Kelly Tarlton's vs Wai-O-Tapu:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Kelly Tarlton's had more branded searches than Wai-O-Tapu among visitor attractions in New Zealand. Kelly Tarlton's had about 50,300 branded searches, while Wai-O-Tapu had 28,000. Kelly Tarlton's made up 10.1% of all visitor attraction searches we track, and Wai-O-Tapu accounted for 5.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about visitor attractions, Wai-O-Tapu appeared in three of the five answers and Kelly Tarlton's in none.
Who do people search for more?
Kelly Tarlton's, about 79% more searches than Wai-O-Tapu
Who does AI mention more?
Wai-O-Tapu, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Kelly Tarlton's in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Wai-O-Tapu, the only one of the two named
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Top visitor attractions in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Wai-O-Tapu was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Kelly Tarlton's 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.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Te Puia4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Hobbiton Movie Set3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Wai-O-Tapu3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Waitomo Glowworm Caves2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Skyline Rotorua2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Weta Workshop1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Shotover Jet1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Waitangi Treaty Grounds1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Sky Tower0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Kelly Tarlton's0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about visitor attractions
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which visitor attraction should I book in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best visitor attractions in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best visitor attraction in New Zealand for a day out?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“queenstown attractions”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“rotorua attractions nz”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.
Is Kelly Tarlton's or Wai-O-Tapu more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Kelly Tarlton's and Wai-O-Tapu by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 16 visitor attractions we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Kelly Tarlton's, Wai-O-Tapu. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Sky Tower | Rainbow's End | Skyline Queenstown | Kelly Tarlton's | Waitomo Glowworm Caves | Hobbiton Movie Set | Wai-O-Tapu | Skyline Rotorua | Weta Workshop | International Antarctic Centre | Shotover Jet | Larnach Castle | Agrodome | Te Puia | Waitangi Treaty Grounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 16.1% | 13.4% | 8.8% | 9.2% | 8.5% | 9% | 7% | 4.8% | 5.3% | 4.7% | 3.4% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 17% | 9.7% | 9.4% | 7.3% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 9% | 4.2% | 6% | 4% | 3.9% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 1.9% | 1.8% |
| Dec 2025 | 16.3% | 11% | 8.9% | 7.6% | 9.3% | 8.9% | 8.6% | 5.9% | 5.2% | 4.7% | 3.7% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.8% | 2.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 12.7% | 12.6% | 8.4% | 8.7% | 10.5% | 9.5% | 8.1% | 5.6% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 3.5% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Feb 2026 | 15.6% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 7.3% | 10.1% | 8.6% | 10.1% | 4.7% | 5.3% | 4.5% | 3.4% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 3% |
| Mar 2026 | 14.2% | 7.9% | 9.6% | 8.1% | 11.8% | 9.3% | 9.1% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5% | 3.7% | 3.4% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 2.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 14.6% | 12.2% | 10% | 9.3% | 9.5% | 8.6% | 7.7% | 5.5% | 4.6% | 5.2% | 3.8% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1.6% | 1.6% |
| May 2026 | 16.1% | 10.8% | 9.2% | 11.2% | 8.8% | 9.6% | 6.9% | 4.9% | 4.5% | 5.6% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 15.2% | 12.3% | 9.1% | 11.7% | 10.1% | 9.9% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 5.1% | 5.3% | 4% | 2.4% | 2% | 2% | 1.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 14.7% | 14.3% | 8.3% | 10.8% | 9.5% | 8.8% | 4.9% | 6.4% | 4.3% | 6% | 4.2% | 2% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 0.98% |
| Aug 2026 | 17.4% | 11.3% | 9.5% | 10.7% | 9.2% | 10.2% | 4.9% | 5.1% | 4.5% | 4.9% | 3.8% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.96% |
| Sep 2026 | 15.8% | 12.9% | 10.6% | 10.1% | 9.6% | 9.1% | 5.6% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.6% | 3.6% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
How has the Kelly Tarlton's and Wai-O-Tapu comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 4 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Wai-O-Tapu took it in November 2025, Kelly Tarlton's took it in January 2026, Wai-O-Tapu took it in February 2026, Kelly Tarlton's took it in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kelly Tarlton's’ share of searches among visitor attractions in New Zealand moved from 9.2% to 10.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 55.3K to 50.3K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wai-O-Tapu’s share of searches among visitor attractions in New Zealand moved from 7% to 5.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 42K to 28K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand visitor attractions in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Wai-O-Tapu overtook Skyline Rotorua to rank 7th among visitor attractions in New Zealand, with 5.6% of the searches.
In September 2026, Skyline Queenstown overtook Kelly Tarlton's and Hobbiton Movie Set to rank 3rd among visitor attractions in New Zealand, with 10.6% of the searches.
In September 2026, Kelly Tarlton's lost share of searches among visitor attractions in New Zealand, from 10.7% to 10.1%.
How are branded searches counted?
18 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kelly Tarlton's’ and Wai-O-Tapu’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.
Kelly Tarlton's
8 branded search terms
- book me kelly tarltons
- grabone kelly tarltons
- kelly tarlton
- kelly tarlton hours
- kelly tarlton tickets
- kelly tarltons bookme
- kelly tarltons penguin
- sealife kelly tarltons
Wai-O-Tapu
10 branded search terms
- wai o tapu
- wai o tapu boardwalk
- wai o tapu geyser
- wai o tapu shuttle
- wai o tapu thermal
- wai o tapu tickets
- wai o tapu tour
- waiotapu
- waiotapu loop road
- waiotapu scenic reserve
Other head-to-heads among visitor attractions
Sky Tower vs Rainbow's End: compare popularity- Sky Tower vs Skyline Queenstown: compare popularity
- Sky Tower vs Kelly Tarlton's: compare popularity
- Sky Tower vs Waitomo Glowworm Caves: compare popularity
- Rainbow's End vs Skyline Queenstown: compare popularity
- Rainbow's End vs Kelly Tarlton's: compare popularity
Put your own brand in this comparison
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