Artificial Intelligence has truly shaken up the travel world in recent years.
On numerous occasions, industry specialists have noted how more and more people will be using ChatGPT to plan their holidays in 2026.
But AI doesn’t always get it right, by any stretch of the imagination – and some tourists in Tasmania found this out the hard way,
Australian travel operator Tasmanian Tours has come under fire after an AI-generated article sent tourists to a remote location in Tasmania looking for fictional hot springs.
On its website, the company uploaded a now-deleted article encouraging travellers to visit the Weldborough Hot Springs, which was described as one of ‘7 Best Hot Springs Tasmania Experiences for 2026’.
Along with an AI-generated image of the so-called hot springs, a description read: ‘This makes it a popular destination for those looking to immerse themselves in Tasmania’s raw beauty.
‘Its reputation as a tranquil haven has made it a favourite among local hiking groups, wellness retreat organisers, and anyone wanting to experience one of the more untouched hot springs Tasmania has to offer.’
However, hot springs have never existed in Weldborough, and anyone taking a dip in the not-so-warm Weld River would more likely be left freezing than refreshed.
Tasmania Tours uploaded a now-deleted article encouraging travellers to visit the Weldborough Hot Springs (pictured, the AI-generated image) – which doesn’t exist
A steady stream of tourists arrived in the remote village of Weldborough looking for fictional hot springs, after a travel operator posted an article encouraging people to visit the site
Since the article was posted in July last year, a steady stream of duped travellers have arrived at the former tin mining village – only to find nothing there.
Local business owner, Kristy Probert, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC): ‘I actually had a group of 24 drivers turn up there two days ago that were on a trip from the mainland, and they’d actually taken a detour to come to the hot springs.
‘I said, “If you find the hot springs, come back and let me know and I’ll shout you beers all night”. They didn’t come back.’
The locale is nestled in the northeast region of Tasmania, Australia, about 44km northwest of game-fishing hub, St Helens.
It is thought tourists would not have not questioned the landmark’s existence as it was listed alongside real locations in the ‘best experiences’ article, such as Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs in southern Tasmania.
However, Euro News has since pointed out that Tasmania Tours appear to have published several articles and blog posts that may have been written by AI, accompanied by AI-generated images.
It’s hardly a surprise, given larger-scale travel platforms and companies, such as Google and Expedia, have embraced the power of AI for trip-planning in recent years.
But for smaller operations like Tasmania Tours, this means they’ve had to adopt the same tools to keep up.
Hot springs cannot be found Weldborough, and anyone taking a dip in the Weld River (pictured) would more likely be left freezing than refreshed
Weldborough is located in Tasmania, Australia, about 44km northwest of game-fishing hub, St Helens
The company’s owner, Scott Hennessy, explained that Tasmania Tours had used a third party to generate the article, using AI.
He added that the company normally reviews all posts before publication, but that some were made public ‘by mistake’ while he was out of the country.
He told Euro News: ‘We’re trying to compete with the big boys, and part of that is you’ve got to keep your content refreshed and new all of the time…
‘Our AI has messed up completely.’