In today’s competitive hospitality landscape, marketing excellence requires operational integration, measurable impact, and the ability to adapt at scale. The Travel + Leisure Co. Field Marketing team exemplifies these skills. Through the reinvention and successful execution of the Guest Experience Host (GEH) Program, the team has transformed the way resort hospitality and vacation ownership sales intersect, driving record revenue, increasing guest satisfaction, and significantly reducing operational costs. The program has resulted in a 12% increase in guest production year-on-year and a 12.1% increase in conversion rates, while elevating brand engagement at a resort level.

The Guest Experience Host Program was designed to merge two traditionally separate functions at resort level: front desk hospitality and vacation ownership marketing. Historically, resort staff checked in guests and handled luggage, while separate marketing agents approached guests to invite them to attend a sales presentation. This structure created fragmented guest interactions and inconsistent messaging.
The GEH Program consolidates these roles into a single, highly trained Guest Experience Host who manages the welcome journey and seamlessly introduces guests to the opportunity to attend a presentation. This integration improves trust, enhances guest comfort, eliminates the clunkiness of multiple staff introductions, and maximises tour generation – all while rewarding staff through a robust incentive model. By embedding marketing within the hospitality experience, the program strengthens brand presence at the most critical guest touchpoint: arrival.

The program was initially rolled out across 22 locations in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. Following its success, it expanded in 2024 to five additional sites in Indonesia and Thailand and is now being implemented across eight Accor Vacation Club managed properties.

It is now a high-performing, scalable model and the results speak for themselves. In 2025, the program helped sales to generate an estimated US$140 million in sales revenue, up from US$130 million the previous year and approximately US$64 million in 2022 before its introduction.

Performance metrics demonstrate sustained growth:
• Tours: Up 12% year-over-year
• Show Rate: Increased to 75.9%
• Owner Conversion: Improved from 63.5% to 71.2% in 2025, an astonishing 12% lift in performance in one year.

Under this system, Guest Experience Hosts – and even their supervisors and managers – are eligible for incentive payments. In 2025, these totalled close to US$1.82 million. This has transformed hotel team members from basic wage earners into commission-earning marketing professionals.

Beyond revenue growth, the GEH Program has delivered substantial cost efficiencies. By merging two roles into one, fewer staff are required at resort level while productivity increases. This reduction has occurred during a period of peak inflation, making the efficiency gains even more significant.

Building on the success of the GEH Program, the team has now introduced a call-ahead initiative. Rather than waiting for guests to arrive at the front desk to discuss presentation attendance, team members now proactively contact guests prior to arrival to provide stay information and confirm presentation bookings. This strategy secures appointments earlier in the guest journey, improves preparedness and show rates, and reduces front-desk pressure at peak times. The Accor Vacation Club team are leading the way, with up to 68% of their guests pre-booked.

Performance improvements have contributed to better guest experience. Overall Satisfaction (OSAT) scores have improved year-over-year. Across 15 sales sites in 2025, the OSAT for the total sales experience rose from 8.08 to 8.18 – demonstrating that commercial results have grown alongside guest loyalty and brand trust.

At the core of this success is a leadership philosophy grounded in positivity, accountability, and collaboration. Travel + Leisure Co. has built a culture that prioritises fun and healthy competition between sites. The business believes strongly in rewarding people for their performance, and the GEH program enables this while giving strong performers an opportunity to grow.

The best ideas often come from the field. Weekly General Manager calls, quarterly site visits, and open forums ensure best practices are shared and wins are celebrated. A comprehensive 50-page Guest Experience Host workbook provides structured training in hospitality, vacation ownership fundamentals, guest profiling, objection handling, and even pre-scripted calls. Success has been achieved by securing operational buy-in, clearly articulating incentive benefits, and ensuring staff understand how performance translates into personal reward.

The Guest Experience Host Program has become a blueprint for international field marketing excellence. It aligns brand presence with revenue generation, enhances guest engagement, empowers frontline teams and reduces costs simultaneously. It is now a multi-country success story enabling a skilled sales team to generate nine-figure revenue, industry-leading conversion rates and improved guest satisfaction.

For its innovation, measurable impact, cross-functional integration, and scalable success across multiple countries and brands – and its ability to strategically elevate brand presence while driving significant revenue growth – the Travel + Leisure Co. International Field Marketing team stands as deserving recipients of the GNEX Award for Marketing Team of the Year.