Vice President of Marketing, Travel & Hospitality

Career Guide
Leads marketing strategy and budgets to grow bookings and brand performance for travel and hospitality businesses. Oversees digital, brand, loyalty, and partnerships; aligns teams and agencies with revenue goals using data-driven planning.

Key Responsibilities

  • Set multi-year marketing strategy and annual plans
  • Own marketing budget/P&L and allocate to ROI targets
  • Lead digital acquisition, CRM/lifecycle, and loyalty growth
  • Oversee brand, creative, content, and PR
  • Build partnerships with online travel agencies (OTAs), airlines, tourism boards
  • Use analytics, attribution, and testing to optimize bookings and revenue
  • Hire, coach, and manage internal teams and agencies
  • Align with revenue management, sales, and product/guest experience

Career Progression

Can Lead To
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)
Senior Vice President, Marketing
Transition Opportunities
VP of Customer Experience/Loyalty
Head of Partnerships and Business Development
General Manager, Business Unit or Brand
Management Consultant (Travel & Hospitality)

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills
Loyalty program design and CRM journey orchestrationHospitality distribution strategy (OTAs, metasearch, GDS)Marketing mix modeling and multi-touch attributionMarTech architecture leadership (CDP, MAP, analytics)Integration with revenue management and pricing strategies
Development SuggestionsEarn HSMAI CHDM and complete an advanced attribution/MMM course; lead a CRM/loyalty pilot with Salesforce Marketing Cloud or Adobe and partner with revenue management on a pricing–marketing test.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range
Entry Level$150,000-$190,000
Mid Level$190,000-$240,000
Senior Level$240,000-$320,000
Growth Trend
stable — Travel rebounded; exec roles limited but digital/loyalty sustain demand

Companies Hiring

Major Employers
Marriott InternationalExpedia GroupDelta Air Lines
Industry Sectors
Hospitality & LodgingAirlines & Travel ServicesOnline Travel & eCommerce

Recommended Next Steps

1
Earn HSMAI CHDM; optionally add AMA PCM to validate strategic marketing expertise.
2
Deliver a cross-channel campaign tied to bookings with clear ROI (ADR/RevPAR, occupancy) and build an attribution dashboard to showcase impact.
3
Get hands-on with Salesforce Marketing Cloud or Adobe plus a CDP (e.g., Segment); join HSMAI and attend Skift/Phocuswright events to network with hiring leaders.