The study also highlights structural differences between regions. In North America, 82% of destination marketing organizations operate at the local or regional level and work closely with businesses and tourism stakeholders, which requires them to demonstrate tangible results, particularly hotel revenue and room nights. In Europe, by contrast, a significant proportion of entities operate nationally within broader institutional frameworks, supporting long-term brand strategies and longer planning cycles.
Another relevant finding is the small size of many tourism marketing teams. More than one-third of these organizations have ten employees or fewer, while only 9% exceed fifty staff members, indicating that much of the sector operates with limited human resources despite growing digital complexity.
From a budgetary standpoint, the report describes a scenario of relative stability but persistent pressure. In 2026, 41% of destinations increased digital advertising investment, another 41% kept spending flat, and 13% reduced it. Even so, nearly half of organizations allocate at least 50% of their marketing budgets to digital channels, confirming the consolidation of online media as the backbone of destination promotion.
The analysis also shows that success metrics have shifted significantly. Conversion and return-on-investment indicators, together with economic impact data, are now the most valued by policymakers and industry partners, surpassing traditional measures such as reach or impressions. In North America, for example, 79% of professionals say economic impact is the top metric for their stakeholders.
Regarding channels, social media remains the leading advertising investment area, used by 88% of destinations globally, followed by search engine marketing at 68% and display advertising at 45%. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook continue to dominate, while others like Pinterest and X have experienced sharp declines in usage among destination organizations.
The report further underscores the rise of always-on campaigns, now adopted by 65% of destinations, reflecting the need to maintain visibility throughout the traveler’s planning cycle. At the same time, 61% of professionals cite budget constraints as their main challenge, followed by difficulties in demonstrating clear results and the growing demand for content production.
Artificial intelligence emerges as one of the most decisive drivers of change. Two-thirds of destinations already use AI tools for content creation, and adoption for data analysis rose from 28% to 51% in just one year, signaling rapid uptake of automated solutions to optimize campaigns and segment audiences.
Overall, the study concludes that destination marketing is undergoing a structural reinvention in which strategic agility, intelligent use of data, and the ability to demonstrate economic impact have become the main competitive factors. For Sojern, this evolution confirms that future success for destinations will depend on their capacity to combine technological innovation, authentic storytelling, and collaboration with local and international partners in an ecosystem where visibility no longer depends solely on promotion, but on relevance at the exact moment travelers choose their next destination.
