Across the board, destination websites are experiencing a drop in traffic. The cause isn’t necessarily a decline in interest, or that your website is underperforming - it’s a change in where and how people access information.

For example, a Google search for “things to do this weekend” might once have led straight to an events or “what’s on” page. Now, before you see any organic results, you’re presented with:

• A featured snippet from Tripadvisor or Time Out
• “People Also Ask” panels (often with AI-generated summaries)
• Forum and discussion results
• And only then, the traditional organic listings - often pushed below the fold

This is the new reality: your content may still rank, but changing search layouts mean fewer people are clicking through.

Google’s results pages have changed dramatically. In many destination-related searches, organic results are now surrounded - and often pushed down - by features such as:

• AI Overviews
• People Also Ask panels
• Paid listings
• “Things to Do” cards
• Featured Snippets

Even if your website ranks on Page 1, it may not be visible without scrolling. Recent research shows the top organic result now attracts just 19% of clicks - down from around 28% before AI Overviews rolled out - while the second position’s CTR has dropped from roughly 21% to 12.6%.

By comparison, in 2023–24, the average click-through rate (CTR) for the top three organic listings looked like this:

• Position 1: 39.8%
• Position 2: 18.7%
• Position 3: 10.2%

The challenge for destination marketers is clear: visibility isn’t just about ranking anymore - it’s about ensuring your content appears in the formats Google is prioritising.

Social media has shifted from an inspiration source to a core planning tool. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are now where people decide:

• What to do
• Where to go
• Even practical details, like where to park

Increasingly, visitors are creating full itineraries from user-generated content - influencer posts, reviews, or local recommendations - without ever landing on an official destination website.

The numbers back this up: 57% of people planning a day out use social media for ideas, second only to general search, and 62% go on to make specific decisions based on what they see there.

If your destination’s content isn’t present in these spaces, or isn’t structured in a way that’s easy to repurpose, you risk being absent from the conversation altogether.

While visitor numbers to destination websites may be lower, those who do arrive are more engaged than ever. We’re increasingly seeing:

• More time spent on site
• More pages viewed per session
• Deeper interaction with key content like events, maps, and itineraries

AI Overviews and social media are, in effect, filtering out the casual browsers. The result? The visitors who make it to your site are more likely to be in active planning mode, and more likely to convert - whether that means attending an event, booking an experience, or visiting in person.

The good news is that adapting to these changes doesn’t require a huge budget or complex technical work. Small, strategic actions can make a big difference.

1. Optimise for the evolving Google

• Create simple FAQs based on real visitor questions so you can appear in People Also Ask panels - e.g. “Is [Destination] worth visiting for a weekend?”.
• Use schema markup for events, places, and things to do so your content qualifies for snippets and “Things to Do” cards.
• Keep page titles and headings clear, concise, and aligned to visitor intent - think “Free things to do in [Destination]” rather than vague labels like “Inspiration”.

Why this matters: Google now rewards structured, direct answers that map to how visitors phrase queries.

2. Make social work for search

• Repurpose high-performing social posts into search-friendly content on your site - itineraries, “top 3” lists, seasonal guides.
• Structure these pages using language and headings that mirror the way people search - e.g. instead of “Autumn Adventures”, use “Things to do in [Destination] in Autumn” or “Best autumn walks in [Destination]”.

Why this matters: People increasingly want quick, scannable answers, and search engines favour structured content that mirrors real queries - making your content more likely to appear in snippets and “Things to Do” panels.

3. Package high-intent content

• Focus on your most-visited planning pages: events, parking, “what’s on”, and business directories.
• Keep them fast-loading, accurate, and action-oriented with clear CTAs.
• Where possible, work with local partners to create bundles - e.g. “Theatre tickets + dinner offer” or “Family day out with parking included”.

Why this matters: These are the pages people land on when they’re ready to plan or book. Making them easy and useful increases conversions.

• Be present in the formats and platforms where people are making decisions.
• Structure content to surface in Google’s AI Overviews, People Also Ask, and snippets.
• Treat social media as a planning tool - and create on-site content that works for both search and social audiences.
• Focus on high-intent pages and make them as useful and action-oriented as possible.