Travel Iowa Partners with GuideGeek to Launch New AI Travel Genius, 'Goldie'

DES MOINES, Iowa, June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Travelers planning a trip to Iowa can now rely on Goldie, an AI travel genius that provides instant answers to any travel or tourism questions about the Hawkeye State. Goldie is an initiative of the Iowa Economic Development Authority's Iowa Tourism Office and leverages GuideGeek artificial intelligence technology from Matador Network.

"Iowa basically invented agritourism, and it's home to so many hidden gems, like the largest skatepark in the U.S. and the ice cream capital of the world," says Matador Network CEO Ross Borden. "Goldie is designed to help families, couples and more put together the perfect combination of the wide variety of nature, food and cultural experiences Iowa has to offer."

Optimal for residents, first-time visitors or those who love coming back to Iowa every year, Goldie helps everyone explore with tailored travel tips and itineraries, connecting people to local businesses, attractions and cultural experiences. The personalized, real-time responses are generated by AI trained on extensive data from Travel Iowa, coupled with over 1,000 integrations for travel information from GuideGeek's award-winning technology.

To access Goldie, travelers can visit traveliowa.com and click the chat icon in the bottom right corner. The name Goldie is a nod to the American Goldfinch, the state bird of Iowa. In a new take on "flyover country," Goldie provides a bird's-eye view of the rich selection of attractions throughout the state.

"We're already seeing travelers use Goldie to plan road trips from cities like Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City, including everything from alpaca farm getaways to camping in Northeast Iowa," says Amy Zeigler, state tourism manager for the Iowa Tourism Office. "One user simply entered the beer emoji, and Goldie immediately recommended local breweries to experience our state's delicious grain-to-glass flavors."

By adopting this technology, Travel Iowa joins the ranks of other destination marketing organizations (DMOs or tourism boards) around the world that have launched a custom AI tool with GuideGeek, including those in New Zealand, Greece and Toronto, further elevating Iowa's appeal to tech-savvy travelers.

About Travel Iowa

The Iowa Tourism Office, part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, works closely with community partners, attractions and events, to promote the state's beautifully vast scenery and unique history. Tourism in Iowa generated $7.3 billion in expenditures in 2023, with more than $1.1 billion supporting state and local governments, while employing a total of 70,954 people statewide. For more information on everything Iowa has to offer tourists, visit traveliowa.com.

About Matador Network

Matador Network is the world's No. 1 media brand for modern adventurers and creator of the award-winning AI travel genius GuideGeek. With more than 16 million followers across social media, Matador has become a leading travel brand through its production of article features, city guides, creator-first content and original videos. Matador is the top-ranking travel brand on TikTok and its videos are viewed more than 140 million times per month. It has content distribution deals with destinations throughout the world and major brands in the travel industry and beyond. matadornetwork.com

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SOURCE Matador Network