Job Title:Hospitality Lead
Sector: Tourism
Department: Tourism Products Development
Section: Hospitality, Leisure, & Entertainment Development
Direct Manager:Hospitality, Leisure, & Entertainment DevelopmentSection Head
Job Purpose
Lead on the development, enhancement, and strategic alignment of the hospitality sector within the tourism ecosystem aiming to improve visitor experiences by supporting hotel sector engagement, quality improvement, product diversification, and alignment with tourism initiatives and standards.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Alignment
- Contribute to the formulation and implementation of hospitality-related strategies that support tourism growth and elevate visitor satisfaction.
- Identify gaps and opportunities in the hospitality offering, including accommodation types, geographical gaps, quality, and guest experience enhancements.
- Ensure alignment of hospitality initiatives with destination positioning and tourism product strategies.
Stakeholder Engagement and Product Development
- Act as the primary liaison with the hospitality sector (hotels, resorts, serviced apartments, holiday homes operators, etc.).
- Develop in depth quantitative and qualitative understanding of the Abu Dhabi hotel market on building strategic partnerships with hotel groups, tourism associations, and sector investors to foster collaboration and elevate standards.
- Lead hospitality engagement sessions to gather feedback and communicate tourism priorities.
- Support the development of hospitality-linked tourism products, such as staycation packages, wellness stays, culinary tourism experiences, and event-driven accommodations.
- Track Abu Dhabi hospitality sector related financial KPIs including CAPEX costs, GOPPAR, GOP%, EBITDA.
- Prepare sector performance reports, highlighting insights and recommended interventions.
- Benchmark international best practices and incorporate innovative hospitality trends into local strategy.
Shared Activity:
- Act as a role model and drive adherence to organizational values and ethics by employees of the assigned unit to foster a value driven culture within the organization.
- Manage and ensure effective implementation of functional policies, procedures and controls covering all areas of assigned unit activity so that all relevant procedural/legislative requirements are fulfilled while delivering a quality, cost-effective service.
- Lead the identification of opportunities for continuous improvement and sustainability of systems, processes and practices considering global standards, productivity improvement and cost reduction.
- Ensure that all unit reports are prepared timely and accurately and meet DCT requirements, policies and quality standards.
- Comply with all relevant EHS guidelines, policies and procedures, by reporting incidents and hazards in a timely manner, and reduce consumption of natural resources to support protecting the environment and ensure a healthy and safe work environment.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Tourism, Business Administration, or related fields (Master’s preferred).
- 5-7 years of experience in Abu Dhabi / UAE hospitality or tourism industry, with exposure to hotel operations, tourism product development, or destination management.
- Strong understanding of tourism trends, guest experience drivers, and hospitality sector dynamics.
Experience
- Excellent knowledge of hospitality operations and guest experience strategies.
- Strong stakeholder engagement, partnership, and communication skills.
- Project management and analytical capabilities with a results-driven approach.
- Familiarity with hotel KPIs, performance data, and industry benchmarks.
- Fluency in English required; Arabic is a plus.