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Our team is excited to return as an official event supporter at TRENZ 2026 in Auckland, continuing our long-standing support as part of New Zealand’s vibrant tourism industry. 

Back again this year is our much-loved Tomahawk Popcorn Cart & Chill Zone, offering delegates a place to recharge, and connect between appointments. The popcorn cart has become a familiar and welcome sight at TRENZ, serving up fresh popcorn and a selection of snacks to help keep delegates fuelled throughout the busy event. 

“TRENZ is one of the most important gatherings for our industry each year, and we’re proud to support the event again in 2026,” says Renee Goodsell, General Manager of Tomahawk. 

“Our popcorn cart has become a bit of a tradition now. It’s a simple way for us to give back to the...

Let's face it, it's very common for marketers in tourism to always focus on marketing activity that creates new customers to fill their rooms, tours or schedules. If your marketing strategy is heavily focused on attracting new customers, you’re not alone.

But the reality is that treating past guests like “job done” is a missed opportunity because while new acquisition seems like the right focus, your past guests are often your easiest, most profitable growth channel.

Let's explore why and ways to get new bookings from previous customers.

Why This Myth Exists

There’s a natural bias toward new campaigns, new audiences, and new bookings. And with platforms like Google Ads and Meta Ads making it easier than ever to target fresh audiences, it can feel like growth equals...

Reddit has been described as “the front page of the internet.” In reality, it’s something far more valuable for tourism operators. It’s the world’s largest, unfiltered travel advice forum. And increasingly, it’s influencing what AI tools recommend to your potential customers.

In our article, What do Wikipedia and Reddit have in common?, we explored how community-driven platforms are increasingly shaping what shows up in AI search results. Now it’s time to zoom in on one of them - let’s talk about Reddit.

What Makes Reddit Different?

Reddit isn’t like Instagram or Facebook. It isn’t polished, it isn’t curated, and it definitely isn’t brand-first. It’s organised into communities called subreddits, such...

On the surface, it sounds productive. Stay visible on Social Media, keep the algorithms happy, show you’re active. But the truth is, posting without purpose is one of the fastest ways to waste time (and bore your followers or lose them!) with very little return.

Let’s bust this myth properly by looking at key aspects:

• The problem with just posting
• Why intention beats frequency
• You don't need to be everywhere
• What purposeful posting looks like, and
• A better framework to use

The Problem with “Just Posting”

When content is created simply to tick a box, it usually falls into one of these categories:

• A random scenic photo with no context
• A generic “Happy Monday!” post
• A last-minute deal thrown together without strategy
• Reposting someone else’s...

They’re probably not in your 2026 marketing plan. But they should be.

While most tourism businesses focus on websites, SEO, social and paid ads, two of the most influential platforms shaping AI-generated answers are Wikipedia and Reddit.

And as travellers increasingly ask ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI tools where to go and who to book with, these platforms are quietly influencing the results.

Welcome to the era of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).

Wikipedia Builds Credibility

Wikipedia is widely considered one of the most trusted data sources used by large language models. It provides structured, referenced information that AI tools rely on to define and validate businesses.

A strong Wikipedia presence helps AI understand:

• Who you are
• What type of...

We hear this phrase a lot, particularly in tourism: “My website is just a digital brochure.”

It sounds harmless, but it’s one of the most expensive beliefs a tourism business can hold. Because your website isn’t a digital pamphlet. It’s not there just to look nice, list a few facts and prove you exist.

Your website is your hardest-working sales tool where you own both the content AND the customer relationship. If done well, it provides content for AI Search, and works while you’re on the water, guiding a tour, cleaning rooms or sleeping.

But if it’s been built and treated like a brochure, it’s probably underperforming.

This mindset will cost you bookings.

The problem with brochure thinking

Brochure-style websites focus on telling, not selling. They tend...