Visit Colorado Springs Introduces AI-Powered Chat Feature
GuideGeek seamlessly connects visitors with all the trip-planning info they seek
Colorado Springs, Colo. – November 12, 2025 – Visit Colorado Springs recently launched a partnership with Matador Network’s GuideGeek, the No. 1 travel-specific AI company, to implement an AI-powered chat feature on VisitCOS.com.
Since launching a few months ago, GuideGeek has already helped 5,000 users and responded to nearly 10,000 user messages.
The AI, affectionately named “Penny the Pika,” scans the Visit COS website as well as GuideGeek’s 1,000-plus sources of travel data and provides real-time answers to users’ questions. Messages can be sent in 50 languages and often include itinerary prompts, trip-planning support, packing suggestions and info about new businesses and attractions in the region.
“Penny has already been so helpful for our visitor services staff, helping field and respond to key visitor inquiries,” says Melissa Williams, director of marketing. “We have access to the backend of the technology where we can dive into insights like what questions people are asking the most and where there may be content gaps on our website that we need to address.”
The Visit COS team worked alongside GuideGeek staff to train the AI to align with brand voice, existing content and preferred messaging. One major focus area in the training was sustainability. The team made sure Penny is equipped with plenty of information about the Leave No Trace principles and how visitors can be good stewards of parks and trails.
“One key objective when we were developing Penny was for the AI to recommend lesser-known and lesser-trafficked hikes and outdoor activities,” says Ross Borden, CEO of Matador Network, the parent company of GuideGeek. “The Visit COS team wanted to ensure that the AI provided a broad range of options on outdoors prompts, including alternatives to sites that can become crowded at certain times of year.”
GuideGeek is transparent with their commitment to sustainability with AI technology. The prioritization of existing content on VisitCOS.com eliminates the need to program and train a full large language model, reducing associated energy usage and carbon emissions tremendously. Visit COS remains committed to monitoring the efficiency and impact of our technology implementations in regard to sustainability.
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About Visit Colorado Springs
Visit Colorado Springs is the leading marketing organization for group and leisure travel and tourism to the Colorado Springs – Olympic City USA and the Pikes Peak Region. The organization is dedicated to a strong national and international presence so that tourism is a primary contributor to a thriving local economy. We create economic vitality through memorable visits to the wonders of Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region.
About Matador Network
Matador Network is the world's No. 1 media brand for modern adventurers and the creator of GuideGeek, the award-winning AI travel genius. With more than 15 million followers across social media, Matador became a leading travel brand through its production of feature articles, city guides, creator-first content and original streaming shows. Matador's videos generate over 140M monthly views and its content distribution deals with major airlines, airports, gas stations and ride sharing companies reach travelers throughout their journey. The GuideGeek AI platform has over 1M consumer users and powers custom conversational AI for dozens of travel brands and destinations. matadornetwork.com | guidegeek.com
