Digital marketing platform Sojern recently released its “State of Destination Marketing 2026” report, which identified a shift toward performance-oriented marketing with conversion and return-on-investment metrics serving as primary indicators of effectiveness.
The report—which was based on input from more than 350 DMOs worldwide—examined how destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are adapting strategies amid economic pressure, evolving performance expectations and increased adoption of artificial intelligence across travel marketing.
San Francisco-based Sojern— a subsidiary of RateGain—also reported measurement of economic impact as the leading strategic priority for destination marketers, surpassing traditional indicators such as visitation and engagement.
“Destination marketers are under more pressure than ever to show measurable impact,” Sojern CEO Mark Rabe said in a statement. “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.”
Globally, 72 percent of DMOs cited conversion and ROI metrics as key performance measures, alongside 72 percent identifying economic impact data as a primary benchmark. Customer engagement data ranked third at 41 percent.
In North America, 79 percent of DMOs prioritize hotel room nights and direct revenue generation over brand awareness. In Europe, 51 percent continue to emphasize long-term brand development, though 31 percent reported funding risk. In the Middle East, Asia and Africa, 88 percent identified conversion as the most important metric.
Meanwhile, 66 percent of DMOs reported using AI for content development, while use of AI for analytics and insights increased from 28 percent to 51 percent year-over-year. At the same time, 16 percent reported no current AI use. More than half of respondents indicated concern about the potential impact of AI-driven search on destination discovery, and 31 percent expect their websites to serve as primary information sources for AI-generated responses.
The report was produced in partnership with Dynata and supported by Brand USA, U.S. Travel Association, Destinations International, Destination Canada, European Travel Commission, City DNA, Caribbean Tourism Organization and Pacific Asia Travel Association.