Typography is often one of the most overlooked yet influential elements of a tourism brand. When thinking about branding, one often tends to focus on logos, colours, photography, or storytelling. The fonts, however, are often overlooked or taken for granted. I have always believed that typography is the invisible thread that ties all your brand communications together and creates a sense of trust when used consistently. For tourism businesses, where experiences are often sold long in the ‘Dream’ stage, before they are lived, typography becomes a powerful tool for setting expectations.
Font Terminology
Before we talk about the importance of typography, let's clear up some terminology. You may have heard words like fonts, font family, typeface, type, and typography being...
When many people hear the word “brand”, they immediately think of logos, colours, fonts, or maybe a slick-looking website. And while those things are important, they are only the surface layer of branding.
Your brand is not your logo.
Your brand is the feeling people associate with your business. It’s the reputation you build over time. It’s what customers say about you when you’re not in the room.
A logo is simply the visual identifier attached to that reputation.
This misunderstanding is one of the biggest marketing myths we still see, particularly in tourism and hospitality, where businesses often invest heavily in visual design but underestimate the importance of consistency, customer experience, and trust.
We often talk about how tourism websites should be designed with one goal in mind: attract visitors from search engines (mostly Google) and convert them into bookings. While that objective remains the same, the way travellers discover and interact with tourism businesses is changing rapidly.
With AI-powered search experiences becoming increasingly common, travellers are no longer simply clicking through lists of search results. They're asking questions, receiving recommendations, comparing options, and planning itineraries directly within AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode/Overviews, Perplexity and more.
Given this, your website has three audiences to consider:
The tech world is buzzing after Google I/O 2026, and for those of us in the tourism industry, things are about to get a lot more interesting. Google has officially moved from “AI as an assistant” to “AI as an agent,” and it’s another change to how travellers find and book your experiences.
Here are the three big takeaways you need to know:
1. The Search Box is Becoming a “Do-it-all” Engine
Google has completely reimagined the search box which will become integrated with AI Overviews and AI mode. It’s no longer just about giving you links, it’s about getting things done.
With new “information agents,” users can now ask to “find, check, book, or buy” directly within the search experience. Google is essentially building an agentic layer that handles the heavy lifting,...
Don't believe it when someone declares SEO is finished, because in reality it still growing in importance.
What’s actually happening isn’t the death of SEO, it’s a shift as search has evolved. User behaviour has changed, and with AI now shaping how travellers discover and compare experiences, the old playbook is needing a new chapter.
What People Mean When They Say “SEO is Dead”
Usually, they’re reacting to things like:
Traffic dropping despite “doing SEO”
AI-generated answers reducing clicks
Keyword rankings feeling less predictable
More competition than ever
They’re not wrong to notice the change, but the conclusion is off.
The Modern SEO Space
Older SEO strategies have evolved, here's what's no longer good SEO practice:
If your business isn't visible in AI search, then you're missing out on bookings
It sounds alarmist, but the reality is a growing number of travellers are now turning to AI tools to research and plan their trips - so if you aren't being recommended by AI platforms then you don't even get a look in for those bookings.
AI Search is no longer niche - it should form part of your overall SEO strategy. That's why we have put together an eBook all about AI Search - to help you understand what AI Search is, and how to give your business more chance of being visible to these platforms.
"In the US, 56% of travellers used AI for planning, booking or in-destination assistance for at least one trip in the past 12 months (March 2026), and it’s a fast growing trend - up from 43% in the...
