Travel & Leisure

Travel & leisure recruitment

Travel and leisure is built around experiences. Whether someone is booking a holiday, planning a day out or spending their free time doing something they love, expectations are high and the experience begins long before they arrive.

Customers expect inspiration, convenience, value and service across digital and physical touchpoints. Behind that are commercial, operational, marketing, technology and people teams working together to deliver an experience customers want to repeat.

At Zachary Daniels, we recruit across travel and leisure businesses, from operations and customer experience to digital, marketing, finance, people and technology. We also support senior and confidential appointments through ZD Search.

Travel & leisure recruitment across the whole business

The customer sees one experience. Delivering it can involve hundreds or thousands of people, multiple locations, digital platforms, complex operations and a significant amount of work behind the scenes.

Operations need to deliver consistently. Marketing creates demand. Digital teams make discovery and booking simple. Finance protects commercial performance, while people teams recruit and develop the workforce delivering the experience.

Our specialists understand how those functions connect. We support established travel and leisure organisations, growing brands and new concepts with individual appointments and wider team builds across the UK and internationally.

For candidates, we look at more than the vacancy in front of us. We want to understand the environments you know, what you have achieved and where you want your career to go next.

What makes travel & leisure recruitment different?

Experience is the product

Customers remember how an experience made them feel. People and service therefore have a direct impact on reputation, loyalty and commercial performance.

Demand can change quickly

Seasonality, holidays, events and changing consumer behaviour can create significant swings in demand. Businesses need people who can plan ahead and respond quickly.

Digital shapes the journey

Discovery, comparison, booking, payment and customer communication increasingly happen digitally, even when the final experience is physical.

Multi-site operations need consistency

Businesses operating across multiple destinations or venues need leaders who can maintain standards while responding to local requirements.

Customer expectations keep rising

Convenience and value matter, but customers also expect personalisation, flexibility and smooth service when something changes.

Functions we recruit across in travel & leisure

Travel and leisure businesses need people across customer-facing operations and the specialist head-office functions behind the products, brand and customer experience. We recruit across the following areas.

Executive Search

Senior and board-level appointments for travel and leisure businesses at moments of growth, transformation or succession.

Typical Roles: CEO, President, Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Commercial Officer, Retail Director, Brand Director, Chief Financial Officer and People Director.

Explore ZD Search

Retail Operations

Operational leaders who can manage complex customer-facing environments, lead large teams and deliver consistent commercial performance across multiple locations.

Typical Roles: Retail Director, Head of Retail, Regional Manager, Area Manager, Boutique Director, Store Manager, Assistant Store Manager, Client Advisor, Jewellery Sales Consultant and Watch Specialist.

Explore Retail Operations recruitment

Digital & Ecommerce

Digital specialists who improve discovery, booking, payment and ongoing customer journeys across websites, apps and other digital channels.

Typical Roles: Ecommerce Director, Head of Ecommerce, Ecommerce Manager, Digital Trading Manager, Performance Marketing Manager, CRM Manager, UX Manager, Conversion Rate Optimisation Manager and Ecommerce Executive.

Explore Digital & Ecommerce

Marketing & Brand

Marketing professionals who can create demand, build loyalty and communicate experiences in ways that inspire customers to act.

Typical Roles: Marketing Director, Head of Marketing, Brand Director, Brand Manager, PR Manager, Communications Manager, Events Manager, Social Media Manager, Content Manager and Customer Insights Manager.

Explore Marketing & Brand

Finance & Accounting

Finance professionals who bring control and commercial insight to decisions around pricing, capacity, investment, margin and growth.

Typical Roles: Chief Financial Officer, Finance Director, Financial Controller, Commercial Finance Manager, FP&A Manager, Finance Business Partner, Management Accountant and Financial Accountant.

Explore Finance & Accounting

HR & People

People specialists who help travel and leisure organisations attract, develop and retain large and often geographically dispersed workforces.

Typical Roles: People Director, HR Director, Head of People, HR Business Partner, Talent Acquisition Manager, Learning & Development Manager, Reward Manager, Employee Relations Manager and HR Advisor.

