AI on Australian travel company website sends tourists to nonexistent hot springs

The Australian island of Tasmania is known for its scenic landscapes, like the Marions Lookout trail in Cradle Mountain National Park. (Blue Planet Studio/iStockphoto/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

An AI-generated blog on a tour company’s website has landed tourists in hot water — and not the kind they were looking for — after it emerged the “tranquil” northern Tasmania hot springs it recommended don’t actually exist.

Screenshots shared with CNN of the now-deleted blog on Tasmania Tours’ website show recommendations for “Weldborough Hot Springs,” said to offer “a peaceful escape” in the forests of northeast Tasmania. Described as a “tranquil haven,” the site was touted as a “favourite” among hikers.

Weldborough is a small rural town about 110 kilometers (68 miles) from the city of Launceston.

Scott Hennessey, the owner of the New South Wales-based Australian Tours and Cruises, which operates Tasmania Tours, told the Australian Broadcasting Network (ABC) earlier this month that “our AI has messed up completely.”

The company had outsourced its marketing material to a third party, he said, and, while he normally reviews each post, the blog was published while he was out of the country.

“We’re trying to compete with the big boys,” Hennessy told ABC. “Part of that is you’ve got to keep your content refreshed and new all of the time.”

“We’re not a scam,” he continued. “We’re a married couple trying to do the right thing by people … We are legit, we are real people, we employ sales staff.”

Australian Tours and Cruises told CNN Tuesday that “the online hate and damage to our business reputation has been absolutely soul-destroying.”

“We are just trying to get on with our lives and put the whole thing behind us,” the company continued.

Tourists ‘turning up in droves’

Kristy Probert, owner of the local Weldborough Hotel, told CNN she was confused when tourists started asking her questions about the hot springs in September.

“It was only a couple of calls to start with,” Probert said, “but then people began turning up in droves. I was receiving probably five phone calls a day, and at least two to three people arriving at the hotel looking for them. We’re in a very remote location so it was very random.”

Probert said she would respond each time: “If you can find these hot springs, beers are on me.”

The local Weld River is “freezing,” said Probert, and typically only occupied by prospectors searching for sapphire and tin. “They wear wetsuits,” she added. “There’s a sauna in a nearby town. I guess you could jump into the freezing river after you’ve been over there.”

Beware of AI ‘hallucinations’

Anne Hardy, adjunct professor in tourism at Southern Cross University, Australia, told CNN that AI had become “ubiquitous in travel and tourism,” adding that about 37% of tourists use AI for travel advice or itineraries.

“Tourists trust AI more than review sites,” she said, adding that tour operators employ AI not only for blogs and marketing materials, but for itineraries and costing.

“AI can be extremely helpful,” Hardy said. “It saves time and ultimately money.”

However, she warned that it can also create inaccuracies or “hallucinations,” like the Weldborough “hot springs.”

According to Hardy, empirical tourism research suggests “90% of itineraries that AI generates have mistakes in them.”

She said this could have “extremely dangerous implications,” pointing to Tasmania’s remote walks with no services or cell coverage as an example.

“I have witnessed many cases where AI has made suggestions for day walks, which are very inaccurate, ranging from the length of the walk, its difficulty level, or weather conditions,” she told CNN.

Hardy recommends travelers go beyond AI and do their own research.

“Use trusted guidebooks, travel agents and review websites,” she said. “Plus ask concierges and your hosts to assess whether AI itineraries are accurate, if you do choose to use them.”

Probert added that she feels sorry for the owners of Tasmania Tours, who she says she’s spoken with over the phone.

“It is hard to keep everything up to date and relevant as a small business,” she said. “They seem like lovely people, and we’ve all made mistakes. I think this was quite a funny one.”

“There is plenty to do in Weldborough,” she assured visitors. “Just no hot springs.”

By Georgiana Ralphs