Travelers can now plan vacations with AI — experts warn of costly mistakes

Using AI to assist you with vacation planning

Travelers are using vacation itineraries generated by artificial intelligence chatbots. Ariel Plasencia reports.

TAMPA - Travelers are using vacation itineraries generated by artificial intelligence chatbots.

What they're saying:

"Nobody is patient anymore, so ChatGPT is giving us whatever we want in just seconds — nanoseconds!" Seden Dogan, who teaches in the School of Hospitality and Sport Management in the USF Muma College of Business, said.

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Dogan has asked ChatGPT, which is one example of a virtual assistant that — uses artificial intelligence, to generate itineraries for trips to Savannah, GA. and St. Augustine, Fla.

"It was like a roadmap for me," Dogan said of the AI-generated travel schedule. 

How It Works:

Travelers can ask AI chatbots to generate restaurant recommendations, cheap flight options or unique vacation activities.

Additionally, users can prompt the chatbot to give tailored answers based on their individual preferences.

"If I like these five things, what are five great places I should consider traveling to? Or if my minimum requirements in a hotel are these components, which hotels fit that?" Gwen Kozlowski, president of Exeter International, said of AI. "It is a great list maker."

Big picture view:

Bay area travel experts have seen these AI-generated vacation plans from their clients. And while these itineraries can be a great starting point, experts encourage travelers to double-check the information.

"ChatGPT had them going to a ball on New Year’s that's actually in February. It had them doing things on New Year’s Day that are closed," Kozlowski said of a recent AI-generated itinerary a client showed her.

What you can do:

Travelers should be as specific as possible when prompting AI for travel itineraries. They should also double-check the information any chatbot spits out. 

"AI doesn't have that kind of nuance to say, you know what, you have to wait 15 minutes before you get in that museum. And then once you're in there, even if you think you go through fast, you don't," Kozlowski said. "So again, it's a good launching point, but I don't think it's the ending point yet."