Sojern, the premier digital marketing platform for the travel industry, has unveiled its 2025 State of Destination Marketing Report, offering a deep dive into the evolving strategies, trends, and challenges shaping the global tourism landscape. Developed in collaboration with Benchmark Research Partners and backed by industry giants such as Brand USA, Destination Canada, the European Travel Commission, and the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the report highlights a transformative shift toward data-driven, AI-powered, and always-on marketing campaigns.
“A striking 85% of DMOs are maintaining or increasing digital advertising budgets compared to last year,” stated Noreen Henry, Chief Revenue Officer at Sojern. “As budgets expand and strategies grow more sophisticated, measuring return on investment (ROI) is paramount. Leveraging advanced tools and data-driven approaches will be crucial in engaging travelers at every stage of the marketing funnel.”
Digital Dominance: The Metrics Behind Destination Marketing Success
With insights from nearly 200 global DMOs, tourism boards, and government entities, the report underscores the resilience of digital advertising amid shifting market demands. While traditional channels remain relevant, the demand for precision, personalization, and performance tracking is steering DMOs toward more advanced marketing methodologies.
Among key findings:
- 83% of DMOs prioritize programmatic advertising due to its trackability, precision, and cost-effectiveness.
- 97% invest in display ads, 90% leverage social media advertising, and 80% use search engine marketing.
- 60% of DMOs rely on clicks as a primary metric, yet 54% struggle with ROI measurement, and 37% cite attribution challenges as a significant hurdle.
AI Revolution: The Untapped Potential in Travel Marketing
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making waves in destination marketing, yet its full potential remains untapped. The report reveals that while 63% of DMOs leverage AI for content creation, only 28% utilize AI for data analysis and campaign optimization—a significant missed opportunity in unlocking deeper consumer insights and predictive analytics.
“AI isn’t just about automation—it’s about revolutionizing how we understand and engage travelers,” the report notes. “Bridging the resource and training gap will be essential to fully harness AI’s power in marketing.”
Seasonal vs. Always-On: The Shift in Campaign Strategy
Historically, DMOs have relied on seasonal campaigns to align with peak travel periods. However, the 2025 report reveals a dramatic shift: 52% of DMOs favour always-on campaigns over traditional seasonal marketing (40%). This pivot reflects the growing need for continuous audience engagement, ensuring year-round brand visibility, and 42% of marketers report improved brand awareness as the most significant benefit of an always-on strategy.
The Evolution of Personalization: Are DMOs Falling Behind?
Modern travellers demand highly personalized experiences, yet only 15% of DMOs deploy advanced real-time personalization techniques across multiple channels. While 66% target specific traveller segments, such as outdoor enthusiasts, a significant gap remains in tailoring dynamic content and promotions based on evolving user behaviour.
Brand-Building Takes Center Stage
Following years of pandemic-driven recovery efforts, DMOs are shifting focus from short-term revenue generation to long-term brand development. Compared to 2024, where full-funnel marketing dominated at 70%, campaigns in 2025 are now evenly split between brand-building and performance-driven strategies (50/50).
“DMOs recognize that sustainable tourism success isn’t just about short-term bookings,” the report highlights. “Building strong destination brands ensures lasting traveler engagement and economic growth.”
Data: The Ultimate Competitive Advantage
Data-driven decision-making is at the core of successful marketing, yet utilizing data effectively remains a significant challenge:
- 51% of DMOs struggle with data analysis.
- **45% find it challenging to translate data insights into actionable strategies.
- However, 84% already leverage data for digital marketing insights, 75% for visitor tracking, and 69% for market research.**
While hurdles exist, DMOs integrating data-driven strategies will outpace competitors by delivering more targeted, impactful campaigns.
Co-Op Marketing: A Rising Trend in Collaboration
Collaboration among industry stakeholders is gaining momentum, particularly in Europe, where co-op marketing participation has surged by 16% year-over-year. DMOs can extend campaign reach, maximize resource efficiency, and drive collective tourism success by partnering with hotels, attractions, and airlines.
Social Media Reigns, but Video is the Future
Social media remains DMOs’ top engagement tool, with 91% utilizing platforms for marketing and 99% ranking Facebook and Instagram in their top five channels. However, the report indicates a significant shift toward video content, with connected TV (CTV) and short-form videos gaining traction as powerful storytelling tools.
“Immersive, visually compelling video campaigns resonate deeply with modern travelers,” the report states. “DMOs that prioritize video marketing will drive higher engagement and brand loyalty.”
Final Thoughts: Destination Marketing’s Future
Adaptability, innovation, and data-driven decision-making will be critical to DMOs’ success as the digital marketing landscape evolves. Sojern’s 2025 State of Destination Marketing Report is an essential roadmap, guiding tourism leaders toward more innovative strategies, greater efficiencies, and deeper traveller connections.
Download the complete report for the survey methodology and detailed insights: Sojern 2025 State of Destination Marketing Report.
Written by: My Thanh Pham
