Creative Walks has been established as a tailor-made, self-guided walking holiday company by two owners, Marcelle Hoff and Martin Garland, who have both a lifelong interest in walking in Great Britain and overseas as well as being the owners of a successful luxury tour operating business that was established in 1989. They have designed Creative Walks has been designed for kindred spirits who enjoy the freedom of walking and who appreciate the benefits it brings; exercise of the body and spirit, an immersion in our natural surroundings, an inquisitiveness to explore new surroundings or just to revisit and hear again the sound of a bubbling brook or to feel the wind in your face, the sound of a lone bird or the sight of a herd of deer in the distance. Coupled with this is an appreciation of all things ‘Slow’; a quality of life and living that encourages the authentic, the considered, the well-crafted. Finally, Creative Walks wants to bring you a real flavour for the places you walk, with stays in comfortable and authentic places, offering traditional, regional cuisine and yet with a style that makes you feel good. Creative Walks is all about walking holidays that are authentic, a comfortable challenge, and that provide space for you to be creative in your thinking, your decision-making, and your life. Our customers appreciate not only our attention to detail and our efficient service but also our creative flair with tailoring walking holidays that appeal.
Our team in Exeter includes graduates, many of whom speak one or more foreign languages and who have lived and worked abroad. We also employ undergraduates and postgraduates in a part-time capacity.
At Creative Walks we provide in-company training, regular travel and work in an international environment as well as plenty of opportunities for progression within the company.
We are based in light and spacious offices in a business park on the eastern edge of the city of Exeter, just a few minutes’ drive from the M5 yet easily accessible from the city centre by car, train, bus or bicycle. Exeter has an excellent network of cycle paths and regular buses serve the area from the University and the city centre. Exeter is a charming city, surrounded by beautiful countryside, within easy reach of the stunning beaches of the south Devon coast and very importantly the walking trails of the Dartmoor National Park, Exmoor and the South West Coastal Path as well as the Exe Valley Way and the Tarka Trail. If you are a keen walker, which we hope you are, you are on the doorstep of many, many classic walking paths. Road and rail connections to other parts of the country are good.
Exeter has a large population of young professionals and offers plenty of accommodation options including house shares, making it ideal for recent graduates.
CURRENT JOB OPPORTUNITIES
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Programme executive – Creative Walks
Introducing the company
Creative Walks is a new walking holiday company, founded by the owners of Expressions Holidays. Expressions Holidays is a luxury, specialist tour operator, established in 1989 in London and now based in Exeter. We specialise in selling tailor-made holidays and travel experiences to selected destinations including Italy, France, Spain, Sri Lanka, the Caribbean and Australia/New Zealand. We employ a team of like-minded graduates at our offices in Exeter, and have a support network in finance, IT, web and design around the country.
Creative Walks is a walking holidays’ programme of self-guided walks for individuals in Great Britain and Europe. The holidays involve point to point walks with luggage transfer provided or self-guided walks based in a single location. We provide the luggage transfers, car transfers where required, detailed walking notes and maps as necessary.
The Programme Executive role is an ‘acorn’ opportunity in that you will have the chance to start at the very beginning of a new brand and to grow with the brand. The Programme Executive will be responsible for taking sales enquiries and confirming the bookings, managing the administration of the holidays, liaising with overseas and UK suppliers (hotels and local agents), and as you grow within the role and the product, take on developing the programme, setting up new destinations and walks, negotiating new contracts and marketing the product (with ideas for direct marketing, Press Releases and newsletters).
The successful candidate should be a graduate, have an active love of and involvement in walking and ideally have knowledge of one or more European languages. You will need to be organised, methodical, have a desire to sell, and be interested in how to market a holiday product.
You will want to convey your passion and knowledge of walking to our clients in a personable but professional style.
The initial role involves:
• Logging and managing enquiries
• Making telephone sales calls to enquirers
• Confirming bookings
• Administering bookings
• Liaising with suppliers (hotels, agents) in UK and Europe
Development will be:
• Setting up new walks
• Visiting destinations to negotiate
• Visiting destinations to walk the routes
• Writing up the walks
• Managing the website
• Engaging in marketing ideas
• Looking after Press enquiries
Skills and requirements:
• Good organisational skills
• Multi-tasking
• Ability to close a sale
• Understanding of how to serve a client base
• Eye for detail – accurate numbers and use of English
• Work with keen intelligence and accuracy
• Use logic and creativity
• Appreciate the detail but see the big picture
• Communication skills – external and internal
You will be educated to UK degree level, ideally from a Russell Group university. You should have very good Microsoft Office skills and experience, and ideally at least one European language. Duke of Edinburgh awards are a bonus as is evidence of having walked recognised hiking trails.
You will be joining other graduates, some from Exeter, others from other UK universities, who work in the sister company in holiday sales, marketing, product, administration and accounts, based in our attractive and spacious offices with parking in Exeter. Training will be provided on the job, in-house and externally.
Starting salary:
£20,000 per annum plus targeted bonus of up to £10,000.
How to apply
If you are interested in any of the roles mentioned above then please send your CV and a covering letter explaining why you want to work for Creative Walks to info@creativewalks.co.uk
OR send details by post to:
The Managing Director (recruitment)
Creative Walks
c/o Garland Hoff Ltd
Lynx House
Pynes Hill
Exeter
Devon
EX2 5JL