RateGain travel Technologies Limited announced on February 18, 2026, that Sojern, its recently acquired digital marketing platform, has released the comprehensive State of Destination Marketing 2026 Report. The report examines how destination marketing organizations (DMOs) worldwide are adapting to economic pressures, rising performance expectations, and accelerating AI-driven transformation across the travel industry.

Economic Impact Measurement Takes Priority

Based on insights from more than 350 DMOs globally, the report reveals a fundamental shift in strategic priorities. The ability to measure economic impact now ranks as the top concern for destination marketers, overtaking traditional metrics such as visitation and engagement as organizations face mounting pressure to demonstrate tangible return on investment.

Mark Rabe, CEO of Sojern, commented on the findings: "Destination marketers are under more pressure than ever to show measurable impact. 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."

Regional Strategy Variations Emerge

The report identifies distinct regional approaches to destination marketing strategy. In North America, 79% of DMOs prioritize hotel room nights and direct revenue over brand awareness, with 51% focusing primarily on mid-and lower-funnel activities. European DMOs face particular challenges, with 31% reporting their funding is at risk, though 51% still maintain focus on longer-term brand building. The Middle East, Asia, and Africa region shows the strongest performance orientation, with 88% of DMOs citing conversion as their most important metric.

Globally, DMOs are evenly split between stage-specific campaigns (47%) and full-funnel strategies (47%). However, there has been a dramatic shift away from awareness-focused campaigns, dropping from 59% in 2025 to just 25% in 2026.

AI Adoption Accelerates Across DMO Operations

Artificial intelligence has moved from future consideration to present reality for destination marketers. More than half of DMOs (51%) express concern about AI-driven search disruption, with 31% expecting their websites to become primary sources for AI-generated travel recommendations.

Despite growing AI adoption, implementation maturity varies significantly across organizations, with many DMOs still in early-stage deployment phases.

Personalization Progress Faces Resource Constraints

While data utilization has expanded, personalization capabilities remain limited by resource constraints. Only 9% of DMOs describe their advertising personalization as "advanced," while basic personalization approaches increased from 14% to 22% year-over-year.

DMOs report that data delivers maximum value during campaign planning (45%) and post-campaign reporting (44%), but only 7% leverage data effectively during live campaign execution. Demographic data remains the dominant targeting approach at 74% globally, though regional preferences vary significantly.

Digital Channel Strategies Become More Selective

Paid social media maintains its position as the most widely adopted digital channel, with 88% of DMOs investing globally. Instagram (97%) and Facebook (90%) continue anchoring social strategies, while YouTube usage has grown to 55%, reflecting its cross-funnel effectiveness.

The data indicates DMOs are prioritizing channels that more clearly support measurable performance outcomes, leading to reduced investment in less trackable advertising formats.

Collaborative Marketing Remains Strategic Priority

Co-operative marketing continues as a critical strategy, with 80% of DMOs running collaborative campaigns. The primary motivations include reaching wider audiences (70%), increasing total investment capacity (64%), and sharing operational costs (63%). However, 27% of DMOs cite partner management complexity as a significant barrier for resource-constrained teams.

The report was developed in partnership with Dynata and supported by multiple industry organizations including Brand USA, U.S. Travel Association, Destinations International, Destination Canada, European Travel Commission, City DNA, Caribbean Tourism Organization, and Pacific Asia Travel Association.

RateGain Travel Technologies Limited has announced the conversion of a substantial inter-corporate loan into equity shares of its UK subsidiary, strengthening its ownership structure through a strategic financial restructuring. The Board of Directors approved this transaction on February 13, 2026, involving the conversion of USD 109,745,000 in principal loan amount along with accrued interest of USD 2,461,225.

Transaction Details

The acquisition involves 23 equity shares in RateGain Technologies Limited (RG UK), the company's material unlisted wholly-owned subsidiary. The total consideration amounts to GBP 82,504,577, representing the conversion of the entire outstanding inter-corporate loan and accumulated interest.

About RG UK

RateGain Technologies Limited (RG UK) operates as a specialized technology provider in the travel and hospitality sectors. Incorporated on December 05, 2014, and based in the United Kingdom, the subsidiary focuses on developing and marketing Data-as-a-Service (DaaS), Distribution and Marketing Technology (MarTech) products.

Business Operations and Clientele

RG UK serves a diverse portfolio of clients including:

• Hotels and hospitality providers
• Online Travel Agencies (OTAs)
• Airlines
• Car rental companies

Financial Performance

The subsidiary has demonstrated consistent revenue growth over recent years, with turnover reaching £26,198,727 for Financial Year 2024-25.

Regulatory and Completion Timeline

The transaction is structured as a related party transaction conducted at arm's length, given RG UK's status as a wholly-owned subsidiary. No governmental or regulatory approvals are required for this internal restructuring. The company expects to complete the acquisition on or before March 31, 2026.

This loan-to-equity conversion represents a strategic move to optimize the capital structure within RateGain's subsidiary network while maintaining full ownership control of its UK operations.