Brandwave

AAT Kings vs Stray:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, AAT Kings had more branded searches than Stray among tour operators in New Zealand. AAT Kings had about 260 branded searches, while Stray had 150. AAT Kings made up 0.78% of all tour operator searches we track, and Stray accounted for 0.45%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about tour operators, AAT Kings appeared in three of the five answers and Stray in none.

Among tour operators in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

AAT Kings, about 73% more searches than Stray

AAT Kings 260 searchesStray 150 searches

Who does AI mention more?

AAT Kings, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Stray in 0

AAT Kings in 3 of 5Stray in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

AAT Kings, the only one of the two named

AAT Kings first in 3Stray never named

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Top tour operators in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, AAT Kings was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Stray did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. MoaTrek New Zealand Tours1st
  2. Intrepid Travel2nd
  3. Grand Pacific Tours3rd
  4. AAT Kings4th
  5. G Adventures5th
  6. Cheeky Kiwi Travel6th
  7. Wild Kiwi Adventure Tours6th
  8. Kiwi Experience8th
  9. Contiki9th
  10. +3 more
  11. Stray–
  12. +1 more

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • MoaTrek New Zealand Tours5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Intrepid Travel4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • G Adventures3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Cheeky Kiwi Travel3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • AAT Kings3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Grand Pacific Tours3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Wild Kiwi Adventure Tours2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Contiki1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Kiwi Experience1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Stray0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

+4 more

See every answer about tour operators

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

Is AAT Kings or Stray more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for AAT Kings and Stray by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 14 tour operators we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

AAT Kings and Stray among tour operators in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for AAT Kings, Stray. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthFlying KiwiRealNZContikiIntrepid TravelG AdventuresKiwi ExperienceTopdeckCheeky Kiwi TravelAAT KingsWild Kiwi Adventure ToursGrand Pacific ToursStrayHaka ToursMoaTrek New Zealand Tours
Oct 20259.2%28.8%24.1%10.3%10%6.3%4.1%2.8%1%0.66%0.82%0.47%1.2%0.28%
Nov 202512.1%26.5%20.7%13.6%10.1%6.8%3.6%2.7%0.87%0.87%0.46%0.38%0.87%0.25%
Dec 202510%32.2%20.6%13.1%8.9%6.9%2.7%2.7%0.58%0.88%0.47%0.22%0.58%0.14%
Jan 20261.7%27.6%23.9%18.2%11.2%8.5%3.7%2.3%0.74%0.74%0.48%0.35%0.48%0.12%
Feb 20268.3%27.5%19.2%15.2%10.9%8.4%3.7%2.8%1.3%1.1%0.59%0.37%0.48%0.25%
Mar 202615.9%28.7%18.3%9.9%9.5%7.2%2.6%2.9%1.7%0.94%0.61%0.44%0.94%0.26%
Apr 20269.3%29.3%22.9%10.7%9.9%4.3%3.2%2.3%1%0.67%0.67%0.32%5.1%0.29%
May 202623.4%21.5%21.6%12.1%9.5%2.6%2.9%1.7%0.92%1.7%0.6%0.29%0.92%0.26%
Jun 202625.4%18.8%23.7%10.6%10.2%2.3%3.2%1.8%1%1.2%0.34%0.34%0.81%0.28%
Jul 202618.3%24.5%25.7%9.7%10.9%2.6%3%2%1.1%0.71%0.37%0.3%0.57%0.3%
Aug 202629.1%21.6%21.8%9.9%7.6%2.7%2.9%1.7%0.76%0.76%0.41%0.21%0.41%0.21%
Sep 202624.4%22.3%18.4%14.7%9.4%3.1%2.7%1.8%0.78%0.78%0.63%0.45%0.33%0.27%

How has the AAT Kings and Stray comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • AAT Kings was ahead of Stray in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, AAT Kings’ share of searches among tour operators in New Zealand moved from 1% to 0.78%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 320 to 260.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Stray’s share of searches among tour operators in New Zealand moved from 0.47% to 0.45%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 150.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand tour operators in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Stray rose from 14th to 12th among tour operators in New Zealand.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for AAT Kings in New Zealand fell 18.8% over 12 measured months, from 320 to 260 in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

4 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using AAT Kings’ and Stray’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

AAT Kings

1 branded search term

  • aat kings

Stray

3 branded search terms

  • stray bus
  • stray tour
  • stray travel

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among tour operators

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