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Produced by Sojern, an AI-powered digital marketing platform for hospitality, this report examines how Destination Management Organisations worldwide are adapting to rising performance expectations, tighter budgets and AI-driven changes in traveller discovery. The 2026 edition draws on a survey of over 350 DMOs, conducted in partnership with Dynata and supported by Brand USA, Destinations International, Destination Canada and the European Travel Commission among others.
The central finding is a decisive shift towards performance-led marketing. For the first time, the ability to measure economic impact ranks as the top strategic priority for DMOs globally, ahead of traditional measures like visitation and engagement. Conversion and ROI metrics and economic impact data are now the primary proof points for stakeholders.
On AI, the report finds that adoption is accelerating rapidly. Two-thirds of DMOs now use AI for content creation, and use of AI for data analysis jumped from 28% to 51% in a single year. More than half say they are preparing for AI-driven search disruption, and 31% expect their website to become a source of truth for AI-generated answers.
Channel strategy is also shifting. Display advertising usage fell from 75% to 45% and TikTok adoption declined from 49% to 28%, signalling a more selective approach focused on provable performance across paid social, YouTube and co-op campaigns.
Produced by Sojern, an AI-powered digital marketing platform for hospitality, this report examines how Destination Management Organisations worldwide are adapting to rising performance expectations, tighter budgets and AI-driven changes in traveller discovery. The 2026 edition draws on a survey of over 350 DMOs, conducted in partnership with Dynata and supported by Brand USA, Destinations International, Destination Canada and the European Travel Commission among others.
The central finding is a decisive shift towards performance-led marketing. For the first time, the ability to measure economic impact ranks as the top strategic priority for DMOs globally, ahead of traditional measures like visitation and engagement. Conversion and ROI metrics and economic impact data are now the primary proof points for stakeholders.
On AI, the report finds that adoption is accelerating rapidly. Two-thirds of DMOs now use AI for content creation, and use of AI for data analysis jumped from 28% to 51% in a single year. More than half say they are preparing for AI-driven search disruption, and 31% expect their website to become a source of truth for AI-generated answers.
Channel strategy is also shifting. Display advertising usage fell from 75% to 45% and TikTok adoption declined from 49% to 28%, signalling a more selective approach focused on provable performance across paid social, YouTube and co-op campaigns.
