Getting Kāpiti Tourism Operators AI-Ready

A new guide is helping Kāpiti tourism operators make sure their business shows up when travellers turn to AI tools to plan their trip.

Travellers are increasingly using AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to research and plan their trips, alongside — or instead of — traditional search engines. It's a shift already showing up in the data, with website referral traffic tracking closely against the rise in AI-assisted search.

Following a recent Tourism New Zealand workshop on the topic, a new resource has been created to help Kāpiti operators adapt. AI & Search Readiness: A Practical Guide for Kāpiti Tourism Operators breaks down what AI systems look for when deciding which businesses to recommend, and sets out simple steps operators can take to stay visible.

At the heart of the guide are two ideas: content needs to be citable, written in plain language that directly answers real traveller questions, and it needs to be consistent, with the same business name, location, offer and booking details appearing across a website, NZ.com and RTO listings, and Google Business Profile.

The guide includes a self-audit checklist, six key questions every listing should answer, and practical tips for adding FAQ content that AI tools can draw on directly.

“As more of our visitors start their trip planning with AI, it's essential our operators are set up to be found, understood, and trusted,” says Bronte Higgs, Manager Tourism and Marketing.

For Kāpiti's tourism sector, getting this right isn't just about individual businesses — consistent, high-quality content across the district strengthens how the whole destination shows up when travellers ask AI where to go.

Tourism New Zealand has since released a workbook issued: Help AI find, understand and recommend your business. If you have time to undertake an in-depth review an optimisation if your business, this will be a great resource for you to use.