Chief Tourism Officer: (Full-Time)

City of South Padre Island•South Padre Island, TX

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Chief Tourism Officer is a senior leadership role at Visit South Padre Island that unites strategic communication, destination development, visitor experience, and community alignment to impact local businesses, visitor spend in community, and the future of South Padre Island. This position is responsible for guiding the Island’s public narrative, managing, community relations and stakeholder messaging, and leading special events planning and engagement initiatives that enhance the overall visitor experience and increase tourism related revenue. This individual serves as VSPI’s primary community strategist and spokesperson, working in close partnership with the Chief Marketing Officer to ensure consistent, aligned messaging across all earned, owned, and shared marketing channels and inclusion of stakeholder businesses on marketing channels. The Chief Tourism Officer manages relationships with local businesses, oversees media engagement, and crafts storytelling that elevates South Padre Island’s unique brand and values and brings them to life through stakeholder businesses. This role is highly collaborative across CVB departments, Island partner businesses and organizations, and the tourism industry.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree from a four-year college or university with a degree in marketing, recreation, tourism, special events, or a closely related field.
An equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that demonstrably provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the successful performance of essential job duties.
A minimum of 4 years of successful event management, hotel sales, chamber membership management, or destination management experience in the hospitality industry or a destination marketing organization is preferred.
A valid state driver’s license is required.
Demonstrable experience in developing efficient promotional strategies and business plans for events and special projects.
Solid understanding of market research and data analysis methods.
Familiarity with Customer Relation Management (CRM) systems (Simpleview preferred).
High emotional intelligence, diplomacy, and the ability to build rapport with diverse groups.
Demonstrable leadership with both creative and analytical capabilities.
Outstanding communication (written and verbal) and interpersonal abilities.
Budget and project management experience.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual: Spanish and English preferred.

Responsibilities

Maintain a comprehensive working knowledge of local lodging, restaurants, attractions, and event schedules to inform visitors accurately.
Act as the primary contact for local partners, conducting regular meetings, site visits, and presentations to share CVB initiatives and gather feedback.
Coordinate with Marketing to collect photos, videos, and event updates from partners to promote the destination through owned channels and social media.
Collaborate with local businesses to ensure an exceptional, seamless experience for tourists, convention attendees, and sports groups.
Partner with stakeholders to develop new local experiences, packaging, and itineraries that increase overnight stays and community engagement.
Coordinate with Marketing to ensure local representation in familiarization (FAM) trips, influencer visits, and press tours, working closely with local businesses and city departments.
Manage input into editorial calendars, seasonal storylines, and destination narratives that highlight new attractions, events, and Island stories.
Lead Visit South Padre Island’s crisis communication efforts in collaboration with the CEO and City of South Padre Island public safety officials/officers.
Serve as the lead strategist in the development of a Special Events calendar for VSPI which supports the South Padre Island brand and drives revenues in off peak seasons.
Manage the Special Events fund, working with promoters to submit applications for funding, obtain permits, seek required approvals, and validate return on investments based on overnight visitation.
Research, solicit, and develop relationships with local, regional, and national partners to host high quality, on brand events for the Island.
Build and manage relationships with city departments and local vendors and serve as the primary liaison for promoters.
Monitor hotel occupancy metrics, track event books, and prepare reports to evaluate event success.
Manage the day to day operations of the official Visitor Center(s), ensuring a welcoming, clean, and stocked environment for guests.
Recruit, train, and evaluate Information Counselors.
Oversee the prompt response to visitor inquiries and manage the inventory of brochures, visitor guides, and promotional materials.
Serve as the organizational lead for strategic destination development initiatives, working with public and private partners to enhance visitor amenities, placemaking, and infrastructure.
Lead the execution and management of strategic tourism development programs and certifications, such as the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP), Certified Tourism Ambassadors (CTA), Tourism Friendly Texas, Texas Film Friendly Community, and Wheel the World's Destination Verified program, ensuring South Padre Island meets industry standards for sustainability, accessibility, and visitor-readiness.
Track outcomes and impact of these programs through measurable benchmarks, contributing to South Padre Island’s positioning as an innovative, inclusive, and future-focused destination.
Participate in or lead planning efforts related to signage, accessibility, parks, pedestrian areas, cultural assets, and mobility that impact visitor experience.
Collaborate with city departments, regional tourism bodies, and state-level agencies to advance development projects and secure funding or policy support.
Align destination development planning with community feedback (Resident Sentiment Studies), tourism research, and sustainability considerations.
Monitor performance indicators, visitor feedback, and development milestones to report on progress and guide continuous improvement.
Develop and implement a comprehensive community engagement strategy that fosters transparency, collaboration, and public support for tourism initiatives.
Develop and maintain strong working relations with key industry stakeholders (hotels, restaurants, attractions, retail) and community partners.
Organize and lead public forums, town halls, and listening sessions to gather input and share plans.
Educate the community and public on the value of tourism and VSPI’s role in supporting the Island’s economy and quality of life through presentations, reports, and outreach.
Serve as a VSPI representative at ribbon cuttings, public meetings, and key community events.
Identify opportunities for collaborative initiatives that benefit both residents and visitors.
Participate in or lead regional coalitions and community development projects with the Chamber, EDC, etc.
Serve as a core member of the leadership team, working closely with the CEO to shape strategic plans, advise on public messaging, and align initiatives with Visit South Padre Island’s mission.
Contribute to cross-departmental initiatives with planning, messaging, and strategic support, ensuring consistency and effectiveness in public-facing communications.
Foster a culture of collaboration, transparency, and innovation across the organization and with external partners, exemplifying VSPI’s values in all public engagements.
Responsible for approving direct reports time off requests, scheduled work hours and submitting all payroll information to finance in a timely manner.
Develop performance metrics for community engagement and destination development initiatives, including; increase in partner engagement/ satisfaction, improved visitor experience metrics, growth in the number of active partners in the CRM, and successful delivery of partner-focused educational workshops
Prepare detailed reports, dashboards, and presentations for internal use, stakeholders, the CVA Board, the city council, and Island partners.
Special projects and other duties as assigned.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
Responsible for adhering to all City of South Padre Island purchasing policies while performing purchasing tasks.
Responsible for the development and effective deployment of the Visitor Center and Special Events budgets.
Assist in substantiating budget requests.