74% of Spain's Independent Restaurants and Bars Are Invisible to AI Search — Vigo Worst at 91% as Camino Season Begins

New research from booteek.ai reveals that 74.2% of independent restaurants and bars across 8 Spanish cities are invisible to AI assistants — with Vigo the worst-affected at 90.8% invisible, just as Galicia enters its peak Camino de Santiago season.

The booteek AI Visibility Index, the first multi-city AI visibility study in Spain, analysed 809 independent restaurants and bars across Bilbao, Seville, Vigo, Burgos, Santiago de Compostela, San Sebastian, Oviedo, and Santander. The findings reveal a north-south divide: northern Spanish cities, particularly those on the Camino route, have the highest invisibility rates.

AI-powered discovery is now mainstream. According to Graphite.io, AI tools generate 45 billion monthly sessions worldwide — 56% of total global search volume. 37% of consumers start searches directly in AI chatbots instead of Google. And 83% of that AI usage happens on mobile phones.

Google has launched Ask Maps — conversational AI powered by Gemini inside Google Maps — in the US and India. Millions of international tourists arriving in Spain this summer, including 400,000 Camino de Santiago pilgrims annually, will already be using AI to decide where to eat.

Spain Findings: 8 Cities

The study reveals a clear north-south divide, with Galician cities performing worst. Burgos, at 31.1% invisible, is the relative bright spot — though still nearly 1 in 3 independent venues invisible to AI.

The Camino Route Crisis

The Camino de Santiago attracts 400,000 pilgrims annually, with Galicia investing EUR 5.5 million in food tourism. Three cities on the main Camino routes — Santiago de Compostela (70.4% invisible), Oviedo (66.7%), and Burgos (31.1%) — collectively represent 160 venues, of which 88 are invisible to AI.

Every pilgrim who asks AI 'where should I eat tonight' receives recommendations only from the venues AI can find. The rest — including acclaimed local tascas, sidrerias, and asadores — don't exist in that conversation.

Vigo: 91% Invisible

Vigo, Galicia's largest city and a major seafood destination, is the worst-performing city in the study at 90.8% invisible. Of 381 venues analysed, just 35 appear in AI recommendations. This is despite Vigo's growing reputation as a food destination and Galicia's significant investment in culinary tourism.

The Global Context

Data from Ahrefs shows Food & Drink has the highest dependency on search traffic of any sector at 66.9%. Google's traffic share has declined 3.4 points in eight months. The sector most dependent on search is least prepared for the shift.

The Wider Picture: 3 Countries, 21+ Cities, 4,060+ Venues

Spain sits within a broader European crisis. Spain performs best of the three markets but 74.2% invisible still means nearly 3 in 4 independent venues are missing from AI recommendations.

About booteek.ai

booteek.ai is Europe's first AI Visibility platform for independent restaurant and bar owners. The platform helps venues complete their Google Business Profile in 6-7 weeks through AI-guided conversations, manage reviews with a free Chrome Extension, and track AI visibility through the B.E.S.T. Score dashboard.

booteek Pro costs EUR 119/quarter — one plan, everything included. One-off diagnostic products start from EUR 34.99.

Website: booteek.ai | Spain: booteek.ai/es | AI Visibility Index: donde-onde-where.com