-worth customer segments, and multi-market leisure travel.Track record in managing regional commercial teams across matrix structures.Key Personal AttributesStrategic, analytical, and commercially minded.Highly influential and adept at senior stakeholder management.Strong leadership presence with the ability to operate confidently across China, Australia, and ASEAN cultural landscapes.Results-driven, collaborative, and able to work under ambiguity.Entrepreneurial mindset with strong business acumen and resilience.Willingness to travel extensively across the region.