Nearly 6 out of 10 Google searches nowadays end without anyone clicking on a link. AI Mode, zero-click search, and TikTok as a search engine are changing the playing field for the entire tourism and recreation industry. Red Online Marketing investigated this using data from its own travel and leisure clients.
See also : Search is changing rapidly. Is your strategy doing the same? – Red Online Marketing
Google answers the question itself
Searching used to start simply: someone types something in, gets a list of links, and clicks through. That model is rapidly losing ground. By 2024, nearly 60% of all Google searches had already ended without a click ( Search Engine Land, 2024 ). AI Overviews reduce click behavior by an average of 34,5% ( Ahrefs, 2025 ), and for searches *with* AI Overview, the paid CTR dropped by 68% — while Google Ads budgets continued to rise ( Seer Interactive, 2026 ).
With the introduction of AI Mode, Google is taking another step forward: a fully conversational search experience in which the user enters into a dialogue with Google instead of receiving a list of results. In data from multiple travel and leisure accounts, Red saw the CTR drop from 55% to 20% over three years, while the average CPC increased by 67%.
The question remains, but the route no longer exists.
People still want to know which park is best suited for a family with young children, or whether a day attraction is worthwhile. However, they are increasingly asking that question elsewhere: in AI Mode, on ChatGPT or Gemini, or watching TikTok reviews and YouTube vlogs from visitors who have already been there. 30% of travelers were already using AI to plan a trip in 2025 ( Adobe, 2025 ), and among Gen Z, 41% indicate that social platforms are their primary search channel, ahead of traditional search engines ( Sprout Social, 2025 ).
TikTok is a search engine — do you already have that in your strategy?
More than 40% of users have already used TikTok as a search engine; among Gen Z, that figure is 64% ( Adobe, 2024 ). Relevant for day attractions and holiday parks: 1 in 5 TikTok searchers specifically searches for destinations or experiences. Red is currently testing TikTok Search Ads with multiple clients in the industry, with initial bookings at lower costs than regular traffic campaigns.
From SEO to Organic Search, including GEO
Search is no longer a single channel, but an ecosystem of Google, AI Mode, AI assistants, social platforms, and YouTube. That is why Red is making the shift from SEO to Organic Search , with GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) as a new pillar: not only ranking well in classic search results, but also being used as a source by AI tools. 38% of citations in AI Overviews come from the Google Top 10 ( Ahrefs, 2026 ) — anyone not there does not exist in the response the user receives.
What does this mean for you specifically?
Do you recognize any of these situations?
- You see your organic sessions drop while impressions rise — then it is time to recalibrate your KPIs.
- Your cost per click is rising while volume is decreasing — broadening your channel mix is urgent.
- You publish content but the clicks aren't coming in — check if you are being cited in AI responses and optimize for GEO.
- If you are not yet active on TikTok or YouTube as a search channel, you are missing out on a growing part of the orientation phase.
- You don't have a first-party data strategy — then you are feeding the Google and Meta algorithms empty-handed.
And what next?
Bookings are still being made on the website. For now. But the path to get there has fundamentally changed. Anyone who adapts their strategy to this new reality will not only be easier to find—they will also be harder to displace.
With thanks to (author of this article): Tijmen Pars, Head of Google Advertising at Red Online Marketing
Do you recognize this shift in your own search data, but don't know where to start? Then contact us; we'd be happy to help!
Tim Pars
Red Online Marketing is an online marketing agency focused on tourism and recreation in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France.