I know, I know — I’m the one always talking about Google. Given the time I’ve spent stressing the importance of complete Google Business Profiles, I might as well be an honorary employee. But today, I want to talk about something just as critical: Tripadvisor.
Besides Google and social media, Tripadvisor has long been one of the most important platforms for local tourism businesses. With AI changing the way people discover, evaluate and book experiences, Tripadvisor hasn’t been sitting on the sidelines. In fact, it has been actively integrating AI to enhance travel recommendations and streamline trip planning. Here are some examples:
- AI-Powered Search: Tripadvisor recently established a partnership with AI search engine Perplexity to provide more conversational, AI-powered travel recommendations based on Tripadvisor content.
- AI Itinerary Builder: Using OpenAI’s generative AI technology, this tool crafts personalized trip plans based on traveler preferences, party size and length of stay.
- AI-Generated Review Summaries: These condense key themes from traveler feedback, shaping perceptions at a glance.
These tools rely on local business listings and user-generated content to fuel their recommendations. That means if a business has missing or incomplete information, it’s not just overlooked by travelers — it’s ignored by AI.
And it’s not just Tripadvisor’s own AI tools making these calls. Large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini frequently pull travel recommendation references from Tripadvisor’s site, meaning a business’s presence (or absence) on the platform can influence AI-driven trip planning across multiple platforms.
Are Destinations AI-Ready? What Our Tripadvisor Audits Have Uncovered
Over the past 18 months, my team has expanded the Destination Optimization Program to help destinations by assessing their Tripadvisor presence, identifying and addressing gaps and providing industry upskilling and support. We’ve evaluated 2,800 local tourism businesses across 16 markets, with a 60/40 mix of smaller to larger markets. What we found was surprising—and offers some food for thought for destination marketers.
- Up to half of local tourism businesses are missing from Tripadvisor. Major hotels and top attractions tend to be well represented, but smaller businesses—especially outdoor operators and niche experiences—are often missing. On average, 46.9% of tourism businesses on the DMO’s lists were completely missing from Tripadvisor. The smaller the market, the higher this number climbed.
- Reviews are a visibility barrier for many businesses. Even businesses that have Tripadvisor listings may be nearly invisible due to a lack of reviews. Tripadvisor’s Popularity Ranking depends on review quantity, quality and recency. Without reviews, businesses struggle to rank—and AI-driven recommendations skip right over them.
- 11% of businesses, on average, had zero reviews. In some destinations, up to 27% of businesses had no reviews at all.
- More than 1 in 10 businesses had a Tripadvisor rating below 3.5. Low ratings affect visitor perception of the market as a whole, with travelers leaning toward experiences that have four-star or better customer feedback.
- Visual storytelling is often overlooked. Images are one of the most powerful ways we inspire travelers. Tripadvisor Insights research shows that businesses with 30+ photos receive 41% more traveler engagement than those with fewer than 10. Yet, of the listings we audited, 35% had 10 or fewer photos and 13% of businesses had no photos at all.
How DMOs Can Ensure Their Communities Stay Visible
Tripadvisor’s AI evolution isn’t a future trend; it’s already here. Your local businesses' digital presence matters more than ever, ensuring your destination is well-represented and attracting AI-assisted travelers. The good news? Through strategic Tripadvisor activations, DMOs have already helped improve local business completeness by 37% or more—showing that proactive efforts can lead to gains in visibility. Here’s how you can take action:
- Audit your destination’s Tripadvisor presence. Accuracy is key in the new AI landscape. Make sure all local businesses are listed, complete and up to date.
- Prioritize small businesses and rural communities. These businesses struggle the most with visibility and optimization. Providing support for them can have a major positive impact, particularly for businesses and communities with unique selling points or attractions.
- Upskill businesses on reputation management. Many operators don’t realize the importance of Tripadvisor reviews or how to encourage them. Providing resources can help them increase quantity and quality.
- Support high-quality visuals. Businesses with 30+ images see significantly higher engagement. Encourage uploads or contribute your own quality images to listings.
- Stay on top of Tripadvisor’s AI tools. AI is advancing quickly, with new features constantly in the works and booking agents on the horizon. Using new features as they debut can help you understand how your destination is being represented and optimize accordingly.
By ensuring local businesses have a strong, well-managed presence on Tripadvisor, destination marketers can take control of their community’s narrative, attract more visitors and stay visible in an AI-driven travel world.
