Why a Fractional Chief Commercial / Marketing Officer Makes Sense for Travel & Hospitality Brands
There’s a moment many founders, CEOs and owners in travel and hospitality reach:
The business has traction.
Revenue is meaningful, sometimes substantial.
You’re operating across multiple markets or channels.
And yet, the commercial engine feels… messier than it should.
You know you need stronger commercial leadership – but hiring a full-time CCO or CSO is a big commitment. That’s where the fractional model comes in.
What a fractional commercial leader actually does
A good fractional CXO doesn’t parachute in with a 200-page deck and disappear. They:
Help you clarify the growth strategy for the next 12–24 months.
Bring structure to your go-to-market model (who you sell to, through which channels, at what economics).
Align sales, marketing, revenue and partnerships around a clear plan.
Install simple, disciplined operating rhythms – KPIs, dashboards, cadences.
Identify where data and AI can practically improve how your teams work.
They sit close enough to the business to matter, but not inside it to the point where they need a large team or full-time headcount.
Why this model is a good fit for travel and hospitality
Travel and hospitality businesses share a few characteristics:
Demand is volatile and impacted by many external factors.
There’s a complex mix of channels (direct, OTAs, B2B, partners, local demand).
There’s often a tension between brand, guest experience and commercial performance.
These are exactly the conditions where having access to senior commercial experience, without taking on a permanent salary and equity package, can be powerful.
A fractional setup lets you:
Get board-level commercial thinking on a part-time basis.
Test and refine your model before deciding what permanent roles you actually need.
Move faster on critical initiatives (new markets, new propositions, major partnerships).
What success looks like
When a fractional CCO engagement goes well, you typically see:
A clearer narrative about where growth will come from and how.
Fewer, better priorities (and the courage to say “no” to distractions).
Cleaner alignment between teams and a noticeable reduction in internal friction.
Better use of data in everyday decisions.
A stronger story for investors, owners and boards.
Personally, I like to think of it as installing a commercial operating system that will still work after the engagement ends.
When it’s not the right move
It’s worth saying: fractional isn’t a magic trick.
It’s not ideal if:
You don’t have any commercial leadership in place at all.
You’re looking for someone to directly manage large teams day to day.
You’re not ready to act on recommendations or make trade-offs.
In those cases, you may need to build a core internal team first.
How I approach it
My own work as a fractional Chief Commercial & Growth Advisor is deliberately focused on:
Travel, hospitality and tech-enabled services
Businesses with real traction and ambition to scale across markets
Engagements where we can define clear outcomes and timeframes up front
The model isn’t right for everyone, but for many travel and hospitality brands, it can be the bridge between “we’ve outgrown our current setup” and “we’re ready for a full-time C-level hire”.
If that sounds familiar and you’d like an outside view on your current commercial engine, I’m always happy to start with a simple conversation and see whether there’s a fit.
