Would You Allow AI to Organize Your Upcoming Vacation?
When Jason Brown organized his summer vacation to Amsterdam and Ireland this year, he opted for a modern approach. Rather than consulting travel books or scrolling through Instagram, he turned to ChatGPT, OpenAI’s generative artificial intelligence tool, for assistance.
He posed various questions to the AI to help him create an itinerary for his 10-day trip, which included stops in Dublin and Galway. Accompanying him were his wife, their two sons aged 20 and 16, and a friend of one of his sons.
In the past, Brown typically relied on websites like TripAdvisor for travel advice. However, he realized that with AI, he had a wealth of knowledge at his fingertips, receiving answers in mere seconds. He described the experience as “fantastic.”
The AI provided him with a golf itinerary for Dublin and a four-day plan for other parts of Ireland, breaking down activities into morning, afternoon, and evening segments. For instance, it suggested arriving in the morning, spending the afternoon at Trinity College and Grafton Street, and enjoying Temple Bar in the evening.
For Amsterdam, the AI highlighted key attractions such as the Anne Frank Museum, the Van Gogh Museum, and the Jordaan neighborhood. As his trip plans evolved, so did his inquiries to ChatGPT, allowing for adjustments and new ideas.
While Brown implemented many of the AI’s recommendations, he also valued personal insights from an online community of fellow alumni and received local tips from a friend they visited in Amsterdam. This blend of AI-generated and personal suggestions enriched their travel experience.
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He noted that this combination enabled them to discover unique attractions that might not have been covered by ChatGPT. Ultimately, he found the AI-generated itinerary to provide a solid framework for their trip, offering everything they needed to explore.
The integration of AI into travel planning is becoming increasingly prevalent. Alongside ChatGPT, other generative AI tools like Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Copilot, and specialized travel platforms such as Trip Planner and Ask Layla are also gaining traction. It seems that AI is becoming a standard part of the travel planning process for many, with reports indicating that one in ten Britons have utilized AI for organizing their trips.
Sardar Bali is the co-founder of the Berlin-based AI travel planner and guide Just Ask Layla. He emphasizes the importance of accuracy in their service. The company has internal tools that go through a two-step verification process, one automated and one manual, to ensure the quality of their content. However, Bali acknowledges that some inaccuracies may still slip through, such as an incorrect mention of an Eiffel Tower in Beijing, but he says the service is continuously improving.
Meanwhile, travel giant Expedia has launched an AI service called Romie as part of its iPhone app, aimed at helping US customers with complex trip planning. Shiyi Pickrell, senior vice president of data and AI at Expedia Group, explains that Romie can assist in narrowing down destination choices and comparing different locations based on factors like beach themes or family-friendliness.
AI has the potential to assist in trip planning, but it doesn’t always yield the desired results. Rebecca Crowe, a 29-year-old freelance writer from Liverpool, often turns to AI for travel ideas. However, she approaches it with caution due to some frustrating experiences, notably a trip to Lecco, a picturesque town near Lake Como in Italy.
Crowe recalls that the AI-generated itinerary was less than satisfactory. “It provided a list of popular activities similar to what you’d find in a standard Google search, but the suggested plans lacked logical coherence,” she explains. For instance, the itinerary had her traveling from Milan in the morning to Bellagio in the afternoon, which was impractical given the train and ferry schedules. Following this plan would have resulted in spending more time on transportation than enjoying the destinations.
In addition to travel itineraries, Crowe has sought AI’s help in finding gluten-free restaurants while traveling with a friend who has coeliac disease. Unfortunately, the results were often outdated or incorrect. “I had to manually verify each suggestion to see if the restaurants were still open,” she shares, highlighting the extra effort required to ensure accuracy.
Crowe notes that AI struggles particularly with seasonal information, such as ferry schedules during off-peak months and museums with varying opening times. “When I’m looking for specific seasonal details, AI just doesn’t seem to provide the up-to-date and accurate information I need,” she states, emphasizing the limitations of relying solely on AI.
Given these challenges, Crowe recommends using AI as a preliminary tool for broad inspiration rather than a definitive source for travel planning. “There are numerous blogs and websites that offer comprehensive guides and itineraries, which are far more reliable and current,” she advises.
In conclusion, while AI can be a useful starting point for generating ideas, the extensive fact-checking it requires can diminish its time-saving benefits. Crowe suggests that travelers would be better off seeking information from more established sources to ensure a smoother and more enjoyable travel experience.
