Is Traditional Marketing Dead? Rethinking Websites & Email in an AI-First World

As AI reshapes how travelers discover and plan trips, destination marketers are being forced to rethink the role of traditional owned channels. Are websites   becoming infrastructure instead of inspiration? Is email still a   high-performing engagement tool — or simply background noise?

 This hybrid session will begin with a forward-looking conversation on how traveler behavior is changing, where owned channels still matter and how DMOs   should evolve their digital strategies, content and measurement frameworks in   an AI-first world.

The second half of the session will shift into peer discussion at their tables, giving attendees the opportunity to openly share challenges, compare   approaches and discuss how their organizations are adapting to rapidly   changing consumer behavior, discovery platforms and attribution models.

Takeaways: 

• Explore   which traditional marketing metrics and success measures may no longer   reflect how travelers actually discover destinations
• Discuss what owned media and digital investments still create strategic   value in an increasingly AI-driven ecosystem
• Exchange peer-driven ideas and practical approaches for staying visible,   relevant and measurable as discovery becomes more fragmented and AI-mediated