Why AI
Travellers are asking AI where to go. Here's what that means for you.
The short version: AI assistants usually name only a handful of businesses, so being one of them matters.
The shift, in numbers.
56%
of US leisure travellers used AI to plan at least one trip in the past year (Feb 2026 survey).
Source: Phocuswright, The AI Surge, Mar 2026 (opens in a new tab)
45%
of US consumers used AI tools for local business recommendations in 2026, up from 6% in 2025.
Source: BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (opens in a new tab)
37%
of tour and activity bookings went to online travel agencies in 2025, up from 24% in 2019.
Source: Arival, State of Experiences, via PhocusWire (opens in a new tab)
15–25%
commission booking sites typically take on each booking. An estimate: rates vary by site and agreement.
Source: Estimate: check your own booking-site agreement
What a booking site's cut adds up to.
Booking sites charge a commission on every booking they send you. Here's a simple example.
When AI sends a traveller straight to your website instead, that booking costs you no commission.
Example
- One booking
- $200
- Commission at 20%
- $40
- Over 1,000 bookings a year
- $40,000
How travellers find you is changing.
Same traveller, same question. On the left, the way it used to work. On the right, the way more and more travellers do it now. Follow the numbers.
Example, not a real business
Sponsoredbookingsite.com
Queenstown Tours & Activities | Book Online Today
- Activity operator
- Adventure company
- Tour provider
travelblog.com
Top 25 Things to Do in Queenstown This Year
reviewsite.com
The 10 Best Queenstown Tours and Activities
bookingsite.com
Queenstown Adventure Activities: Compare Prices
yourbusiness.co.nz
Your business: official site
anotherblog.com
Queenstown on a Budget: What's Worth It?
forum.com
Which Queenstown adventure is best for teens?
…and more results on page 2, 3, 4
Ten links. Travellers compare.
Ads come first. Booking sites pay to sit at the top of the page.
A map shows a few nearby businesses. Which ones depends on reviews, distance and luck.
Your own website can sit far down the list. Below blogs, review sites and booking sites.
The traveller does the work. They open tab after tab and compare. Some end up booking through a booking site instead of with you.
What's the best adventure activity in Queenstown? We're a family with two teenagers.
Great choice for a family with teens. Here are three options:
- 1.Another business
Fast and scenic jet boating on the river.
- 2.Your business
Small-group trips with local guides, a good fit for families with teenagers.
Book direct at yourbusiness.co.nz
- 3.Another business
If your teens want a bigger thrill.
Sources
- yourbusiness.co.nz
- reviewsite.com
- Official tourism site
A handful of names. Everyone else is easy to miss.
AI understands what the traveller needs. Here: a family, with teenagers, wanting adventure.
It usually names only a handful of businesses. If you're not one of them, the traveller may never hear of you.
It explains why it picked you. It uses what it can read about you online, so your website and listings need to be clear.
It shows where the traveller can book. We work to make that your own website, not a booking site that takes commission.
What this means for your business
Not named = not seen
If AI doesn't mention you, the traveller never finds you. They book someone else.
Named through a booking site = commission
If AI sends travellers to a booking site, you pay that site a cut of every booking.
Named with your website = direct booking
This is what Seenery works on: we measure how often you're named, show you what to fix, and (coming later) track the bookings.
See what your report shows
What happens when AI doesn't mention you.
- 01
You're not seen
An AI answer usually names only a handful of businesses. If you're not one of them, that traveller may never hear of you.
- 02
A competitor is
The traveller still books something. It's just not with you.
- 03
Or you pay to be found
If AI points to a booking site that lists you, the booking may still come, minus the commission.
It's not just what to do. It's where to stay.
Travellers now ask AI where to stay, not just what to do: “Best family-friendly hotel in Queenstown near the town centre?” AI names a handful of places, and often links to booking sites such as Booking.com or Expedia rather than your own website, which means commission on every booking.
Measuring works for places to stay today. Checks made for accommodation are now being added.
Questions travellers ask (we never name a business in a question)
- “Best family-friendly hotel in Queenstown near the town centre?”
- “Where should we stay in Queenstown for a ski week on a mid-range budget?”
- “Quiet lodge near Queenstown with lake views for a couple?”
- “Pet-friendly motel in Wānaka?”
This matters here, now.
- $800,000
- committed by the NZ Government in July 2026 to make NZ tourism easier to find through AI.
- $5.7 billion
- spent by international visitors in New Zealand in January–March 2026.
Source: Tourism New Zealand, International Visitor Survey (Mar 2026 quarter) (opens in a new tab)
Find out how often AI recommends your business today.
We review every application personally.