Planning a vacation may be stressful — that is where travel agents are available.
But now, travelers have another choice: chatbots like ChatGPT, Bard AI and Microsoft Bing. Simply input a prompt and watch the travel recommendations pour in. One of the best parts? It’s instantaneous and, for essentially the most part, free.
But which is best in terms of planning vacations?
Intrepid Travel, a small group travel agency, accepted CNBC Travel’s request to seek out out.
CNBC asked each side to plan a two-day trip for 4 friends, all of their mid-20s, to Melbourne, Australia.
Here’s how they fared.
Where to remain in Melbourne
The ask: Recommend three places to remain in Melbourne which have a pool and gym, are near Swanston Street, and which might be priced lower than $500 an evening.
Right off the bat, there was a relatively glaring error with ChatGPT: All three recommendations were now not in service. If that wasn’t enough, among the places lacked each a pool and a gym, and one was over the budget.
Intrepid Travel, however, provided options that got here with either a pool or a gym, or each. The corporate also recognized that those amenities weren’t necessities but additional advantages.
The winner: Intrepid Travel
Where to eat
The ask: Provide dining options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and post-dinner drinks for 2 days.
Again, ChatGPT struggled. The suggested restaurant on the primary day, a spot called Fatto Bar & Cantina, had been closed for years.
Other than that, a fast Google search of the opposite places showed that they were (thankfully) still in operation. Those were, to me, on the safer end, with suggested spots appearing on several “must-visit” restaurant lists for Melbourne.
Conversely, I felt that Intrepid Travel suggested places that were more area of interest and representative of Melbourne’s unique culture.
It’s price noting that each Intrepid Travel and ChatGPT proposed breakfast at Hardware Société, a preferred brunch spot with locations in Paris and Barcelona too.
The winner: Intrepid Travel
What to do
The ask: Provide a two-day itinerary around Melbourne with a deal with art and cultural activities.
Each Intrepid Travel and ChatGPT got here back with reasonable options around town. Multiples places were on each lists — Queen Victoria Market, Hosier Lane and National Gallery of Victoria — which point to the recognition of those spots.
My favorite advice? Incube8r, a store with handmade gifts and art, as really helpful by Intrepid Travel.
The winner: Intrepid Travel (again)
Finding a ‘hidden gem’
The ask: Recommend one place that is just not well-known by travelers
Intrepid Travel’s hidden gem advice: Le Bar Europeen. It has been touted as Australia’s smallest bar and barely matches 4 people.
Reds | Room | Getty Images
Intrepid Travel really helpful hidden speakeasy Le Bar Europeen for a nightcap, and the Yalinguth App walking tour as a daytime activity. I discovered each recommendations exciting and felt that they were lesser-known ways to explore town.
Between the 2, I particularly enjoyed the Yalinguth App walking tour, which is an audio tour along Gertrude Street in Melbourne’s Fitzroy district. The app uses geolocated stories and sounds from Australia’s aboriginal community so listeners can understand a slice of Australia’s past as they make their way around one in every of Melbourne’s cultural hubs.
Alternatively, ChatGPT interpreted the request as asking for a full day’s itinerary, recommending visits to Hardware Société, Rippon Lea House and Gardens, Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne Museum, Chin Chin and Eau De Vie.
I do not consider any of those “hidden gems” in Melbourne, as all are all relatively popular locations for tourists to go to.
The winner: Intrepid Travel
Conclusion
Ultimately, among the teething problems I had with ChatGPT boiled all the way down to the chatbot not being up-to-date — it currently only “knows” data as much as 2021.
In odd circumstances, a two-year time lag doesn’t seem to be much. In any case, restaurants and hotels open and shut on a regular basis! That said, the initial two years of the Covid-19 pandemic caused many closures within the hospitality sector, making recommendations given prior to it unreliable at times.
I also found browsing Intrepid’s itinerary more enjoyable as each advice got here with a brief write-up. The corporate also suggested specific activities and dishes to try at each location.
Alternatively, ChatGPT was rather more succinct in its recommendations. Though impersonal and utilitarian, it got the job done. Nonetheless, I discovered myself less enthusiastic about my trip than after I read Intrepid Travel’s suggestions.
Overall, I won’t discount the recommendations put forth by ChatGPT. It’s a fast and simple approach to suss out the classic top spots to go to in your holiday. But in the event you desire a more personalized itinerary that focuses more on local spots, sticking with travel firms is the approach to go.
