The way travellers search has changed. They’re no longer just typing keywords into Google – they’re asking ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini full questions, and booking based on the answers. SEO and GEO for travel companies have become the difference between being found and being invisible.
It matters more than most operators realise. In our recent webinar, Lalit Gupta from Google shared that that questions are becoming quests, with AI Mode queries now 2 to 3 times longer than traditional search, and in a recent Vamoos study, 32% of travel companies named losing organic traffic to AI-generated answers as their single biggest worry. Yet barely anyone is acting on it. That same study found only 10% of travel companies have an active GEO strategy in place, meaning 90% of the industry is wide open territory – which makes right now the moment to move.
To get found by AI search, travel companies need to do three key things:
- Make sure your website is easy for AI to read
- Earn third-party mentions and reviews across the web
- Structure content to answer the questions travellers actually ask
The rest of this guide breaks this down in an actionable way.
What is SEO and GEO?
SEO and GEO are the two practices that get your business found in modern search. SEO (search engine optimisation) is the practice of getting your website to rank on Google’s results page. GEO (generative engine optimisation) is the practice of getting your business cited and recommended by AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Google AI Overviews.
The two overlap heavily – to get found by AI search, SEO is roughly 90% of the work and GEO is the extra 10% on top – because AI engines crawl the web much the same way Google does. The travel companies who get both right will dominate the next decade of inbound enquiries.
This guide draws on insights from our recent webinar with Google, plus poll data from the travel companies who attended. We’ll cover what’s changing, why it matters, and exactly what you can do this week to start showing up.
What’s changing in travel search?
Search queries are getting longer, smarter and more conversational. Google reports that searches longer than eight words now make up the bulk of query volume – and they’re growing fast. A traveller no longer types “Kenya safari” – they ask “what’s the best small-group safari operator for a family with kids under 10 visiting in July, with a budget of £15k”. That’s a quest, not a query.
The shift has real consequences for inbound traffic. Our study found that Google – organic and paid combined – drives 52% of inbound traffic for travel companies. If Google’s surfaces shift towards AI answers, that’s half the funnel exposed to change.
We were lucky enough to be joined by Lalit Gupta from Google, who walked travel companies through exactly how search is changing…
The good news? AI search creates a much wider, more diverse web. Smaller tour operators who go deep on niche expertise can now be found by travellers they’d never have reached on a generic Google search.
So what can you actually do to get found by AI travel search?
So that’s the shift – here’s what to do about it. We were also joined by Harriet O’Connor, Senior Marketing Manager at Vamoos, who walked travel companies through the GEO action plan she’s been using on the Vamoos site. It’s the practical version of everything that follows – watch it first, then use the rest of this guide as your reference to work through at your own pace.
How does travel GEO differ from SEO?
GEO differs from SEO mainly in what you optimise for: SEO targets the short keywords people type, while GEO targets the full, conversational questions people ask AI. A traditional SEO page might be built around “Kenya safari cost”; the GEO version of that same page is built around “how much should I budget for a 10-day Kenya safari for two?”
In practice, that slightly changes how you write. SEO content weaves keywords into headings, metadata and body copy. GEO content leads with a question as the heading and answers it in the very first sentence, so an AI can lift that answer cleanly. You’re writing for extraction, not just ranking – which is why FAQs, specific figures and plain-English phrasing matter more for GEO than they ever did for SEO.
What type of AI queries should travel companies be targeting?
Travel search is splitting into two distinct AI moments, and operators need to win both.
The first is citation – someone planning a trip asks “best time to visit Japan” or “7-day Kenya safari itinerary”, and you want AI to quote your content as the source.
The second is recommendation – someone choosing who to book with asks “best small-group operators for Patagonia”, and you want AI to name you.
Citations come from owned content on your own site. Recommendations come from earned content others write about you online. Both need attention.
The 4 pillars of SEO and GEO for travel
Strong AI visibility rests on four pillars. Most operators can tackle pillars 2, 3 and 4 in-house. Pillar 1 usually needs a developer or a technical audit tool – Claude and other LLMs can now run these for you.
