Liesl De Wet

• Oversaw project administration, coordinating activities from planning to execution.
  Managed scheduling of site activities and routine meetings.
  Broke complex projects into manageable tasks, establishing clear goals and deadlines.
  Created and updated workflows for enhanced efficiency throughout the project lifecycle.
  Tracked expenses and predicted future costs, generating detailed expense reports.
  Acted as primary contact for all project participants, facilitating communication.
  Managed subcontractor billing administration and internal documentation requirements.
  Maintained quality control measures to meet client expectations.

Lead and coordinate regional hosting operations, including scheduling, logistics, and oversight, to deliver high-quality hosting experiences, increase operational efficiency, and achieve measurable return on investment, as evidenced by guest satisfaction and improved financial outcomes.

• Plan and deliver market-aligned hosting itineraries that incorporate country insights and business plans to ensure authentic, consistent South African visitor experiences.
• Identify, evaluate, and align new tourism products with regional and market requirements to enhance destination competitiveness.
• Present and promote existing and new products to SA Tourism, and key stakeholders.
• Foster strong relationships with suppliers, partners, SA Tourism, and hosted guests.
• Manage end-to-end logistical and financial coordination across assigned regions to ensure seamless hosting execution.
• Develop and implement hosting evaluation frameworks to measure effectiveness, quality, and outcomes, such as increased guest satisfaction, repeat visitation, and improved stakeholder feedback.
• Design commercially viable hosting packages and programs that support cost containment, drive guest engagement, and help realize organizational objectives, such as revenue growth, and market expansion.

Reporting, Compliance, and Performance

• Prepare and submit comprehensive monthly hosting reports on activity status, outcomes, and performance metrics.
• Provide actionable feedback to hosting partners to support ongoing improvement.
• Complete financial reconciliations in accordance with organizational and regulatory standards.
• Analyze post-hosting surveys, and present insights and recommendations to line management, regional teams, hosts, and product stakeholders.
• Consolidate and report post-hosting ROI across regions to support performance tracking and decision-making, focusing on increased visitor numbers, revenue generation, and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Ensure adherence to Supply Chain, PFMA, and SA Tourism policies and procedures. Manage general administrative functions.
• Monitor host performance across the hosting pool, identify skills gaps, and coordinate targeted training interventions.

Stakeholder Engagement and Brand Representation

• Provide advisory and liaison support to internal stakeholders. Include the Quality Protection Manager, Head of Brand Experience, and business unit leaders.
• Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with key industry stakeholders. Strengthen collaboration and promote the South African brand.
• Support capacity-building initiatives. Adapt tourism products for diverse international markets.
• Contribute to developing a centralized tourism product database. Support its ongoing upkeep.
• Engage industry partners. Enhance regional product quality and service capacity.
• Negotiate competitive, mutually beneficial pricing. Maximize value and ROI for trade partners, stakeholders, and SA Tourism.
• Deliver etiquette and service excellence training to staff and partners.

Marketing Intern and Marketing Assistant at South African Tourism within the Global Product business unit.

Execution and management of Speed Marketing Projects – workshops aimed at showcasing the product offering (hotels, experiences, attractions) to buyers (Tour Operators, Travel Agents)

Monitor budget and expenditure activities for the Product unit and conduct budget reconciliations on Indaba, Meetings Africa, SATSA Conference, and ad hoc projects.

Assisted with the formulation of the Welcome brand strategy and with producing an annual marketing and events plan. Analysed data from GCIS to compile a report and do a presentation on tourist perceptions compared to actual experience, which was used as the baseline for the Welcome brand strategy development.

Worked with the Trade Relations Manager, the digital agency, and the media buying agency to develop brand awareness campaigns on digital and social media platforms with the specific intention to inform, educate, and inspire the travel industry.

Assisted with the development and execution of the Welcome brand campaign plans by reviewing campaign statistics to provide meaningful feedback, researching, and presenting new ideas. Welcome is a campaign run by SA Tourism that aims to inform local trade about international market insights and to provide readiness training in line with showcasing South Africa as a holiday and business destination.