TikTok & AI: Gen Z travel hacks to plan your trip

DW (English)

AI and TikTok: Planning a vacation has never been easier. But are algorithms really the better travel guide?

Transcript

00:00Are you planning a vacation?

00:02With AI, Instagram and TikTok, it has never been easier to discover new places.

00:07And now, Google is joining in with AI for Maps.

00:11But are these algorithms really the better travel guides?

00:15Google recently announced updates to Maps,

00:18allowing you to ask for place and activity ideas just like with a chatbot.

00:23For example, if a friend visits, you can ask Maps about nearby nighttime hangouts.

00:28And this is just one way you can use AI for trip planning.

00:34According to an American survey,

00:36one in five young people are already using AI for their travel plans.

00:41Apps designed to plan trips or general chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini

00:46could be your personal travel guide.

00:48And here are three ways they can help.

00:51First, finding the perfect destination.

00:54Chatbots process mountains of info that could take you hours to dig through.

00:59So if you're after something specific, like a warm beach with snorkeling spots,

01:04they can help fast.

01:05Just enter detailed prompts that include things like temperature,

01:09length of the trip or planned activities.

01:11Second, creating your itinerary.

01:14AI can help you create a travel route tailored to your location and length of stay.

01:19For city visits, try Google Maps Immersive View.

01:22It uses AI and computer vision to create 3D models of how a given place

01:28might look at a specific time up to four days in the future.

01:31But this feature isn't supported in every city yet.

01:35Third, booking flights and hotels.

01:37Many travel sites now have chatbots to simplify the booking process.

01:42Google's Gemini chatbot also offers a solution.

01:45By being integrated with Google Flights and Hotels,

01:48it can compare times and prices for you.

01:51Pretty convenient, but there's something even more useful for Gen Z

01:55when it comes to planning a trip.

01:57Using Insta and TikTok as travel guides.

02:01TikTok and Instagram make it easy to find hidden gems,

02:05like cool restaurants and scenic views.

02:08Aside from travel ads, the platforms can actually give you a real glimpse into places.

02:13Here's how to do it.

02:14Use the geolocation to see posts from where you want to go.

02:18You can also search for hashtags of the country or city you want to visit

02:22to get some inspiration for cool spots.

02:25If you're not sure where to go yet, try general hashtags like

02:29hashtag travel or hashtag travel photography.

02:32They might give you an idea.

02:34Alright, your trip is booked, your route is planned.

02:36So what could go wrong?

02:39Well, this kind of travel planning has its downsides.

02:43What you see online might not be what you'll get.

02:46Images shared by influencers are designed to have a glossy appeal.

02:50Reality might be somewhat disappointing.

02:53And you definitely need to prepare for crowds.

02:56AI will spit out the most searched places, as will social media algorithms.

03:00If more users follow these suggestions and replicate the posts,

03:04overtourism might only get worse.

03:06That means a popular place will become overcrowded by tourists

03:10and that often results in conflicts with locals.

03:13Take Barcelona for instance.

03:15Locals protested against overwhelming tourist crowds last summer.

03:19And there's more to keep in mind.

03:21Double-check info from chatbots.

03:23They might get things wrong or be outdated.

03:25Also look for recent reviews of the places you want to go.

03:28The quality might have changed over the years.

03:31Even though it is easy, this kind of travel planning might not be for everyone.

03:35If you like your information the old-school way,

03:38you might still prefer a paperback travel guide.

03:41Just make sure it's not written by AI.

03:43So how do you plan your trips?

03:45Let us know in the comments.

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