Travel planning used to look like exploration.
You’d land on a homepage, click around, skim a few pages, and slowly piece together what a place had to offer. That journey shaped how destination websites were designed, and for a long time, it worked.
That behavior is fading.
Today’s travelers aren’t browsing. They’re asking.
They arrive with a question, limited patience, and a clear goal: Is this destination worth my time right now? And the page most likely to answer that question isn’t the homepage anymore. It’s the “Things to Do” page.
Why “Things to Do” Pages Matter More Than Ever
For most destination websites, the “Things to Do” page has quietly become the highest-intent page on the site.
It’s where travelers go when they’re past inspiration and into evaluation. They’re not dreaming yet—they’re deciding. What can I actually do there? Is there enough variety? Will this work for my group, my timing, my budget?
In many cases, this is also the first page a traveler ever sees. They arrive from search, shared links, or AI-generated responses without ever touching the homepage. There’s no brand story, no welcome message, no context—just a page and a moment of judgment.
Whether a destination earns a second click often depends on how that page performs in isolation.
How Travelers Are Actually Using These Pages
Most “Things to Do” pages weren’t built for this role.
Travelers don’t scroll slowly. They skim.
They don’t read paragraphs. They scan for confirmation.
They aren’t exploring for fun. They’re filtering for relevance.
They’re asking questions implicitly:
- Is there enough to fill a weekend?
- Does this fit who I’m traveling with?
- Are these activities close together?
- Does this feel current or outdated?
When answers aren’t obvious, they leave. Not because the destination lacks appeal—but because friction shows up faster than curiosity.
What Destinations Must Unlearn
This shift requires more than small tweaks. It requires unlearning habits that made sense in a different era.
First, destinations must unlearn “inspiration first, answers second.”
Inspiration still matters, but clarity now earns the right to inspire. When travelers are asking questions, vague storytelling slows them down instead of pulling them in.
Second, destinations must unlearn the idea that “Things to Do” pages support campaigns.
These pages are not temporary. They outlive seasonal promotions, paid media flights, and creative refreshes. Treating them like supporting assets instead of core infrastructure limits their impact.
Third, destinations must unlearn the assumption that visitors will explore if they’re interested.
Most won’t. This page has to stand on its own. It needs to explain the destination clearly without relying on surrounding pages to fill in the gaps.
Finally, destinations must unlearn the belief that more content equals a better experience.
More listings, longer descriptions, and endless scroll often create indecision instead of confidence. What travelers want most is not volume, it’s guidance.
Why This Is an AEO Issue, Not Just a Content One
Answer Engine Optimization isn’t only about AI visibility. It’s about how information is structured and delivered in moments of intent.
AI surfaces pages that answer questions clearly. Pages that are ambiguous, cluttered, or overly promotional struggle to surface, not because they lack keywords, but because they lack usefulness.
When a “Things to Do” page clearly communicates what’s available, why it matters, and how it fits into a traveler’s time, it performs better for humans and machines alike.
What a “Good” Things to Do Page Looks Like Now
The strongest pages today share a few common traits.
They are answer-forward, not campaign-forward.
They assume no prior context.
They prioritize clarity over cleverness.
They are updated continuously, not seasonally.
They guide decision-making instead of overwhelming it.
These pages don’t try to do everything. They do one thing well: help a traveler decide whether this destination fits their needs right now.
Closing Thought
AEO isn’t asking destinations to create more content.
It’s asking them to respect the moment a traveler arrives with a question, and to answer it without friction.
The homepage hasn’t disappeared.
It just no longer owns the first impression.
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