The Promise: Your Personal Travel Agent
The appeal of using AI for travel planning is undeniable. Tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and dedicated travel bots can analyse vast amounts of information almost instantly. Instead of juggling dozens of browser tabs to compare destinations, find hotels,
and build a schedule, you can simply ask. A prompt like, “Plan a 5-day family trip to Mumbai focused on history, street food, and parks,” can produce a detailed, day-by-day itinerary in moments, complete with activity suggestions and transit options. This efficiency is the main reason a growing number of travellers are turning to AI as their starting point, using it as a powerful research assistant to explore possibilities and organise their thoughts.
The Pitfall: Confident-Sounding 'Hallucinations'
The biggest risk with AI-powered planning is what experts call “hallucinations”— a phenomenon where the AI generates false or inaccurate information but presents it with complete confidence. In the travel world, this can manifest in costly and frustrating ways. Reports have surfaced of AI recommending hotels that don't exist, inventing ferry routes, misstating museum opening hours, or suggesting hiking trails that lead to dangerous or inaccessible areas. One analysis found that nine out of ten AI-generated itineraries contained at least one major factual error. Because the AI is designed to provide a fluent answer, it may stitch together details from multiple sources, creating a fantasy destination that sounds plausible but doesn't exist in reality.
Your New Rule: Verify Everything
The most crucial step in using AI for travel is to treat its output as a first draft, not a finished product. Before you book a flight or commit to a hotel, you must become your own fact-checker. Cross-reference every important detail with official sources. Check the hotel's official website, verify opening times for museums and attractions, use Google Maps to confirm transit times and distances, and read recent reviews from human travellers. This verification step is especially critical for logistics like visa requirements or local laws, where errors can have serious consequences. Think of the AI as a helpful brainstormer, but you are the final editor of your trip.
How to Prompt AI for Better Results
The quality of an AI's recommendations depends heavily on the quality of your prompts. Vague requests lead to generic results. To get more useful suggestions, be as specific as possible. Instead of asking for “a trip to Italy,” try a detailed prompt: “Create a 10-day itinerary for a first-time visitor to Italy in May who loves art history and cooking classes, with a mid-range budget. Prioritise travel by train between Rome, Florence, and Venice, and include one 'off-the-beaten-path' experience in each city.” You should also provide context like your travel dates to account for seasonal closures, and specify your group's needs, such as mobility issues or family-friendly activities.
Beyond Itineraries: Other Smart Uses
While itinerary building gets most of the attention, AI can be a handy assistant for other low-stakes travel tasks. You can use it to generate a packing checklist based on your destination's weather and planned activities. It's also useful for getting language assistance, asking about local customs and tipping etiquette, or getting ideas for souvenirs. Some travellers even use it to summarise complicated cancellation policies or credit card travel benefits, saving time reading through fine print. Using AI for these smaller tasks can streamline your prep work without risking the core logistics of your trip.
