ILANI ERASMUS

Explore Plus Travel & Tours

End-to-End Tour Operations, Costing, Pricing & Financial Coordination.
Paid Media & Performance Marketing (Meta & Google Ads).
Digital Platforms, Marketing Systems & Content Execution.

March 2024 – Current

Destinations Worked With:
Rwanda, Uganda, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Egypt, Jordan

• Manage end-to-end tour operations for private and group travel, from initial enquiry through execution and post-tour follow-up
• Design detailed itineraries and work out full tour costings and pricing, ensuring profitability while remaining competitive
• Coordinate and confirm accommodation, flights, transport, activities, guides, and logistics across multiple destinations
• Handle reservations and booking confirmations with local and international suppliers
• Work with Amadeus GDS, consistently achieving top availability and pricing results through effective routing, fare comparison, and date flexibility
• Prepare and issue accurate quotations, confirmations, vouchers, and travel documentation
• Manage supplier payments, working closely with Interafrica to process payments and handle currency exchanges
• Convert and manage payments across ZAR (Rand), USD (Dollar), BWP (Pula) and other East African currencies, ensuring correct exchange rates and reconciliation
• Track supplier invoices, balances, and payment deadlines to maintain strong supplier relationships
• Assist with financial balancing, reconciliation, and payment tracking for tours and group departures
• Liaise with finance teams to ensure accurate billing, timely settlements, and clear audit trails
• Oversee on-tour operations, resolve logistical or financial issues in real time, and ensure seamless execution
• Conduct post-tour financial and service follow-ups with clients and agents
• Business Manager setup and account structuring
• Pixel setup and event tracking
• Audience research and creation (custom, lookalike, interest-based)
• Campaign objective selection (leads, traffic, conversions, awareness)
• Ad set structuring, budget allocation, and placement optimization
• Creative development (copy, visuals, and video) using Canva
• A/B testing and performance optimization
• Retargeting and funnel optimization
• Performance monitoring and reporting
• Setup and management of Search and Display campaigns
• Keyword research and ad copy creation
• Conversion tracking and performance optimization
• Budget monitoring and reporting
• SEO identified as an area for further professional development
• WordPress website content updates and landing pages
• Mailchimp email marketing campaigns
• Organic Facebook and Instagram posting
• Social media posts and short-form video creation using Canva

Current Package: R20,000 + commission

Career Objective: Actively seeking international or remote opportunities offering expanded destination portfolios, greater operational and financial responsibility, and long-term career growth, as current role growth potential has largely been reached

• Promoted to Junior operational Manager since February 2023.
• Managing WooCommerce/WordPress and Gincident app systems.
• Creation of Monthly promotions.
• Working closely with various suppliers to set up combinations, promotions and point of sale items.
• Manually adding of Products, pictures, descriptions, tasting notes etc.
• Writing of Blogs on WooCommerce.
• Linking products to blog posts.
• Creating of Simple, Variant and Mix & Match products.
• Creating of Categories, shipping, inventory, attributes, and linked products on Gincident website and Gincident App.
• Establishing and reworking of pricing of products including vat and mark-up.
• Continuously updating and/drafting of products and categories.
• Analyzing of WooCommerce, Wordpress, Gincident App and Social Media Statistics.
• Ordering and managing inventory.
• Arranging for delivery and collection of products.
• Attending to all queries relating to Gincident's online store by working on various systems and email addresses.
• Creation of Focus Key phrases, SEO Titles, Slug and Meta Descriptions.
• General Social Media Marketing on a number of Social Media Platforms.
• Waybill creations, tracking of orders, completion of orders and refunds for customers.
• Packaging of orders, arrangements of events and gin tastings.
• Attending various events such as Grootfm and Porsche SA to promote Dragon's keeper gin and Gincident.co.za.
• Creation of Quotations for radio stations and other events.
• Organizing billboard, multimedia, outdoor and social media advertisements for Gincident.co.za.
• Working through contracts of various suppliers, partners and advertising agencies to ensure all contracts are valid and accordance to the relevant laws and regulations.
• Company started with retrenchments November 2023. All my work can be viewed on: www.gincident.co.za, www.dragonskeeper.co, as well as www.kingelato.co.za