Brandwave

Cheeky Kiwi Travel vs Stray:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Cheeky Kiwi Travel had more branded searches than Stray among tour operators in New Zealand. Cheeky Kiwi Travel had about 590 branded searches, while Stray had 150. Cheeky Kiwi Travel made up 1.8% of all tour operator searches we track, and Stray accounted for 0.45%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about tour operators, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 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?

Cheeky Kiwi Travel, about 4 searches for every 1 for Stray

Cheeky Kiwi Travel 590 searchesStray 150 searches

Who does AI mention more?

Cheeky Kiwi Travel, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Stray in 0

Cheeky Kiwi Travel in 3 of 5Stray in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Cheeky Kiwi Travel, the only one of the two named

Cheeky Kiwi Travel first in 3Stray never named

Follow Cheeky Kiwi Travel vs Stray and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Track your brand against a rival →

Top tour operators in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Cheeky Kiwi Travel 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 Cheeky Kiwi Travel or Stray more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Cheeky Kiwi Travel 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.

Cheeky Kiwi Travel and Stray among tour operators in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Cheeky Kiwi Travel, 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 Cheeky Kiwi Travel and Stray comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

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 Cheeky Kiwi Travel in New Zealand fell 33% over 12 measured months, from 880 to 590 in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

4 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cheeky Kiwi Travel’s 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.

Cheeky Kiwi Travel

1 branded search term

  • cheeky kiwi travel

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

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Put your own brand in this comparison

Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.

Start free