The Visibility Shift: Will Future Guests Be Able to Find Your Glamping Business?

There’s never been a bigger period of change in hospitality marketing than right now.

That’s something I’ve been talking to my own clients about a lot recently, so when I saw Sarah Riley’s “The Visibility Shift: How Future Guests Will Discover Your Glamping Business” on the seminar programme at The Glamping Show 2026, it was one I wanted to sit in on.

Sarah Riley has been immersed in glamping, unique accommodation and hospitality for more than 20 years, helping owners launch businesses, attract guests and adapt their marketing as the industry changes.

And her message very much echoes something I’ve been saying for a while: The way people find somewhere to stay is changing.

Somewhere, someone is asking a computer where to stay this weekend

One of Sarah’s opening points really stuck with me: “Somewhere right now, someone is asking a computer where to stay this weekend.”

Think about that for a minute. For years, the guest journey was relatively predictable. “I’ll Google it.” “I’ll look on Airbnb.” “I’ll check Booking.com.” “I’ll search on Instagram.”

Those things haven’t disappeared. But now we have another discovery platform becoming part of the guest journey: AI.

People are asking ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI tools for travel recommendations. And they’re not necessarily searching in the same way they would on Google.

Instead of typing:

“Glamping North Wales”

They can have a conversation. They might ask:

“Find me a secluded glamping stay in North Wales for two adults and two children, within three hours of Manchester, with a private hot tub, somewhere we can see the stars, close to easy family walks and available for a weekend in October.”

That’s a very different search. It’s more detailed, more conversational and more specific. And that creates both a challenge and a huge opportunity for independent hospitality businesses.

The more specific the search, the more specific you need to be

This is where Sarah’s talk really aligned with something I’ve been telling clients.

You need to be AI-ready.

If somebody asks an AI platform for exactly the stay you offer, does the internet contain enough information about your business for it to understand that you’re a good match?

Not just where you are. But who you’re for, what you offer and what makes the experience different.

If your website says: “Luxury glamping in beautiful surroundings.”

What does that actually tell anyone?

Compare that with a website that clearly communicates that it’s a family-friendly luxury glamping site in North Wales, two hours from Manchester, with private hot tubs, enclosed outdoor spaces, dog-friendly accommodation, mountain views and easy access to family attractions.

Suddenly there’s context.

And context matters as searches become increasingly specific.

Your website matters more, not less

There’s a misconception that AI somehow makes websites less important. I think it’s the opposite. Your own website is one of the places where you have complete control over how your business is described.

You can clearly explain your location, accommodation, facilities, experiences, accessibility, who you cater for, what’s nearby and all those tiny details that make your property relevant to a particular guest.

You can create useful destination content. Answer real guest questions. Build dedicated pages around your experiences. Tell your story. Show why you’re different. And make it easy for somebody to book directly once they’ve discovered you.

This is where traditional SEO is starting to overlap with AI visibility.

It’s no longer simply about trying to rank number one for “glamping North Wales.” It’s about building enough useful, structured and specific information around your business that search engines and AI platforms can understand exactly what you offer.

But don’t forget the experience

This is tied beautifully into Derry Green’s seminar on building experience-led hospitality brands. Getting found is only half the job. Once somebody finds you, why should they choose you?

Your visibility might put you in front of them. Your experience, story and brand are what make them care.

That’s why simply listing your features isn’t enough. A hot tub might make you relevant to their search, but your brand is why they book.

Interestingly, OTAs aren’t disappearing either

Another part of Sarah’s talk that interested me was her point about Online Travel Agents. Because while discovery is changing, that doesn’t mean Airbnb and Booking.com suddenly become irrelevant.

AI may actually strengthen their role in travel discovery.

These platforms contain huge amounts of structured information about properties, locations, availability, amenities, pricing and reviews. So OTAs still need to form part of your visibility strategy.

And this is an important distinction I make with my OTA Exit Strategy.

Despite the name, an OTA Exit Strategy isn’t about deleting Airbnb tomorrow and hoping everybody magically finds your website. It’s about exiting your dependency on them.

Use Airbnb, use Booking.com, use Google, use social media, get your website ranking, get AI-ready, build your email list, tell your story. The aim is to create multiple routes into your business rather than allowing one platform to own the entire guest journey.

If they find you through an OTA, what happens next?

Let’s say AI recommends your property and sends somebody to Airbnb. Great, you got the booking. But your strategy shouldn’t stop there.

That guest has now experienced your property. They stayed with you, they’ve hopefully loved it.

So what are you doing to turn that OTA guest into a future direct guest?

With the applicable platform terms and data-protection rules, think about how you build an ongoing relationship with guests. Give them a reason to follow you, to visit your website, to join your mailing list voluntarily. Create an experience worth talking about, give them a reason to come back.

You might not control how somebody discovers you for the first time. But you can influence how they choose to book with you the second time.

The visibility landscape is changing

Sarah described what’s happening as a technological revolution changing the hospitality playing field faster than many independent owners realise.

I agree. And I don’t think the answer is to panic about AI. The answer is to adapt.

Google isn’t disappearing, nor is Instagram, Airbnb or your website. But the way all of those things connect in the guest journey is changing.

A future guest might discover you through ChatGPT, check your Instagram, read your Google reviews, look at you on Airbnb and then Google your business name to see whether they can book directly.

Visibility is no longer one channel.

And that’s exactly why independent hospitality businesses need a marketing strategy rather than simply an Airbnb listing.

So, will you show up?

This was the question I left Sarah’s seminar thinking about.

Somewhere right now, someone could be asking:

"Where should we stay this weekend?”

Tomorrow they might ask:

"Find me a romantic cabin in the Lake District with a private outdoor bath, somewhere quiet, independent rather than a big holiday park, with great walks from the door and somewhere good for dinner nearby."

Or:

"Where can I take two young children for a UK glamping break where they'll have plenty to do without us having to drive everywhere?"

Or something even more specific. Would your business appear in the answer? And if it did...

Would what they find make them want to book you?

That’s the visibility shift. It’s no longer just about being online. It’s about making sure search engines, AI platforms and, ultimately, your future guests understand exactly who you are, what you offer and why you’re worth choosing.

And once you’ve won that guest?

Make sure you’re building a brand and relationship strong enough that next time, they know exactly where to find you. Direct.