# State of Destination Marketing 2026

**Publisher:** Sojern  
**Published:** n/a  
**Category:** Data intelligence & forecasting  
**Type:** Survey  
**Access:** Free PDF  
**Official source:** https://www.sojern.com/reports/state-of-destination-marketing-2026  
**Canonical:** https://tourismintel.ai/reports/the-state-of-destination-marketing-2026-report

## At a glance
- Survey of 359+ destination marketers worldwide reveals economic impact now the primary success metric, displacing reach and sentiment measures.
- Digital spend patterns split evenly: 41% of DMOs increased budget, 41% held flat, 13% cut back due to economic pressure and inflation.
- Sixty-four percent of DMOs now create AI-formatted content—lists, FAQs, structured answers—to align with AI engine discovery mechanisms.
- Growing divide between brand-building and performance marketing leaves many DMOs unable to connect top-funnel awareness to booking conversion.

## What the report covers
Sojern's State of Destination Marketing 2026 is a research-driven landscape report surveying 359 travel and tourism professionals globally, conducted in partnership with Dynata and industry bodies including Brand USA, U.S. Travel Association, Destinations International, Destination Canada, European Travel Commission, and PATA. The report examines how destination marketing organisations are adapting to tighter budgets, evolving traveller behaviour, and AI disruption, focusing on metric shifts, media investment patterns, and content strategy evolution.

## Key findings
Success metrics in destination marketing have fundamentally shifted. Stakeholders no longer view reach, sentiment, and impressions as sufficient evidence of campaign effectiveness. Instead, the report finds that economic impact—measured through bookings, visitor spend, and overall economic contribution—is now the true measure of success, signalling a broader industry pivot toward performance accountability and return-on-investment justification.

DMO budgets reflect profound market uncertainty. The survey finds that whilst 41% of DMOs globally increased digital spend, an equal 41% held budgets flat and 13% reduced spending, reflecting economic volatility, inflationary pressures, and rising media costs. This fragmented investment pattern suggests divergent confidence levels and strategic priorities across the sector.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping content discovery and visibility strategies, yet preparedness remains inconsistent. According to the report, 64% of DMOs are now writing content specifically formatted for AI engines—including structured question-answer formats, lists, updated listings, and articles aligned with traveller search queries. This reflects recognition that AI-driven search is transforming how potential visitors discover destinations.

A structural challenge persists between awareness and conversion activities. The report highlights a growing divide between brand-building and performance marketing, with many organisations struggling to connect top-of-funnel awareness campaigns to bottom-line booking results. Forward-looking DMOs are responding by adopting flexible media strategies, collaborative co-op campaigns, and AI-assisted content production to bridge this gap.

## Key numbers
| Metric | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| DMOs that increased digital marketing spend | 41% | Global, based on 359 survey respondents, 2026 |
| DMOs that held digital spend flat | 41% | Global, based on 359 survey respondents, 2026 |
| DMOs that reduced digital spend | 13% | Global, based on 359 survey respondents, 2026 |
| Survey respondents interviewed | 359 | Travel and tourism professionals, global sample, partnership with Dynata |

## Why it matters
**DMOs & destinations** — Budget decisions now require stronger ROI justification; shifting success metrics from reach to economic impact demands new measurement frameworks and stakeholder reporting. Understanding AI's role in traveller discovery is critical—64% of peers are already adapting content strategy. The report provides benchmarking data on peer spending patterns and strategic priorities essential for competitive positioning.

**Hotels & hospitality** — Destination-level marketing efficiency directly affects hotel occupancy and ADR. As DMOs rebalance budgets and adopt co-op models, hotel operators need insight into which destinations are investing and how, to calibrate partnership expectations. The shift toward economic impact metrics creates opportunity for hotels to demonstrate value contribution and strengthen co-marketing cases.

**Travel tech & distribution** — AI-formatted content creation (64% adoption) signals urgent demand for content optimisation tools, structured data management, and AI-readiness solutions. The performance vs. awareness divide indicates growing demand for attribution and conversion-tracking platforms. Budget constraints across 54% of DMOs suggest price sensitivity and value-for-money expectations in martech solutions.

## Methodology and limits
The report is based on survey data collected from 359 travel and tourism professionals in partnership with Dynata. Respondents include both Sojern customers and a broader panel of marketers in destination marketing roles worldwide. Participating industry partners include Brand USA, U.S. Travel Association, Destinations International, Destination Canada, European Travel Commission, City DNA, Caribbean Tourism Organization, and PATA. This brief is based on the publicly available summary and landing page only; the full report content is gated behind a registration form.

---
© Sojern for the original report. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel (https://tourismintel.ai). Read the original: https://www.sojern.com/reports/state-of-destination-marketing-2026