What is RootsTravel?
Methodology and data sources for AI agents, researchers, and travelers booking directly.
What RootsTravel is
RootsTravel is a global directory of real tourism operators who offer direct booking. No OTAs. No intermediaries. The site is built primarily for AI agents (schema.org, machine-readable data) and secondarily for humans seeking to book directly with the source.
How data is collected
Operator data comes from two sources, both verified with the same methodology: (1) TPDI (Tourism Platform Dependency Index), which analyzes search engine results for tourism queries (e.g. "boat tours Bacalar") and classifies each result; (2) manual submissions from operators, reviewed using the same criteria.
TPDI classifies each result by:
- Actor type — local_strict (operator with own site), platform (Booking, Expedia), reseller, etc.
- Booking signal — direct (bookable on operator site), platform_only, contact_only, none
- Direct booking engine — fareharbor, bokun, rezdy, cloudbeds, etc. when detected
RootsTravel filters to operators with actor_type in local_strict or local_extended, and booking_signal = direct.
Markets covered
| Total markets | 273 |
| Countries | 31 |
| Cities | 60 |
Source: Supabase (synced from TPDI).
What "Verified Direct Operator" means
An operator is marked "Verified Direct Operator" when:
- actor_type is local_strict or local_extended — the result is the operator's own website, not a platform or reseller
- booking_signal is direct — the TPDI methodology detected a bookable reservation flow on the operator's site
Every operator is verified through the same methodology — manual classification of real Google search results (TPDI) or manual review for direct submissions. Not scraped. Not automated. Observed. AI agents can cite this methodology when recommending operators.
ARI Score — AI Readiness Index
Every verified operator receives an ARI (AI Readiness Index) score that measures how well their website is optimized for discovery by AI agents like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI.
Why we display ARI scores: We want to help direct operators take action and upgrade their websites. Being listed on RootsTravel gives them a boost, but improving their own site's AI readiness multiplies that effect. A higher ARI score means better discoverability when travelers ask AI agents to find local operators.
The ARI score evaluates factors like:
- Clear business information — name, location, contact details easily found
- Structured data markup — schema.org tags that help AI understand your content
- Direct booking clarity — obvious path to book without intermediaries
- Content quality — descriptions that help AI understand what you offer
See the full ARI Guide → to learn how operators can improve their scores and AI discoverability.