SAN FRANCISCO – 17 February 2026 – Sojern, the leading digital marketing platform built for hospitality and recently acquired by RateGain, today announced the launch of its “State of Destination Marketing 2026” report, examining how destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are navigating economic pressure, rising performance expectations, and accelerating AI-driven change across the travel industry.
Based on insights from more than 350 DMOs worldwide, the report finds that the ability to measure economic impact ranks as the top strategic priority in this year’s survey, ahead of metrics such as visitation and engagement, as destination marketers face growing scrutiny to demonstrate tangible return on investment. The findings point to a broader shift toward performance-led marketing, with accountability and measurable outcomes increasingly central to destination strategy.
“Destination marketers are under more pressure than ever to show measurable impact,” said Mark Rabe, CEO of Sojern. “This year’s report shows how DMOs are rising to that challenge—rethinking success metrics, investing more intentionally, and adapting their strategies to stay visible as AI reshapes discovery. At Sojern, we’re proud to support destinations globally as they navigate this moment of change with confidence and clarity.”
From Visibility to Value: Performance Takes Center Stage
The ability to measure economic impact ranks above traditional measures such as visitation and engagement in DMOs strategic priorities. As budgets tighten, the question facing marketers has become more direct: Is this driving the business forward?
Globally, conversion and ROI metrics (72%), economic impact data (72%) and customer engagement data (41%) are now the most important proof points for stakeholders. In North America, 79% of DMOs prioritize hotel room nights and direct revenue over brand awareness. In Europe, where longer-term brand building still matters for 51% of DMOs, performance nevertheless comes first amid growing financial uncertainty, with 31% of DMOs saying their funding is at risk. In the Middle East, Asia, and Africa (AMEA), 88% of DMOs say conversion is the most important metric.
The Funnel Isn’t Linear, and Strategy Isn’t Either
DMOs are evenly split between stage-specific (47%) and full-funnel (47%) campaign strategies, but priorities vary by region. In North America, performance dominates: 51% of DMOs focus primarily on mid-and lower-funnel activity, with 31% now citing conversions as their main goal, up from 15% last year. Globally, focus on awareness has dropped sharply, from 59% in 2025 to 25% in 2026, raising questions about the long-term impact of underinvesting in brand visibility.
AI Is Changing Discovery—And DMOS Are Responding
AI is no longer a future concern. More than half of DMOs (51%) say they are concerned or actively preparing for AI-driven search disruption, and 31% expect their website to become a “source of truth” for AI-generated answers.
Adoption is accelerating. Two-thirds of DMOs (66%) now use AI to support content creation, while use of AI for data analysis and insights jumped from 28% to 51% in just one year. Still, maturity remains uneven: 16% say they are not using AI at all.
Personalisation, Data, and the Resource Gap
Despite growing intent, personalisation progress has stalled. Only 9% of DMOs describe their advertising as “advanced,” while the share reporting only basic personalisation rose from 14% to 22% year over year.
Data is widely trusted but underutilized. DMOs say it delivers the most value during planning (45%), and post-campaign reporting (44%), yet just 7% say it plays the most valuable role during live campaign execution. Demographic data (74%) remains the dominant targeting input globally, while Europe leans more heavily into audience and foot traffic data. AMEA leads in more advanced tactics, with 78% using behavioural and destination insights and 56% using psychographic data to personalize at scale.
Channels Reset, Not Replaced
Paid social remains the most widely used digital channel, with 88% of DMOs investing globally. Instagram and Facebook continue to anchor social strategies (97% and 90% adoption, respectively), while YouTube usage has grown to 55%, reflecting its role across inspiration and consideration.
Channel strategies are becoming more selective. Display advertising usage fell from 75% in 2025 to 45% in 2026, while TikTok adoption declined from 49% to 28%, signalling a sharper focus on channels that more clearly support performance. While fewer teams now prioritise Connected TV (CTV) as a primary channel, 58% of DMOs still say CTV is somewhat to critically important within their overall media mix.
Why Co-Op Still Matters
Co-op marketing remains a critical lever. Eighty-percent of DMOs run co-op campaigns, primarily to reach wider audiences (70%), increase total investment (64%), and share costs (63%). However, complexity remains a barrier, with 27% of DMOs citing partner management as too difficult for lean teams.
This year's report was produced in partnership with Dynata and supported by Brand USA, the U.S. Travel Association, Destinations International, Destination Canada, the European Travel Commission, City DNA, the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
To view the full findings and survey methodology, download the “State of Destination Marketing 2026” report here.
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About Sojern
Sojern is the leading AI-powered marketing platform built for hospitality, designed to boost growth and profitability for the travel industry. The Sojern marketing platform is a set of easy-to-use software and services that delivers unrivaled traveler insight, intelligent audiences, multichannel activation and optimization, and a connected guest experience—all in one place. More than 10,000 travel marketers rely on our platform annually to find, attract, convert and engage travelers. Sojern, founded in 2007 and acquired by RateGain in 2025, is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with teams in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific.
About Dynata
Dynata is one of the world’s largest first-party data companies, specializing in providing accurate, permission-based data collected directly from consumers and business professionals. With a global reach of over 70 million individuals, Dynata helps companies gather insights to drive better decision-making across advertising, marketing, and research. Their services include online sampling, data enrichment, audience targeting, and campaign measurement—enabling clients to understand and connect with their audiences in meaningful ways.
PRESS CONTACTS:
Global:
Yasmine Najib / Kate Yee
press@sojern.com
