Are You Missing Out on This Travel Sales Channel?

The public is increasingly using AI to research their trips. Are they finding you there?

Vitaliy Levit believes tour operators — even small ones — should be discoverable in AI search. And he knows how to make it happen. As the founder of Gondola, he spent years helping tour and experience get noticed on search engines and is now focused on doing the same for artificial intelligence engines.

On this episode, Vitaliy goes into detail about how tour companies can make sure AI systems are surfacing their travel experiences. He breaks down how travelers are actually using AI, why content is making a comeback, and the essential role that human touch still plays in selling tours. Plus, we have travel news about a new river cruise extension in Peru and a fantastic Christmas FAM opportunity.

Insights from Vitaliy

Vitaliy has done tons of research on what it takes a tour operator to show up on AI platforms. Here’s a helpful framework he shared:

The first is being known. You have to be inside of the consideration set. You have to be available and mentioned on the web. Then you have to be knowable, which is people are going to want to understand the details of the trip. And then there’s booked, which is how easy is it to actually book something with you. And so ideally you’re setting yourself up so that an AI can check things like availability and the dates that you are going out.

Plus you’ll hear his thoughts on:

• Writing AI-friendly content that doesn’t alienate humans
• How to leverage your trip reviews for marketing purposes
• Whether you can trust AI platforms with your proprietary information

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Contact Vitaliy Levit at vitaliy@gondola.travel.

Learn more about Gondola at gondola.travel.

See Vitaliy’s sample AI visibility report here.

Apply to attend the Louisiana River Parishes Christmas FAM at grouptravelleader.com/river-parishes-fam.

Key Moments from This Episode

2:26 — Travel News: AmaWaterways offers Peru extensions

3:33 — Join us for a Christmas FAM in Louisiana’s River Parishes

9:04 — How digital travel marketing has changed since 2020

14:50 — How travelers are using AI to research and plan their trips

17:34 — How can small tour companies get noticed in AI searches?

19:45 — How Ais decide which tour companies to recommend

21:50 — Why content marketing is making a comeback

23:59 — Writing content for bots without alienating humans

27:30 — Can you leverage your reviews for AI visibility?

31:01 — Can you trust AI with your company’s proprietary info?

34:37 — Will people book their tours using AI agents?

Watch the Full Interview

See the full interview with Ali on our YouTube channel.

---

About the Podcast

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

The post Are You Missing Out on This Travel Sales Channel? appeared first on The Group Travel Leader | Group Tour and Travel Destinations, Attractions & More.