March 3, 2026

Visit Seattle

Visit Seattle, the official destination marketing organization for Seattle and King County, announced the appointment of Marco Leal as the organization's first vice president of destination development, a newly established senior leadership role designed to elevate Seattle's visibility and long-term vitality as a premier global destination. “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 & CEO of Visit Seattle.

Leal's role includes expanding and the membership base; advancing domestic and international travel trade relationships; strengthening alignment with SEA Airport's expansion and route development initiatives; and elevating visitor services, including growth of the Seattle Certified Tourism Ambassador program. He will serve on Visit Seattle's senior leadership team, helping shape the organization's strategy and impact across Seattle and King County.

Leal 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. Leal holds a Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Juridical and Social Sciences and has completed executive education in Finance and Accounting at Columbia Business School, along with advanced executive leadership and management programs through FIFA. He serves as an Arbitrator for the Court of Arbitration for Sport and is fluent in English and Spanish.