Destination marketing organisations are finding it difficult to measure the effectiveness of their digital marketing campaigns, particularly in turning likes, impressions, and clicks into actual business results, according to a new report.
“From navigating the complexities of multichannel campaigns
to satisfying diverse stakeholder expectations, DMOs are under intense pressure
to demonstrate meaningful impact,” Sojern said in its State of Destination
Marketing 2025 report.
One of the most significant hurdles is proving return on
investment (ROI) in an increasingly digital landscape. While 85 per cent of
DMOs are maintaining or increasing their digital ad budgets, and 83 per cent
leverage programmatic advertising for its trackability, many still struggle to
connect digital performance metrics with real-world outcomes.
Social media marketing remains a dominant strategy - 91 per
cent of DMOs use it, and it ranks among the top five channels for nearly all
survey participants. However, simply measuring engagement doesn’t always equate
to success.
The report highlights a misalignment between commonly
tracked digital KPIs - such as content engagement and ad clicks—and DMOs’ core
business objectives, like increasing bookings and visitor spending. “While
clicks and impressions are easy to quantify, they don’t necessarily indicate a
campaign’s success in driving tourism and economic impact,” Sojern noted. “This
disconnect makes it difficult for DMOs to justify their marketing investments
and prove their value.”
To bridge this gap, DMOs need better measurement strategies
that align digital marketing efforts with organisational goals. The report
suggests emerging technologies could offer solutions, such as leveraging
location data for more precise performance tracking and audience targeting.
Additionally, while many DMOs use artificial intelligence (AI) for content creation,
there remains significant untapped potential in using AI for data analysis to
refine marketing strategies.
The report, based on data from Benchmark Research Partners
and supported by Sojern, gathered insights from 200 DMOs worldwide. Organisations
such as Destination Canada, Brand USA, the European Travel Commission, and the
Caribbean Tourism Organization contributed to the study.
