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.
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...
Seems all tourism trend predictions for 2026 are about AI. AI itinerary builders. AI customer service. AI personalisation. AI everywhere.
But here’s the interesting thing. While we debate how AI will transform our tourism, many travellers are quietly moving in the opposite direction.
This is what I’m hearing here in the US. It comes up on chair lifts, at dinner parties and in conversations with people who travel often. It’s what Condé Nast, Vogue and major travel publications are writing about.
As technology becomes more powerful, many travellers are actively choosing trips designed around being offline and slowing down.
Digital detoxes
One of the clearest examples is the rise of digital detox retreats. What used to be a niche wellness offering is...
Everyone knows the basics of SEO: use keywords, write great content, get backlinks, keep your site speedy. But what about the less obvious stuff? Those subtle signals that can give your website a quiet nudge up the rankings while your competitors are still obsessing over meta tags and blog lengths?
Here’s a look at a few clever, lesser-known SEO 'hidden secrets' you might not have thought of, the kind that layer nicely on top of your existing efforts and can make a real difference to your digital visibility.
1. Reply to Google Reviews with Purpose
One of our clients recently asked if adding keywords into their Google review replies helps with SEO, and the short answer is yes, a little!
While Google doesn’t directly score the text in replies the way it does for your...
After a highly successful launch last year, we're is thrilled to announce the return of our November Thanks-Give-Away campaign for 2025.
Running throughout November, this month-long celebration is our way of saying a heartfelt thank you to the tourism industry that continues to inspire and support our work. The campaign reflects Tomahawk’s gratitude for the tourism professionals who make Aotearoa’s visitor economy thrive and its ongoing commitment to helping them succeed online.
More than NZD$15,000 worth of digital marketing services will be up for grabs, with four lucky winners each selecting their prize from a pool of eight marketing services. Delivered by Tomahawk’s expert team, these prizes include a range of digital growth opportunities such as a Google Ads...
Last month I had the privilege of returning to Aotearoa for the Tourism Industry Aotearoa Summit, my first time back in a year after relocating to California. It was a whirlwind week of reconnecting with industry friends, customers, and partners, and it reminded me just how special this community is. Distance hasn’t weakened those connections; if anything, it’s strengthened them. Stepping back into the room felt like coming home.
Below are my key takeaways from the Summit.
AI, AI, AI: It’s Here, It’s Staying, and It’s in Everything
If there was a theme that threaded its way through every keynote, panel, and workshop, it was AI. It didn’t matter whether the topic was marketing, workforce development, operations, or strategy,...
