Imagine sending clients on a trip to a destination that doesn’t exist. It sounds impossible, yet last month, tourists were misled to Weldborough, a small village in Tasmania, by an AI-generated travel article claiming the town had world-class hot springs. The catch? Weldborough has no hot springs, and visitors arriving in the remote area were left confused, frustrated, and inconvenienced.
The incident highlights a growing risk for the travel industry. AI tools are increasingly being used to generate travel content, from destination guides to recommendations for hotels, tours, and attractions. While AI can produce content quickly and at scale, it does not inherently verify facts. Travel agents relying solely on AI outputs without cross-checking risk sending clients into experiences that are inaccurate, impractical, or even unsafe.
Local businesses in Tasmania reported that visitors continued arriving, expecting hot springs. Some took lengthy detours, wasting time and money. While the AI-generated content included convincing images and descriptions, it was entirely fabricated. This is not an isolated case; other AI tools have been found to invent attractions, misstate services, and produce misleading travel itineraries.
For travel agents, the lesson is clear: AI should be treated as a tool, not an authority. It can speed up itinerary planning, generate inspiration, and assist with research, but human oversight remains essential. Agents must verify all details, confirm attractions and services exist, and ensure travel logistics are realistic.
Clients trust agents to provide accurate, reliable advice. A single AI error can damage that trust, lead to unhappy travellers, and tarnish an agency’s reputation. Verification is especially critical for remote or lesser-known destinations, where AI may fill gaps with invented information.
The Tasmanian Weldborough example is a warning shot. AI is transforming travel, but technology cannot replace expertise, attention to detail, and the human judgment that clients rely on. For agents, embracing AI safely means combining efficiency with careful verification. Otherwise, the risk is clear: sending travellers somewhere that exists only in code, not reality.
Travel agents are no longer just bookers—they are guardians of trust in a growing AI-driven landscape. The Weldborough hot springs may never have existed, but the lesson for the industry is real.
Source: euronews.com
