Here are three signals we're watching and what they could mean for destination marketers.

Before someone checks into a hotel, orders their first meal, or takes their first photo, they've already started experiencing your destination.

This week’s signals point to a bigger shift: travel demand is still strong, but the way people discover, evaluate, and act on that demand is getting more fragmented. Major events are driving movement. AI and prediction platforms are reshaping how people make decisions. And cultural moments are becoming travel infrastructure in disguise.

Spend enough time online and it's easy to believe the perfect vacation looks like Positano, Santorini, or Bali. But over the past few weeks, a different story has been showing up in the headlines.

When 90% of marketers use AI, it's tempting to assume we're witnessing the emergence of a massive competitive advantage. But when nearly everyone has access to the same tools, something interesting happens. The advantage shifts.

Last year, we introduced AI for Travel. Since then, AI has moved deeper into how travelers search, plan, and decide. It’s no longer just supporting inspiration. AI is now influencing more of the traveler journey—shaping what gets surfaced, how options are compared, and how quickly decisions are made. AI for Travel 2.0 is a focused update on what’s changed—and how destination marketing needs to adapt right now.