Here’s What It Means for You.
By Amy Chiang
Remember when keeping your tourism business visible online simply meant a ranking on page one of Google? That required keeping your website up to date and your OTA listing reasonably current. That’s no longer enough — because the world, and the tourism industry in particular, is shifting fast.
Artificial intelligence is quietly rewiring how people discover, compare, and shortlist travel options, and most of it happens before they ever reach your website.
Customer Search Has Changed in Three Critical Ways
1. From keywords to questions. Travelers are now typing (or speaking) full questions: “3-day nature break with kids near the Grand Canyon in July.” Instead of scanning long lists of links to properties or experiences, they’re now expecting — and getting — summarized answers, often generated by AI through tools like Google’s Search Generative Experience, ChatGPT, and Gemini.
2. AI travel planners are being used as “digital concierges.” Travelers are asking AI to build itineraries, compare destinations, suggest accommodations and experiences, and compare prices. If your business doesn’t appear in the data those AI tools draw on — your website, reviews, structured content — you may never even make the shortlist, and you’ll never know it happened.
3. Algorithms are now deciding who gets seen. OTAs, metasearch sites, and even social platforms use AI to determine which properties appear first, what price is shown, and which “similar stays” or “you might also like” options get presented. Your visibility is increasingly shaped by data quality and performance metrics, not just listing age or ad spend.
What Does This Mean for Your Small Tourism Business?
First, don’t panic. The good news is that you don’t need a data scientist. But you do need to be aware, informed, and intentional.
Here’s what you can do right now to adapt.
1. Make Your Website AI-Friendly (Not Just SEO-Friendly)
- Write clear, natural-language answers to the questions your potential customers are likely to ask: “Do you have EV charging?” “Are you pet-friendly?” “What’s the best time of year to visit?”
- Add a simple FAQ page with headings that mirror those questions — AI models love structured, conversational content.
2. Clean Up Your “Source of Truth” Information
AI-driven systems rely heavily on:
- Your own website
- Your Google Business Profile
- ATDW listings, particularly bookable local destination websites
- OTA listings (Airbnb, Booking.com, Viator, GetYourGuide, etc.)
Make sure all of these have:
- Consistent name, address, phone number, and URL
- Accurate amenities (Wi-Fi, parking, pets, accessibility, family-friendly, etc.)
- Up-to-date photos and descriptions
- Live rates and availability
3. Invest in Reviews — and Make Sure You’re Responding
AI systems increasingly factor in review volume, recency, and sentiment. You should actively:
- Ask satisfied guests directly for reviews (via email) and post them to your website
- Reply to reviews in a thoughtful, human tone — not just “Thank you for your feedback.” Your responses are also content AI can see.
4. Use AI in Reverse to Bulletproof Your Marketing
Think like a traveler, then use AI to identify gaps. Simply open ChatGPT (or your preferred AI platform) and ask what a potential visitor might ask to ultimately find your business.
For example: “I’m traveling to Mammoth Lakes with two kids — what are some good places to stay?” If your business doesn’t show up, ask: “What information would you need to confidently recommend [your business name]?”
Use the answers as a to-do list for improving your content.
Rest a little easier: AI won’t kill search — but it is changing which businesses get discovered, trusted, and booked.
If you keep your information accurate, current, and clean; answer real customer questions in plain English; and actively manage your reviews and listings, you’ll be ahead of most tourism operators and better positioned to be picked up by AI-driven discovery.
In our next post, we’ll explain how AI is reshaping booking behavior.