New Zealand’s tourism sector is moving to ensure the country remains visible and competitive as AI reshapes how travellers choose destinations.
Speaking at TRENZ 2026 in Auckland, Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar warned that AI is changing the traveller decision-making process, with destinations now competing to appear in AI-generated recommendations rather than traditional search results.
“Increasingly, travellers will not start with the destination. Instead, they will start with the prompt,” said Ravishankar. “Where should I go for two weeks in November with great food and lots of nature? The countries that show up well in that answer may well win the fight for the tourism dollar.”
To stay ahead, Air New Zealand is investing in AI-focused marketing and digital visibility strategies. Ravishankar said the airline is working to ensure New Zealand and the carrier are “sighted, trusted and machine-readable” by AI platforms.
The airline is also exploring “new agentic advertising approaches with OpenAI and Google” while preparing for AI-driven booking systems that could eventually make travel transactions on behalf of consumers.
Tourism Industry Aotearoa CEO Rebecca Ingram said AI was changing tourism marketing and booking behaviour.
“A recent US study by Phocuswright showed that over half of US travellers are now actively using AI to inform their travel booking decisions,” she said.
However, Ingram said New Zealand still held a competitive advantage in an increasingly digital environment.
“People don’t travel to gather information. They travel because they’re seeking a feeling they don’t have words for,” she said.
Tourism New Zealand CEO René de Monchy said while AI is transforming how travellers discover destinations, it also presents a significant opportunity for New Zealand.
“We’re going through a massive technology disruptive phase,” he said. “We have a massive opportunity as a destination to make sure we are discovered, that our content is accurate, and that machines can find us.”
