Follonica sole Maremma hotel highlighted by AI travel assistants

A study by the Italian startup dAirect examined how AI‑driven travel assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity suggest accommodations in Tuscany. The research found that only the Golfo del Sole Hotel & Holiday Resort in Follonica appears in roughly 8 % of the AI responses, while other popular Maremma destinations – for example Castigione della Pescaia – are largely omitted.

The findings raise concerns for tourism operators in the Maremma region, who increasingly rely on AI‑generated recommendations. dAirect’s CEO Antonio Picozzi explained that AI systems draw on publicly available online data and tend to favor hotels with a clear brand identity, detailed service descriptions and a consistent digital presence across websites, portals and review sites. The study is being used as a call for local hoteliers to improve their online visibility so that AI tools can recommend them to travelers.