Main points
- An Australian travel company has found itself in a scandal over an AI-generated blog that recommended the non-existent Weldborough Hot Springs.
- The company owner admitted the mistake and explained that the AI created the material while he was abroad, and the situation was the result of an unfortunate mistake.
Tourists were sent to non-existent hot springs via AI / Unsplash / NEOM
An Australian travel company has found itself at the center of a scandal after an AI-generated blog recommended nonexistent hot springs in Tasmania, sending tourists flocking to a place where they never existed.
An AI-powered blog post on Tasmania Tours recommended visiting Weldborough Hot Springs in northern Tasmania. The post described the location as a peaceful spot in the forest and a popular spot for hikers and hikers. It later turned out that the hot springs don't exist, Hacker News reports.
How did fictional hot springs mislead tourists?
Weldborough is a small rural settlement located about 110 km from the city of Launceston. After the publication of the material, travelers began to come to the region in search of the fictional location.
Scott Hennessy, the owner of Australian Tours and Cruises, which operates Tasmania Tours, admitted the mistake, saying the AI was completely wrong. He said the marketing materials were created by a third-party company and the blog itself was published while he was overseas.
Hennessy explained that small businesses are forced to constantly update their content to compete with large players in the market. He emphasized that the company was not trying to mislead anyone, and the situation was the result of an unfortunate mistake.
In a comment to CNN, Australian Tours and Cruises said that the wave of criticism and reputational damage has been extremely painful for the company, and the owners want to put this story behind them as soon as possible.
According to Nebraska News Channel , the consequences of the mistake were felt by local residents. The owner of the Weldborough Hotel, Christy Probert, said that at first she received a few calls, but then tourists began to arrive en masse, looking for hot springs. According to her, she received several calls every day and visitors showed up asking for directions.
The local Veld River, Probert notes, is icy cold and usually attracts only wetsuit-clad prospectors. The only alternative is a sauna in a nearby town, after which you can plunge into the cold water.
Tourism experts warn that such cases are examples of AI hallucinations. According to Southern Cross University tourism professor Anne Hardy, about 37% of tourists use AI to plan their trips, but up to 90% of the generated itineraries contain errors.
She stresses that inaccuracies can be dangerous, especially in remote areas of Tasmania without mobile connectivity and services, and advises checking AI advice with guides, agents and trusted sources.