The year 2026 has begun in a complex and unstable international context.
Geopolitical tensions, economic volatility, fluctuations in air traffic and uncertainty across key source markets are having a direct impact on travellers’ behaviour — and, as a result, on hotel bookings.
In a scenario like this, one thing is clear: demand dynamics no longer follow predictable paths.
Historical patterns become less reliable, booking windows suddenly shorten or lengthen, and markets react in increasingly fragmented and asymmetric ways.
For hotels, this means one thing above all: relying solely on consolidated data or retrospective analysis is no longer enough.
When uncertainty increases, the value of early signals grows
In stable market conditions, Revenue Management can afford to work primarily on what has already been sold.
In unstable environments, however, the real competitive advantage lies in the ability to understand what is about to happen, not what has already happened.
Today, travel demand emerges well before the booking takes place, through a series of clear and measurable digital signals. Searches performed on the hotel website, the check-in dates users begin to evaluate, the geographic markets they come from, the lead time with which they plan their stay, and the volumes of interest that rise or fall day by day all reveal, in advance, how the market is moving.
These signals represent demand while it is still forming — when it is still possible to act strategically. Ignoring them means accepting that decisions will always be reactive and late.
The risk of late — or misinformed — decisions
During periods of instability, hotels often fall into two equally risky traps. On one hand, they may
cut investment, especially in advertising, without knowing whether real demand still exists. On the
other, they may continue investing in periods or markets that are slowing down, simply because
those periods have “always worked” in the past.
Without tools that monitor real demand, it becomes impossible to understand which periods deserve
to be supported with targeted campaigns, which dates are showing early signs of slowdown, or
whether low conversion is driven by pricing, availability or a genuine drop in interest. Most
importantly, hotels lose the ability to intervene with corrective strategies before pickup makes the
problem visible.
Why monitoring real demand changes the approach to advertising
In an unstable market, advertising can no longer be planned purely on a fixed calendar.
It must be demand-driven, not budget-driven.
Monitoring real demand allows hotels to invest in advertising only on periods that are showing genuine interest, to promote future dates before they become competitive, and to reduce waste on periods that are already saturated or losing momentum. It also enables messaging, targeting and offers to be adapted in real time, based on how demand is evolving across dates and markets.
In this context, advertising and Revenue Management can no longer operate as separate functions.
They become part of the same decision-making process, guided by the same demand signals.
Reacting in time requires the right tools
The speed at which search behaviour changes today makes any approach based on end-of-month reports or simple traffic metrics ineffective. What hotels need is a continuous, reliable and verifiable view of demand — broken down by date, market and period, and monitored day by day.
This is precisely the type of visibility that platforms like Optimand enable: transforming uncertainty into actionable information, and information into timely decisions.
Conclusion: in an uncertain 2026, those who read demand early win
Instability is not necessarily a threat.
For hotels that are able to correctly interpret demand signals, it can become a competitive advantage.
The challenge of 2026 is no longer about reacting faster, but about deciding earlier. And deciding earlier means observing demand while it is forming, not when it has already turned into bookings — or missed opportunities.
Monitoring real demand today is not optional.
It is the necessary condition for investing wisely, reacting in time and building strategies that remain effective even in uncertain markets.
