ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini have evolved to become essential parts of trip planning for many travellers but it seems these AI tools are not always getting the facts right.
Recent surveys indicate that around a third of international travellers now rely on generative artificial intelligence platforms, including dedicated travel assistants such as Wonderplan and Layla, to organise their journeys.
However, according to a BBC article, despite their growing popularity, these tools do not always perform as reliably as users might expect.
A survey conducted in 2024 reported that more than a third of respondents who used artificial intelligence for travel planning felt that the systems failed to provide sufficient detail, while roughly a third said that the recommendations they received contained incorrect information. This inconsistency can lead to inconvenience and, on occasion, genuinely risky situations.
Some travellers discover this problem only upon reaching their destination. They may arrive expecting a scenic walk, a cultural highlight or a convenient route, only to realise that the information they trusted was inaccurate or even invented by the system.
Dana Yao and her husband experienced this during a visit to the Japanese island of Itsukushima. They used ChatGPT to plan a romantic walk up Mount Misen. After an enjoyable afternoon in Miyajima, they began their climb at three o clock, hoping to reach the summit in time for sunset, exactly as advised. However, difficulties arose when they were ready to descend.
ChatGPT stated that the last ropeway down operated until half past five, but the station had already closed. The couple found themselves stranded at the top of the mountain.
A similar situation occurred in Peru, where Miguel Angel Gongora Meza, founder of Evolution Treks Peru, encountered two tourists planning an unsupported hike to what they believed was the Sacred Canyon of Humantay.
The detailed description they showed him came from an artificial intelligence system, yet the location did not exist. They had spent a considerable sum to reach a remote road near Mollepata without a guide and without a real destination.
Another story is of a couple making a trek to a scenic cable car in Malaysia that they had seen on TikTok, only to find that no such structure existed. The video they'd watched had been entirely AI generated, either to drum up engagement or for some other strange purpose.
So the morale of the story is don’t rely on AI to make your travel plans, seek a number sources and use your commonsense!