How Latin American Travelers Discover, Plan Trips

PARTNER POST | SPONSORED BY Civitatis

Digital may come first for discovery, but human trust still has the final say for Latin American (LATAM) travelers. 

New Arival research shows that for travelers from Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, discovery and decision-making run on two different tracks: travelers move through a digital-heavy funnel to find their options, then lean on people, not platforms, to decide which one to book.

Those findings come from The Latin American Experiences Traveler, the latest report from Arival produced in partnership with Phocuswright and sponsored by Civitatis. The report is based on a survey of 1,200 qualifying leisure travelers across Argentina, Brazil and Mexico conducted in spring 2026, examining how they discover, plan, book and experience tours, activities and attractions.

Here’s what the report’s traveler booking journey findings reveal about that shift, and what it means for how operators show up at each stage.

Discovery Led by Digital Channels

Google search is the single most-used resource LATAM travelers turn to when planning tours and attractions, according to the report. But it’s far from the only one: friends and family, online travel agencies (OTAs), AI tools and social media channels such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram all see meaningful use, with guidebooks and travel agents still holding a real place further down the list.

AI in particular has moved from a novelty to a mainstream channel for discovery. Seven in 10 LATAM travelers say they’ve used AI to help plan a trip, and that number is even higher among younger and affluent travelers.

For operators, that means there’s no single channel to win over LATAM travelers. Discovery is a multi-channel affair, and SEO, AI visibility (also referred to as GEO or AEO) and social media marketing need to sit alongside OTA and other travel-trade partnerships for an effective strategy. Offline channels like travel agents and guidebooks also remain relevant despite the pace of digital adoption.

Decision-making Still Favors Human Sources

When it comes time to actually choose a tour, activity or attraction, Latin American travelers still place their trust in people-centered sources, more so than their European and U.S. traveler counterparts, who have grown increasingly comfortable completing more of the booking journey through purely digital, self-service channels. Friends and family remain the most-used resource for experience recommendations for LATAM travelers, followed by traveler reviews and travel agents. 

According to Civitatis CEO Andres Spitzer, a large part of the reason travelers return to trusted human sources after digging into digital discovery is rooted in another key finding from the report, the price sensitivity of the LATAM traveler and the importance placed on each experience booked.

“There’s this huge majority of people that are relying on these human recommendations,” Spitzer said recently in a webinar co-hosted by Arival, Phocuswright and Civitatis, “and I think it’s really connecting to how much value you give to each dollar invested.”

Note: Watch the webinar exploring the research findings with Arival co-founder Douglas Quinby, Civitatis CEO Andrés Spitzer, and Phocuswright Manager of Research and Special Projects Madeline List on-demand here.

About the Author

Janelle Visser is Arival’s Managing Editor, event MC, and the producer and host of The Best Part of Travel podcast. She comes to Arival from the world of tour guiding, and has nearly 10 years of experience leading day trips and multi-day sightseeing and adventure tours throughout Canada, as well as an academic background in communications, international studies and tourism management. Reach out by email | Connect on LinkedIn

Learn More with the Full Report & Webinar

These findings only scratches the surface of what’s covered in the full report. The Latin American Experiences Traveler, produced by Arival and Phocuswright in partnership with Civitatis, also covers also covers how family travel and trip frequency shape LATAM demand, how experience spend differs by country and age, upgrade and upsell behavior, and eight strategic keys for building a successful LATAM strategy.

Download the full report to learn more — available at no cost to Arival Insider Free and Pro members – simply sign up for a free membership or log on to get your copy.

What’s Next? Dig Deeper with Arival

Join us at the next Arival event to get the latest insights from the top leaders in the experiences industry on the latest trends, research findings, technology, distribution and digital marketing strategies for tours, activities and attractions. 

Header photo: Pexels / Anastasia Shuraeva