Google Maps 2026: Updates and How to Attract Tourists

The holiday season is here, and with it comes a surge of tourists and travellers searching for places to eat, shop and stay. This year, local search has a new brain behind it: Gemini AI integrated into Google Maps.

For multi-location brands, this means winning that traveller is no longer just about distance. It also depends on the quality and accuracy of the information AI uses to make recommendations.

If you manage a network of locations in tourist destinations or along popular routes, it is critical to understand how the four main Google Maps changes can affect your visibility during peak travel periods.

1. AI-generated suggestions: your location’s “traveller summary”

During holidays, time is everything. Travellers do not want to read 50 reviews of a cafe. They want to know whether it is “ideal for a quick breakfast before heading to the beach”.

Holiday impact:

• Decision filter: AI builds a concise summary of your business from reviews. If your locations operate in high-tourism categories such as restaurants, pharmacies or retail, that summary can become the decisive filter between your brand and the competition.
• The opportunity: Is your location wheelchair accessible? Does it have large parking for caravans? If those attributes are not clearly reflected in your Google Business Profile (GBP) or in customer feedback, the AI will not surface them to travellers.
• SearchMAS action: we make sure traveller-critical attributes such as special summer opening hours, accessibility and similar details are fully optimised across each profile, helping Gemini highlight the convenience of your location.

2. The “trending” section in Explore: become the place people want to visit

Travellers explore. They are no longer only searching for “restaurant near me”. They also follow what looks popular and new in each destination.

Holiday impact:

• Discovery visibility: this tab can position your locations as “the place to go” when they are generating local engagement. A new opening or a summer promotion can quickly turn a location into a local trend.
• The opportunity: Google Maps posts with strong summer offer imagery, happy hours or special events give AI the signals it needs to label your location as trending.
• SearchMAS action: we use centralised content operations to launch geo-targeted post campaigns at scale. That helps your tourist-area locations build the digital momentum needed to appear in this key discovery section.

3. EV charger prediction: confidence on the holiday route

This feature shows how Google is prioritising smoother travel experiences. For an electric vehicle driver on a holiday journey, certainty matters more than surprise.

Holiday impact:

• Predictive confidence: if your location sits near a road corridor or a charging stop, this function can indirectly improve your ability to capture customers looking for efficient stops.
• The opportunity: AI tends to prioritise businesses that solve practical travel problems. If your location offers clean bathrooms, fast Wi-Fi or child-friendly amenities, make sure those benefits are visible.
• SearchMAS action: we monitor data accuracy across every location, from exact coordinates to opening hours, so the AI always has high-quality information when recommending your stores along travel routes.

4. Reviews with nicknames and custom profile photos: more feedback, more data for AI

Google wants to increase review volume by allowing users to protect their real identity more easily.

Holiday impact:

• Review volume surge: travellers who feel safer are more likely to leave a quick review about the hotel or store they just visited. Expect a wave of fresh feedback.
• The opportunity: Gemini depends on review volume to generate its suggestions. The more reviews you earn, the more precise and compelling those AI summaries become.
• SearchMAS action: our platform helps you manage and respond to this increased review volume in a centralised and efficient way, especially during high season. Turning fresh holiday feedback into a professional response is critical for local SEO and AI optimisation.

Your local strategy must be as smart as Gemini

Holiday season is peak season for local visibility. Google Maps AI is not waiting. It is already making decisions for travellers.

Make sure every one of your locations is sending the right signals to Gemini: accurate data, complete attributes and strong customer interaction.

Want to make the most of peak tourism demand? Optimise your location network for AI with SearchMAS and secure your share of seasonal demand.

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