Head of Host Agency Partnerships

Head of Host Agency Partnerships | Remote | Preferred: United States.

What We Are Building

Pagoda Travel is building the first B2B marketplace infrastructure designed specifically for host agencies and travel advisors — solving a problem that has gone largely untouched for more than 30 years.

Most advisors still rely on fragmented supplier communication, outdated DMC structures, spreadsheets, and endless email chains. We built the infrastructure layer this industry should have had years ago — and what we have built does not currently exist anywhere else in the travel industry.

Our marketplace launched in 2025 with 119+ travel advisors onboarded entirely through word of mouth, 150+ certified guides, and 260+ live tours across Japan. Every advisor joined organically and consistently tells us this is the product the industry has been missing.

Pagoda Pro — the host agency version — launches late 2026, giving agencies their own dedicated marketplace environment with direct access to local experts, transparent net pricing, and commission potential up to 95% higher than traditional DMC models. Japan is the starting point. Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia follow in 2027, with the platform designed to scale globally.

The Role

We are specifically seeking candidates with extensive experience in the travel advisor or tourism industry who understand the host agency ecosystem and who have existing relationships within the space.

This is a sales role. The founder leads product development and supplier expansion. You own one thing: bringing host agencies onto Pagoda Pro. We ask only qualified applicants to apply.

That means getting in front of the right people and converting relationships into signed partnerships. Host agencies represent significant long-term revenue — which means every supplier in the industry is already competing for their attention. Getting past the people protecting founders' time is one of the hardest and most important skills this role requires.

We are ready to begin conversations with host agencies now.

This is not a role with a ramp-up period — we need someone who can enter industry conversations immediately with confidence and credibility.

Responsibilities

Identifying and reaching out to host agencies in the US and internationally
Building relationships with agency founders and decision makers
Managing the full sales cycle from first contact to signed partnership
Driving advisor adoption within onboarded agencies
Representing Pagoda Travel at industry events and within advisor communities

Who We Are Looking For

Proven B2B sales experience with a track record of closing
Background in travel, host agencies, marketplaces, SaaS, or relationship-driven B2B sales
Existing connections within the host agency or travel advisor space are a major advantage
Entrepreneurial mindset — you build your own pipeline and own your outcomes
Confident engaging directly with founders and senior decision makers
US or Canada based preferred

What We Offer

This is an early-stage company and initial compensation reflects that. Once the first host agencies are onboarded, compensation scales rapidly — to industry standard and beyond. Performance incentives are tied directly to results.

For the right candidate, equity participation of up to 5% is on the table. I currently own 100% of the company and am prepared to share meaningful ownership with someone who helps build this into a global platform.

The company is intentionally lean and will stay that way. You work directly with the founder, with a clear path to Managing Director as Pagoda Pro scales.

To Apply

Please respond with a short message covering the following:

1. How familiar are you with the host agency industry, and how did you come to know it?
2. Do you have existing connections in the travel industry — host agencies, advisors, operators, or related sectors?
3. How would you approach getting in front of host agency founders and reaching decision makers directly?
4. There are no right or wrong answers — I want to understand how you think before we take the next step.

*"Please write your responses in your own words. We will not consider replies that appear to have been written by AI.”

John

Pagoda Travel | www.pagoda.travel | [email protected]