An unusual situation occurred with tourists in Tasmania when a blog created using artificial intelligence misled them by recommending non-existent "peaceful" hot springs in the northern part of the region.
Screenshots of the blog from Tasmania Tours, which were made available to CNN, contain information about the "Weldborough hot springs," described as the perfect place for a "quiet retreat" in the picturesque forests of northeastern Tasmania. This location was characterized as a "favorite" among tourists.
Weldborough is a small settlement located about 110 kilometers from Launceston.
Scott Hennessy, the owner of Australian Tours and Cruises, which operates Tasmania Tours, told Australian ABC in an interview that "our artificial intelligence has let us down."
He explained that the marketing materials were outsourced to a third-party company, and although he usually checks every post, this blog was published while he was abroad.
“We strive to compete with the big players,” Hennessy noted. “This requires constant updating and diversity of content.”
“We are not fraudsters,” he added. “We are a couple trying to act honestly… We work with good intentions and we have real employees.”
On Tuesday, representatives of Australian Tours and Cruises told CNN that “the negativity online and damage to our reputation has become completely unbearable.”
“We just want to move on and leave all this behind,” they added.
Tourists "arrive in droves."
Kristy Probert, the owner of Weldborough Hotel, told CNN about her astonishment when tourists began contacting her in September with questions about the hot springs.
“At first, there were just a few calls,” Probert recounted, “but soon people started arriving in droves. I was getting about five calls a day, and at least two or three people came to the hotel looking for these springs. We are in quite a remote location, and it was completely unexpected.”
Every time tourists asked, she replied, “If you find these hot springs, I’ll buy you a beer.”
Probert noted that the Weld River is just “icy,” and usually only gold prospectors searching for sapphires and tin are there. “They wear wetsuits,” she added. “There’s a sauna in the nearby town. I think after that, you could take a dip in the cold river.”
Beware of AI "hallucinations."
Ann Hardy, an adjunct professor of tourism at Southern Cross University in Australia, noted in an interview with CNN that artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly common in tourism, with about 37% of travelers using it for advice or trip planning.
“Tourists trust AI more than reviews on websites,” she emphasized, adding that tour operators use AI not only for blogs but also for itinerary creation and price calculations.
“Artificial intelligence can be very helpful,” Hardy remarked. “It saves time and, ultimately, money.”
However, she warned that this can lead to mistakes or "hallucinations," as in the case of the non-existent hot springs in Weldborough.
According to Hardy, research in tourism shows that “90% of itineraries created by AI contain errors.”
She added that this can have “extremely serious consequences,” especially in remote areas of Tasmania where services and cellular connectivity are lacking.
“I have witnessed many cases where AI suggested day trip itineraries that turned out to be quite inaccurate, including length, difficulty level, and weather conditions,” she told CNN.
Hardy advises travelers not to rely solely on AI but to conduct their own research.
“Use trusted guides, travel agencies, and review sites,” she said. “It’s also worth consulting concierges and hosts to assess the accuracy of AI-generated itineraries if you decide to use them.”
Probert expressed sympathy for the owners of Tasmania Tours, with whom she said she had communicated by phone.
“In small business, it’s difficult to constantly update and maintain accurate information,” she acknowledged. “They seem like good people, and we all can make mistakes. It was quite a funny error.”
“There are things to do in Weldborough,” she assured tourists. “But there are no hot springs here.”