Explore HR & People

Technology, Data & IT

Technology, systems and data specialists who support booking platforms, customer journeys, operational systems and transformation.

Typical roles: Chief Technology Officer, IT Director, Head of Technology, Product Manager, Business Analyst, Data Analyst, Systems Manager, Project Manager and Software Engineer.

Explore Technology, Data & IT Recruitment

Legal, Compliance & Sustainability

Legal, compliance and sustainability specialists who help travel and leisure businesses manage contracts, customer responsibilities, governance, risk and environmental commitments.

Typical roles: General Counsel, Head of Legal, Legal Counsel, Company Secretary, Compliance Manager, Risk Manager, Product Compliance Manager, Sustainability Director, Head of ESG, Sustainability Manager, Responsible Sourcing Manager and Ethical Trade Manager.

Explore Legal, Compliance & Sustainability

Hiring talent for a travel & leisure business

You may need an operational leader who can improve performance across multiple locations. A digital specialist who can make booking easier. A marketer who can turn interest into demand. Or a senior leader to guide the next stage of growth.

Whatever the brief, we start by understanding your customer journey, operating model, culture and commercial priorities, as well as what the person actually needs to achieve.

Depending on the role and market, our support can include:

• A focused search for one specialist or business-critical appointment
• Recruitment across operations and multiple head-office functions
• Support for new locations, concepts, channels and markets
• Discreet, research-led searches for senior or confidential appointments
• Direct access to established networks, including passive talent
• Screening, interview coordination, feedback, offer management and post-placement contact

You get a shortlist shaped around your business and customer experience, not simply the wording of a job description.

Talk to us about hiring

One relationship. Talent across the business.

A new location can create requirements across operations, marketing and people. Digital transformation affects technology, customer experience and commercial teams. Growth can quickly increase demands across finance and leadership.

Our specialists work together, so you do not have to explain the business again each time the requirement changes.

How we support travel & leisure businesses

Operational and customer experience hires

We identify people who can combine strong commercial performance with consistently good customer experiences.

Multi-site and growth recruitment

We support expansion into new venues, destinations, concepts, channels and markets.

Leadership and confidential search

ZD Search supports senior appointments through discreet market mapping and targeted approaches.

Long-term recruitment partnerships

We stay close between vacancies, building our understanding of your business so future searches start from a stronger position.

Travel & leisure markets we understand

• Travel operators
• Tour operators
• Travel retail
• Visitor attractions
• Holiday and leisure parks
• Health clubs and leisure operators
• Entertainment venues
• Experiences and attractions
• Booking and travel platforms
• Multi-site leisure businesses

Looking for your next role in travel & leisure?

The right role is about more than title and salary. The customer, culture, operation and opportunity all matter.

We will want to understand what you have achieved and what progress looks like for you. A larger operation? Greater commercial ownership? A growing brand? Or the opportunity to transform how customers experience the business?

We will be clear about the opportunity, prepare you properly and keep you informed throughout.

Register your interest confidentially

Frequently Asked Questions

What travel and leisure roles do you recruit for?

We recruit across Operations, Digital & Ecommerce, Marketing & Brand, Finance & Accounting, HR & People, Technology & IT and Legal, Compliance & Sustainability, alongside executive appointments through ZD Search.

What types of travel and leisure businesses do you support?

We work with travel operators, leisure businesses, attractions, venues, holiday operators, digital platforms and other customer experience-led organisations.

Do you recruit for multi-site leisure businesses?

Yes. We recruit from individual locations through to regional, national and senior operational leadership.

Can you support new locations or expansion?

Yes. We can support individual hires and wider recruitment projects connected to new locations, concepts and markets.

Do candidates need direct travel or leisure experience?

It depends on the role. We assess which experience is genuinely essential and where relevant skills can transfer from adjacent sectors.

Can you recruit senior travel and leisure leaders?

Yes. ZD Search supports senior and confidential appointments.

Ready to talk?

Hiring?

Tell us who you need and what you want them to change, build or improve.

Talk to us about hiring

Thinking about your next move?

Tell us where you are now and where you would like your travel or leisure career to go.

Get in touch about your next role

Looking to recruit? Get in touch with your local office below...