Jamie Thomas

Experience

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  ROEL Language Institution / World Travel

  Jan 2007 - Jan 2010

  English Language Instructor + RTW Travel

  Taught English to students from Kindergarten to grade 12 and tutored adults. Created curriculums and managed the daily activities of students. Developed excellent rapport with students and staff to promote a positive learning environment. After completing my contract, I took a gap year and traveled to twenty-one countries around the world, taking tours and visiting cities, hotels, and destinations. This led to firsthand experience with numerous countries e.g. Japan, Thailand, Costa Rica, Mexico, Caribbean, Argentina, Canada, Guam, etc. Show less

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  American Express Business Travel

  Jan 2010 - Jan 2012

  Travel Advisor

  I was hired at American Express Business Travel, the world’s leading business partner for managed travel. Due to my high level of professionalism, I was immediately put on their largest & most profitable account, IBM. Working with the GDS, I managed international and domestic corporate travel for IBM. This entailed providing detailed information on destinations, itineraries, fares, exchanges, travel products/services and varied accommodations. In addition, I developed and maintained relationships with service suppliers and representatives within the Travel Industry. By continually exceeding goals in productivity and sales I was in the top 3% of performers for the IBM account. Show less

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  Airbnb

  Sept 2012 - Jun 2021

  Property Manager with Airbnb

  Managed multiple properties for over almost a decade. I consistently achieved Airbnb's 'SuperHost' award. SuperHost is only given to the highest-rated and most experienced hosts on the platform who continuously provide outstanding hospitality and maintain perfect 5 star reviews. Hired and managed a team of employees (an assistant, cleaners, maintenance employees, etc) to delegate tasks in order for me to focus on managing and being available for emergencies. Over the course of almost a decade I've hosted almost two thousand travelers. My commitment to Customer Service earned me consistent 5 star reviews. As with every business that I develop, I routinely evaluated rates & costs, and added enough value to my higher prices with amenities that continually kept my occupancy rate incredibly high, no matter the cost per night. Ran successful marketing campaigns and a website to attract new customers. Was available 24/7 for any unexpected emergency. Being diligent and predicting issues prevented all avoidable problems, leading to a happier work/life balance. After almost 10 years of managing Airbnbs, I eventually transferred the properties to a new manager, and left the business behind to be able to focus on other career aspects. Show less

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  Travel & Culture Group

  Sept 2013 - now

  Tour Developer & Tour Leader

  I’m incredibly proud to have founded the Travel & Culture Group in Omaha in 2013. I've developed it to the point of having over 4,000 members, easily one of the largest Travel groups in the Midwest.In 2016 I was awarded the Presidential Service Award under Barack Obama for my work promoting travel with the Travel & Culture Group in alliance with my volunteering with Hostelling International.Originally I started the Travel & Culture Group as a way to bring people together. I'd organize and host two events every month; a travel talk covering a specific topic or destination, and a cultural dinner at an ethnic restaurant. With each event my goal aligns with my passion; to promote learning about other cultures, helping people see travel as a cultural exchange, and how to travel sustainably. Over the past 9 years I’ve hosted over 150+ events, and now have volunteers to help support events while I'm abroad.In addition, I’ve been developing tours and leading group trips worldwide for members of the Travel & Culture Group. My extensive experience of over 70 countries has proven to be the largest asset for developing tours. After picking the location and designing a custom itinerary based on client needs, I then work with a Tour Operator to coordinate the trip and to negotiate pricing, work out travel dates, and hand select hotels and other details. From there I market the trip, handle payments, and book the groups airfare. I then personally lead each tour from start to end, ensuring the safety and care of the guests during the whole trip. Over the past 8 years I've now developed tours to over a dozen countries on five different continents (soon to include Antarctica). Show less

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  Marriott International

  Nov 2013 - Jan 2015

  National Group Sales, Sales Coordinator

  Responsible for optimizing Marriott’s share of revenue and room nights from a primarily reactive source of customer inquiries related to National Group Sales requests. Inquiry sources include phone, Internet and referral. Major Responsibilities:• Execute the merchandising of opportunities by providing assistance for both internal & external customers with National Group Sales. • Responsible for optimizing revenue and room nights from a primarily reactive source of customer inquiries qualified as Extended Stay requests. Inquiry sources include intermediates, leads via incoming calls, corporate staff, meeting planners, etc. • Qualify each business opportunity and suggest hotel brands and products which are in line both with customer needs as well as hotel’s business needs. • Liaison between Marriott hotel properties and the clients, booking leads to ensure team and department goals are met.• Manages day to day needs of accounts, providing performance feedback as coach and mentor in developing skills and addresses performance issues accordingly and maintains communication with Leadership regarding performance.• Keeps Leadership informed of trends, opportunities, market changes as needed Show less

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  Adventure & Leisure Travel Experts

  Jan 2015 - Jul 2021

  Owner and Travel Advisor at Adventure & Leisure Travel Experts

  Employed at Travel Leaders, I became part of a large network of Travel Agents in North America. I followed with the agency as we transformed to Your Travel Center, changing from Signature consortium to Virtuoso (Virtuoso is the largest luxury consortia in the world). I excelled building customer relations and sales within my territory (the Midwest). In 2017, I started my own Travel Agency connecting travelers with tours & Tour Operators that meet their needs. My agency partnered with the ATTA (Adventure Travel Trade Association), Virtuoso, ASTA, etc Since 2015 onward, I have attended dozens of travel industry tradeshows where I gained respect within our industry, built an extensive network, and developed lucrative partnerships. My success was two-fold; not just being profitable, but having the joy of helping travelers explore new cultures & destinations. Show less

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  Nebraska Tour Company

  Apr 2016 - Jan 2022

  Founder of Nebraska Tour Company

  Due to the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Conference, the Olympic Swim trials, Olympic curling trials, College World Series, and our world famous Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha attracts over 13.1 million tourists a year, who spend 1.5 billion dollars each year. For me, it was absurd that Omaha didn't have a tour company offering tours to any of these travelers. After a few years, I founded Omaha's first tour company: Nebraska Tour Company (amazing SEO). Forecasting traveler demand, I developed 6 daily tours. From there, I hired a reliable employee base, consisting of several famous local historians and members of the Omaha Arts board as guides. Nebraska Tour Company originally offered 6 daily tours: History TourOld Market Walking Tour Art TourHidden Gems Walking Tour Omaha BreweriesNebraska VineyardsDue to extensive marketing and incredible staff, sales were high, and we were even featured in Lonely Planet guidebooks. After building it up over a few years, I then sold Nebraska Tour Company. Show less

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  Adventure Travel West

  May 2023 - May 2024

  Business Manager

  Business Manager of a growing inbound Tour Operator, Adventure Travel West. We're based in Denver, Colorado and we run multi-day, small group tours in US National Parks and in Hawaii. Tours are both fixed and private (customized). We specialize in hiking, active sightseeing, adventure, wildlife, and off-road adventures. Adventure Travel West primarily focuses on B2B, with the majority of our clients being European travelers, which is why our programs are offered in English, Spanish, German, French, and Italian. Our guides specialize in international travelers and they speak numerous languages. Most importantly, we're committed to sustainable travel and incorporate Leave No Trace principles across all our itineraries. Show less