DSTNCMP-PREMIUMpartner
VISIBILITY IN THE AI ERA
ON FEBRUARY 09, 2026 BY GEORG KOCH
GEO complements SEO: Why visibility in tourism is being redefined
Why visibility in tourism is currently being redefined is the topic of a session on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at DSTNCMP26 in Brixen. Georg Koch from valantic CX Austria GmbH will explain in his keynote why it is no longer enough to be found by a search engine today.
Search engines remain important. However, guests are increasingly searching directly via AI or receiving AI-powered answers today. This changes the rules for how destinations achieve online visibility.
How do we plan a trip today?
With dozens of open browser tabs or by asking targeted questions to an AI tool like ChatGPT or Copilot? The answer to this question points to a shift affecting many areas of tourism: The digital behavior of guests is changing – and with it, the rules by which destinations are visible online.
What is changing?
Search engines remain important. However, AI is increasingly influencing search. More and more searches end directly in AI answers or are posed directly to an AI tool. Consequently, guests click less but receive clear recommendations and answers faster. For destinations, this means that being found is no longer enough. It is crucial to be part of the answer that an AI provides!
GEO: What does that actually mean?
GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization. At its core, it's about a new guiding question: How are content mentioned, recommended, or cited in AI answers? Without getting too technical: AI reads, condenses information, compares providers, includes reviews, and forms a single, curated answer from it.
Therefore, content that is clearly structured, understandable, current, and credible is crucial. In short: content that an AI likes to cite.
What does this mean specifically for tourism?
Many tourism stakeholders today produce high-quality content – with a focus on search engine optimization. However, AI evaluates this content based on different criteria. Therefore, new questions are crucial:
- Which of our data does the AI even see?
- Does the AI immediately understand what defines our destination?
- Are our messages clear enough to be cited by the AI?
- Are there precise answers to typical guest questions?
The impulse aims to raise awareness that the rules for visibility in tourism have changed and that many guests no longer search, but simply ask questions to an AI tool. Therefore, being found is no longer enough. It is crucial to be part of the correct AI answer.
The impulse aims to raise awareness that the rules for visibility in tourism have changed and that many guests no longer search, but simply ask questions to an AI tool. Therefore, being found is no longer enough. It is crucial to be part of the correct AI answer.
Further Information
This impulse is a preview of the session "GEO instead of SEO – Content Creation next level" in the theme track "Using Digital Data Strategically".
CLICK HERE FOR THE THEME OVERVIEW
Teaser image: Photo by Amanz on Unsplash
Hero image: valantic Austria