Travel Trade & Marketing Manager, Western Canada

Company description

Make a destination impossible to ignore.

Mediawave is a creative media and PR agency headquartered in London, with teams in Milan and Seattle and our creative studio in London, Studio M. We build campaigns for national tourism boards and airlines that people actually stop for: bold ideas, beautiful content and partnerships that turn attention into bookings.

Now we're opening our first chapter in Canada, and we're looking for the person who'll lead it on the ground.

Role description

You'll be the face of a national tourism brand across Western Canada. One week you're pitching a new itinerary to a tour operator in Calgary; the next you're running a booth at the Vancouver Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show, hosting a room full of travel advisors in Edmonton, or lining up agents and creators for a FAM trip. You'll work hand in hand with Studio M in London and our Seattle team, turning global creative into local results, with the freedom to make the market your own. This role is contingent on contract award, with an expected start in early January 2027.

Open doors in travel trade

• Build real relationships with travel advisors, tour operators, OTAs and airlines across Western Canada, with at least 160 trade conversations a year (in person, online or by phone)
• Plan and host roadshows, advisor trainings and webinars in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and other key Canadian cities
• Work with agency partners to launch new tour products and multi-destination itineraries, plus joint promotions and sales campaigns
• Grow the network across mainstream and Asian-Canadian agencies alike

Tell the story, loudly

• Connect with travel media and creators, with at least 30 media conversations a year
• Help shape FAM trips for agents, journalists and creators, from selecting participants to following up on results
• Bring the destination to life at consumer travel shows such as the Vancouver and Calgary Outdoor Adventure & Travel Shows and the Vancouver International Travel Expo, and turn visitors into opted-in leads
• Collaborate across countries with Studio M in London and our Seattle team on campaigns, content, events and PR

Run the home base

• Lead a small visitor information office in Vancouver: answer travel enquiries by phone, email and in person, and send out brochures and promotional materials
• Build and maintain a database of Western Canadian travel trade and media contacts
• Keep clear records of every trade and media meeting (who, when, what was discussed and next steps) and report on them each quarter
• Support other promotional projects in the market as they come up

What we offer

• Base salary: CAD 55,000 to 65,000 per year, depending on experience
• Plus an annual performance bonus (target CAD 10,000 to 12,000), tied to trade development and partnership targets
• On-target earnings: CAD 65,000 to 77,000
• Plenty of travel: roadshows and travel shows across Canada, with travel expenses covered
• The opportunity to join our annual team celebration in London or elsewhere in Europe, with travel and accommodation covered (discretionary, subject to business needs and eligibility)
• Cross-country collaboration with our creative team in London, Milan and Seattle
• A founding role in our Canadian presence

Perks and benefits are offered at the company's discretion and may change from time to time.

Please note: as this role represents our client, the final appointment is subject to the client's review of the selected candidate's qualifications.

Timeline: we're moving quickly and aim to make a decision in early December. When you apply, please include a few lines on a destination you'd love to sell, and how you'd do it.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree, ideally in marketing, tourism, communications or business
• 3+ years in travel trade sales, destination marketing, tourism or B2B partnerships
• A network across Western Canada's travel agencies, tour operators or travel media (a big plus)
• Fluent English and Mandarin: speaking, listening, reading and writing (Traditional Chinese is a plus)
• The confidence to work independently, own your pipeline and represent a brand on your own
• Curiosity about culture, food and the outdoors, and a love of telling people where to go next
• French (an asset)
• Legal authorization to work in Canada, and willingness to travel regularly across Canada, including some weekends for events