How far along are recreation and tourism companies with AI, data, and digitalization? With the National Digitalization Monitor Tourism & Hospitality 2026, NBTC aims to once again gain insight into the digital maturity of the sector. The results are used not only to track developments but also as input for support and policy.
Digitalization affects the entire business operation
Digitization now affects virtually every aspect of a leisure business: from marketing and reservations to staff planning, guest communication, and business operations. At the same time, companies differ significantly in the speed at which they adopt new technology.
To make this development measurable, the National Digitalization Monitor Tourism & Hospitality 2026 has been launched. Tourism and recreation entrepreneurs and organizations can participate up to and including October 31. According to NBTC, completing the survey takes approximately nine minutes.
Knowledge and capacity remain significant barriers
Of particular interest to entrepreneurs is the comparison with the previous edition. The 2025 Digitalization Monitor showed that organizations are using digitalization, among other things, to work more efficiently and increase their reach.
At the same time, a lack of digital knowledge and skills, available time, and financial resources proved to be significant obstacles. Consequently, digitalization in the sector is not solely about the availability of technology. The question is also whether companies have sufficient knowledge, people, and investment capacity to actually integrate that technology into their business operations.
The 2026 edition must make visible how that situation develops further and what role generative AI, data-driven working, and digital guest experience, among others, now play.
The Monitor is increasingly acquiring a policy function
The monitor therefore also has a broader B2B function. The results provide entrepreneurs with comparative material for their own digital position, while industry associations and policymakers gain insight into areas where support is needed.
Moreover, NBTC links the research results to concrete programs. Partly in response to previous findings, the organization is collaborating with regional partners on the Digital Tourism Offensive (DOT) . This program aims to provide practical assistance to entrepreneurs in increasing their digital maturity.
This creates a cycle in which the position of companies is measured annually, after which support programs can be adjusted to bottlenecks identified by entrepreneurs themselves.
AI quick scan for participating companies
To encourage participation, NBTC, together with CribConnects, is raffling off an AI quick scan with a consultation among the respondents. During this process, digitalization opportunities within the relevant organization are examined and translated into practically applicable points for improvement.
Entrepreneurs and organizations in the tourism and hospitality sector can fill out the questionnaire here . The survey is open until October 31, 2026.
More information
Source and more information: NBTC, National Digitalization Monitor Tourism & Hospitality . The imagery used was provided by NBTC and AI-generated.