Mar 13, 2026
During last week’s March 11 Wednesday Webinar, Nick Beaulieu from Sojern, presented significant insights from Sojern's 2026 State of Destination Marketing Report and discussed how measuring economic impact ranks as DMO's top priority amid AI Disruption.
Sojern's 2026 State of Destination Marketing Report:
This report is based on insights from more than 350 DMOs worldwide, and points to a broader shift towards performance-led marketing. Sojern reached out to DMOs and tourism stakeholders to get their unique perspective on what their future looks like. Nick takes you through new insights gained directly from more than 250 DMOs worldwide. These findings explain how accountability and measurability outcomes are becoming increasingly central to destination strategy.
Top 3 Factors Most Influencing Long Term Marketing Strategy:
- National and Global Economic Conditions
Economic uncertainty continues to play a major role in traveler sentiment. Factors such as tariffs, political transitions, and broader economic pressures have already influenced international travel patterns in 2025 and are expected to continue shaping demand in 2026. - Destination and Product Development
New attractions, infrastructure, and tourism products significantly impact how destinations position themselves in the market. Many DMOs are aligning their marketing strategies more closely with these developments, using them as opportunities to refresh messaging and create new reasons to visit. - Shifting Consumer Behavior
Traveler expectations and decision-making habits continue to evolve. From changing booking patterns to the growing influence of digital channels, destination marketers must remain agile and responsive to meet the needs of modern travelers.
From Branding to the Bottom Line
While branding and awareness remain important, DMOs are placing greater emphasis on economic impact data. According to the report, this is the most valuable type of data for stakeholders evaluating marketing effectiveness.
For many destination marketers in the United States, the conversation has shifted from simply promoting a destination to demonstrating how marketing initiatives drive increased visitation, spending, and overall economic benefit for the community. Strategies that cannot clearly connect to these outcomes are becoming harder to justify.
Challenges in Full Funnel Marketing Approaches
Sojern found that DMO's biggest concerns and struggles when it came to full funnel marketing approaches were:
- Tracking and attribution remain the top obstacle. Many marketers struggle with accessing reliable data, trusting the accuracy of that data, and interpreting it in a way that informs decision-making.
- Budget allocation has become a growing concern, rising from 15% to 47% among respondents in the past year.
- Understanding traveler behavior continues to remain a key challenge as consumer habits evolve.
AI Isn’t the Strategy, It’s the Support
While AI adoption continues to rise, the report highlights an important shift in how it’s being used. Rather than serving primarily as a content-generation tool, AI is increasingly being applied to data analysis and insight generation.
Usage of AI for data analysis jumped from 28% to 51% in just one year, signaling that destination marketers are beginning to view AI as a way to better understand traveler trends, optimize campaigns, and make more informed strategic decisions.
Thank you again to Nick for presenting, as well as everyone who attended! You can view the recording above, and access the slide deck here.
About the NYSTIA Wednesday Webinar Series:
Back by popular demand, NYSTIA is once again hosting a free, weekly virtual workshop series in an informal, "coffee and conversation format. All are welcome to join and send invitations to your friends and colleagues! Each webinar is recorded and archived for post-event access.
Next Webinar on March 18: Cross Border Impacts in New York State: 2025 Wrap Up with Sally Donovan and Jamie Mageau from Rove. Learn More & Register
Find the Wednesday Webinar January 2026 Series Recaps here!