For many tourism operators, their own website has always been the centre of digital marketing. Don’t get me wrong, it still matters. But in the new Google travel environment, your Google Business Profile will be the place where direct booking decisions are made.

Google describes the Business Profile as the free profile that helps turn people who find a business on Google Search and Maps into customers. It lets businesses add essential information, photos, logos, offers, posts, opening hours and other details, and it provides insight into calls, reviews, bookings and how customers find the business.

For tourism businesses, that is no longer just a listing. It is your primary source of online visibility and live point of booking.

When a traveller asks Google a conversational question like “what can I do near me this afternoon?”, or “best wildlife tour with kids”, or “romantic accommodation near Boomerang beach with availability tonight”, Google is looking for businesses it can understand and trust. Arival.Travel’s 2026 AI-search guidance underlines that your Google Business Profile is a structured, machine-readable business record that feeds Google’s systems. Keeping it complete, accurate and regularly updated is now a non-negotiable task for all tourism businesses.

This is especially important because Google’s AI Mode is changing how travellers move from discovery to decision. Google search through AI Mode for tours and things to do delivers results more often linked to Google Business listings of operators and attractions, rather than to OTAs.

That does not mean OTAs are irrelevant. It just means your own Google presence has become much more valuable.

A half-finished profile will cost you bookings. Missing open hours, old photos, unclear categories, no products, no Q&As, no booking link and stale reviews all create doubt. To a traveller, that doubt is ‘trust’ friction. To any AI system, it will look like weak evidence.

The best thing you can do is to audit your business profile as if a traveller is deciding whether to book in the next 30 seconds. Can they;

  • see what you sell?
  • understand who it suits?
  • see recent photos?
  • read recent reviews?
  • check availability?
  • book without having to hunt?
  • trust that the business is active today?

Reviews are especially important. Arival.Travel’s 2026 guidance notes that AI systems look for current signals of quality, and that a business without a new review in 18 months sends the wrong signal. It also identifies review response rate as a trust signal, because responding to reviews shows engagement, and an active, professional operation.

For Suppliers, this means review collection and management is no longer just protecting your reputation. It is AI visibility work.

Best practice is to set a simple process. Ask every guest for a review within 24 hours. Give them a direct link to send it. When you talk to them, at the end of the experience mention it in the conversation. Respond to every review, including short positive ones and difficult negative ones. Use calm, useful replies that show future travellers your personality and what kind of operator you are.

Then improve your product information. Add your core experiences or accommodation products. Use plain-language names. Be clear in what is included, duration, location, who it suits and what makes it distinctive. Upload photos that show the actual experience, not just scenery. Refresh images regularly, at least seasonally.

Finally, connect the profile to live booking. This is where TXA is invaluable. Google’s tourism model increasingly favours businesses that can move from answer to action (booking). For activities, Google Things to do helps operators expose tours, attractions and activities across Google, with TXA’s integration delivering commission free direct booking options. Similarly, for hotels, TXA’s Google Hotel integration provides free direct bookings connecting travellers to live rates and TXA booking pages commission free.

TXA is built for this environment. It connects tourism suppliers through their chosen booking system and supports live availability, bookings and payments. Connect for free once to sell anywhere and everywhere you choose, including direct and commission free Google Hotels and Things to do with real-time availability and integrated payments direct to your bank account.

TXA’s certified integration to Google for both accommodation and activities is a 0% commission channel.

Contact TXA to see how to connect even if you don’t currently have a booking system.