Visit Seattle Appoints New VP of Destination Development

Visit Seattle, the destination marketing organization for Seattle and King County, has named Marco Leal as the organization’s first vice president of destination development. In his new role, he will focus on tourism growth, strategic partnerships, and community impact.  

“Marco’s global expertise and proven ability to build collaborative, high-impact destination strategies make him the ideal person to lead Seattle’s next chapter of tourism growth, innovation, and community partnership,” said Tammy Canavan, president and CEO of Visit Seattle. “His experience uniting government leaders, industry partners, and local communities across continents aligns perfectly with Visit Seattle’s vision for inclusive, sustainable destination development.”

Lee’s role includes expanding and diversifying Visit Seattle’s membership base and advancing domestic and international travel trade relationships, among others. He will serve on Visit Seattle’s senior leadership team, helping shape the organization’s strategy and impact across Seattle and King County.

A global executive with more than 20 years of experience in tourism development, international travel trade, strategic partnerships, and destination strategy, Leal’s career spans leadership roles across multiple continents, with deep expertise in uniting diverse partners toward shared destination and economic goals.

He most recently served as deputy chief executive Officer at Concacaf, where he led regional operations, destination-level strategies, and major events across 41 national markets. In this role, he guided organizational transformation, strengthened cross-sector tourism partnerships, and secured strategic commercial agreements that enhanced brand positioning, expanded international visitation, and drove sustained revenue growth and economic impact. Prior to Concacaf, Leal held senior leadership roles at FIFA.

“Seattle is a world‑class destination with an extraordinary blend of natural beauty, cultural depth, innovation, and community spirit,” said Leal. “I’m honored to join Visit Seattle at such a pivotal moment and look forward to working with partners across the region and around the world to elevate the visitor experience, strengthen economic impact, and champion the values that make this city truly exceptional.”