Finance Manager - Travel & Tourism

About the Role

We are looking for a skilled Finance Manager with significant expertise in the travel and tourism sector to manage the financial operations of our travel business. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong capabilities in travel accounting, BSP/IATA reconciliations, airline and supplier settlements, corporate travel billing, financial planning and budgeting, cash flow management, and statutory compliance. This position requires a commercially savvy professional who can facilitate business growth while ensuring stringent financial controls.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage all accounting and finance activities within the Travel & Tours division, ensuring the preparation of accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports.
• Carry out timely month-end and year-end closings, monitoring profitability spanning leisure travel, corporate travel, MICE, visa services, and inbound/outbound tourism sectors.
• Create management reports that analyze revenue, margin, expenses, and profitability details.
• Develop annual budgets and rolling forecasts, monitor departmental budget adherence, and prepare financial models to evaluate new business opportunities.
• Oversee revenue streams including ticket sales, tour packages, hotel bookings, transportation, visa services, and ancillary revenues; analyze gross margins based on suppliers, airlines, destinations, and business segments.
• Implement cost control measures and identify potential savings opportunities to enhance profitability.
• Handle BSP (Billing and Settlement Plan) reconciliations, airline ticket sale reconciliations, timely settlements via IATA BSP, and review agency debit and credit memos including airline incentive calculations and commission reconciliation tasks.
• Reconcile balances with airlines, hotels, destination management companies, cruise operators, transportation providers, and other global suppliers; monitor payments and credit terms and resolve any disputes or discrepancies.
• Manage corporate client billing processes, oversee invoicing, monitor receivables and collections, and assess customer credit limits and exposure.
• Prepare weekly and monthly cash flow forecasts, monitor liquidity and working capital, optimize cash use, and manage banking relations.
• Ensure adherence to IFRS standards, company policies, VAT/GST and tax compliance; coordinate annual audits and maintain relations with auditors, banks, and regulators.
• Lead and mentor the finance team by reviewing work outputs, establishing KPIs, monitoring performance, and encouraging continuous process improvements.
• Reinforce internal financial controls and governance frameworks, vigilantly monitor for fraud risks and irregularities, and maintain adherence to company approval protocols.
• Leverage ERP and accounting software for financial reporting; coordinate with travel reservation systems like Galileo, Amadeus, Sabre, or Travelport to ensure seamless integration with accounting platforms.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, or a related discipline.
• Professional accounting certifications such as CA, ACCA, CPA, CMA, or CIMA are desirable.
• An MBA with a Finance specialization is an asset.
• At least 7 to 10 years of general finance experience, including 3 to 5 years within the travel and tourism industry.
• Experience working in IATA-accredited travel agencies is strongly preferred.
• Prior exposure to GCC/Qatar working environments is favorable.
• Experience handling multi-branch travel operations is an additional advantage.