January 29, 2026
Hot springs? Try not springs
AI on Australian travel company website sent tourists to nonexistent hot springs
Tourists chase phantom Tasmanian hot springs as commenters cry fraud and memes flow
TLDR: An AI-written travel post sent people hunting for fake Tasmanian hot springs, swamping a remote pub with confused visitors. Commenters split between calling the ad “fraud” and mocking “AI laziness,” while others sympathize with the small operator and urge travelers to double-check with real humans.
Hot springs? Try cold river. An AI-generated blog on Tasmania Tours hyped “Weldborough Hot Springs” — that don’t exist — and travelers showed up anyway. The local pub owner says she went from a couple of calls to “people turning up in droves,” quipping, “If you can find these hot springs, beers are on me.” Meanwhile, the Weld River is freezing, and locals wear wetsuits.
Online, the comments went volcanic. One camp blasts the company, calling it “fraud” and the latest version of the “I followed my satnav into a river” saga. Another camp dunks on what they see as content-churn laziness: you can “put in practically zero effort,” blame the bot when it flops, and move on; others ask why not just Google the town before posting. The jokers piled in too — cue Australia’s mythical “drop bears” and a chorus of “seems about right.” A few noted the silver lining: Weldborough got unexpected foot traffic and free publicity.
The owners say “our AI messed up,” they’re a small married team “trying to compete with the big boys,” and the backlash has been “soul-destroying” (CNN). An academic adds that 37% of tourists use AI and a whopping 90% of AI itineraries have errors — risky in remote Tasmania. The community’s final vibe? Do your own homework, then pack a towel — just not for these hot springs.
Key Points
- •An AI-generated blog on Tasmania Tours’ website falsely promoted nonexistent “Weldborough Hot Springs.”
- •Tourists began calling and arriving in Weldborough seeking the hot springs, which do not exist.
- •Owner Scott Hennessey said the company outsourced marketing and the post went live while he was abroad, calling it an AI error.
- •Tourism expert Anne Hardy stated that 37% of tourists use AI and that about 90% of AI-generated itineraries contain mistakes, posing safety risks.
- •Australian Tours and Cruises reported significant online backlash and reputational damage following the incident.