50% of 30 Ryokans in Major Domestic Hot Spring Areas Found to Be "AI Citation Zero Facilities" in Generative AI Search

Terrace Roots Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture; Representative Director: Takumi Matsui / LinkedIn Top Voice, former hotel manager), which provides GEO (Generative Engine Optimization / Generative AI Engine Optimization) consulting specializing in hotels and ryokans, conducted a survey on the citation status of 30 ryokan facilities in 5 major domestic hot spring areas (Kyoto, Kanazawa, Hakone, Yufuin, Kusatsu) across three media: ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Mode. As a result, it was confirmed that 15 out of the 30 surveyed facilities (50.0%) were "AI citation zero facilities," meaning they were never cited in any of the three media across all 30 queries. By area, facilities in Kanazawa and Kusatsu reached 83% in this state, while Kyoto and Yufuin remained at 17%, showing approximately a 5-fold difference between areas.

**[Background of the Survey]**

The sources of information for travelers selecting accommodation facilities are expanding from Google search and OTAs to generative AI (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode, etc.). Since generative AI presents summarized answers rather than a cluster of search result links, a structure is emerging where facilities not cited by AI are less likely to be considered by travelers.

However, most accommodation businesses do not quantitatively grasp how their facilities are handled on generative AI. This survey was conducted as primary data to understand the current state of visibility on generative AI in the accommodation industry.

**[Definition of Terms in This Release]**

AI Citation Zero Facility: In this survey, a facility whose name was never cited in any AI response across 6 queries for each of the three media (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode), totaling 18 citation opportunities.

**[Survey Results Summary]**

■ Overall Results: 15 out of 30 facilities (50.0%) are AI citation zero facilities.

As a result of posing 6 queries to each of the three media (totaling 18 citation opportunities), 15 out of 30 facilities (50.0%) were never cited in any media. The average citation rate for all facilities remained at 20.6%.

■ By Area: 83% of facilities in Kanazawa and Kusatsu are "AI citation zero facilities."

While Kyoto and Yufuin have few citation-zero facilities and relatively high visibility on AI, 5 out of 6 facilities in Kanazawa and Kusatsu are in an AI citation-zero state, confirming a significant difference between areas.

■ Top 5 Citation Rates: Long-established and luxury ryokans dominate the top ranks.

Kusatsu Onsen Naraya, ranked 1st, showed outstanding visibility, being cited 16 times out of 18 citation opportunities across the three media. Despite the average citation rate for the entire Kusatsu area being 14.8%, a structure where citations are concentrated on specific facilities is observed.

■ Citation Trends by Media

Google AI Mode had the highest number of cited facilities and citation density, while ChatGPT and Perplexity showed a tendency for citations to be concentrated on "specific facilities."

■ Inbound Context: Limited citations for English queries.

Citations for English queries ("Kyoto best ryokan," "Yufuin best ryokan," etc., total 5 queries) conducted in each area were significantly limited compared to Japanese queries. While facility development anticipating inbound demand is progressing, the reality is that reaching overseas travelers via AI is even more unevenly distributed than with Japanese queries.

**[Three Insights from the Survey]**

1. "No. 1 in search" and "AI citation" are different things. There was no strong correlation between conventional SEO top rankings and AI citations, and many cases were confirmed where facilities with high SEO rankings were not cited by AI.

2. The amount of third-party mentions, especially expert evaluations, influences AI citations. Long-established and luxury ryokans dominated the top citation rates, and a tendency was confirmed for facilities with accumulated third-party information that AI can easily reference, such as media articles, tourist guides, books, and evaluations by industry experts, to be cited more often. In particular, mentions from authoritative third parties such as experts, editors, and journalists are considered priority sources for AI to base its answers on. It is suggested that even if a facility disseminates information itself, it may not reach AI without such external evaluations and mentions.

3. Regional visibility disparities align with "information density differences." Kyoto and Yufuin (17% citation-zero) are frequently featured in tourism media, while Kanazawa and Kusatsu (83% citation-zero) have relatively fewer third-party mentions per facility.