- Technical site foundation – is your site crawlable, fast and structured for AI to read?
- On-site optimisation – the content you own. Question-led headings, FAQs, extractable answers.
- Off-site authority – what others say about you online. Reviews, PR mentions, listicles, YouTube videos.
- Monitor and iterate – track rankings and AI mentions over time with tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs or Google Search Console.
How do you get cited by AI tools like ChatGPT as a travel company?
You get cited by writing original, in-depth content that answers specific traveller questions directly in the first sentence. AI engines run live web searches and pull from sites that demonstrate clear expertise on the exact question asked. The example below shows why Audley Travel may appear in AI results because their content includes a question heading and opens with a citable, complete answer – “the best time to visit Japan is…” rather than burying it in paragraph six.
Practical moves for travel operators to get cited by AI:
- Rewrite blog and destination-page headings as real ChatGPT or Google queries
- Open every page with a one-sentence, citable answer to that question
- Add comparison tables, FAQ sections and direct expert quotes
- Include specific figures (costs, durations, group sizes, distances) that AI can extract verbatim
- Pair text with high-quality images and descriptive alt text – AI search is increasingly multimodal
How do you get recommended by AI search as a travel company?
You get recommended when credible third parties name you as the best across the web. According to First Page Sage’s 2026 analysis of ChatGPT’s recommendation algorithm, authoritative list mentions account for 41% of the recommendation signal, with awards and accreditations at 18% and online reviews at 16%.
That’s why PR is your highest-leverage GEO move. A shortlist appearance in TTG’s Top 50 Travel Agencies, a mention in Condé Nast Traveller’s best tour operators, or coverage in a niche destination blog – every credible source teaches LLMs to recommend you.
Earned-content priorities for travel companies:
- Reviews – automate a post-trip email or push notification via your app asking happy clients for Google, Trustpilot and TripAdvisor reviews. Testimonials on your own site don’t carry the same weight as third-party platforms.
- Listicles and PR – pitch one strong story angle per quarter to publications your ideal clients read. Use a freelance publicist if PR isn’t in-house.
- Awards – enter every relevant industry award; even shortlist mentions count.
- YouTube – LLMs are increasingly pulling from video transcripts. Even a 5-minute destination insight builds authority.
Your GEO action plan: 3 things to do before Monday
You don’t need to overhaul your whole site to start. In our study, 50% of travel companies said they were ready to start GEO in the near future – so this is your moment. Do these three things this week and you’ll be ahead of the 90% who haven’t begun.
- Audit yourself – ask ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini the questions your customers actually ask (“best operator for a Botswana honeymoon”, “is [your brand] reliable?”). Record where you appear and where you don’t.
- Rewrite one existing blog post in GEO style – question-led heading, answer in the first sentence, FAQs, specific figures, extractable stats.
- Earn one third-party mention – pitch one publication, or ask your top 10 repeat clients for a Google or Trustpilot review this week.
Where Vamoos fits into your GEO for travel strategy
GEO only works if the trip lives up to the AI recommendation. If a traveller is sent your way and the experience falls flat, no reviews follow – and the AI flywheel stalls.
Vamoos is the app for travel companies, giving clients everything they need for their trip in one beautifully branded place. From the moment they book, your logo and a live countdown build anticipation. On the trip, they have offline itineraries, maps, flight alerts and 24/7 messaging in their pocket. Once they’re home, post-trip e-brochures and push notifications prompt the reviews, social posts and repeat bookings that feed your GEO strategy directly.
Vamoos clients including Black Tomato, Scott Dunn and Savile Row, who see a 12% lift in repeat bookings – because happy clients are the foundation of earned content, and earned content is the foundation of AI recommendation.
Ready to turn satisfied travellers into your strongest AI search signal? Book a Vamoos demo and see how the best in travel turn the post-booking experience into a self-feeding marketing loop.
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