Travel Nightmare: AI Sends Tourists to Dangerous Zones

Futuristic AI brain hologram above a laptop computer.

Using AI to plan your holiday travel? That could be a big mistake. Here’s why.

Story Snapshot

AI travel tools can generate itineraries with wrong times, closed attractions, and unsafe routes.
Experts warn that AI often “hallucinates” details and can’t replace human verification.
Privacy risks increase when travelers share personal data like passport numbers with AI tools.
Travelers should treat AI as a “smart first draft,” not the final word, and always double-check key details.

AI Looks Smart, But It Can’t Be Trusted

Generative AI tools are now widely used to plan trips, from full itineraries to flight and hotel suggestions. These tools can save time and offer creative ideas, but they rely on static training data and often lack real-time access to current schedules, local rules, or live conditions. That means an AI can confidently recommend a restaurant that closed last year, a museum that’s shut for renovation, or a hiking trail that’s dangerous or inaccessible. In one widely cited example, AI-generated itineraries for Peru sent travelers to remote high-altitude areas with no oxygen, limited phone signal, and no safe escape route, creating serious health and safety risks. Because AI “hallucinates” plausible-sounding but false information, travelers who treat it as authoritative can end up stranded, injured, or out thousands of dollars on nonrefundable bookings.

Using AI to plan your holiday travel? That could be a big mistake. Here's why: AI might pull information from the previous availability and hours, but many places have different availability or hours during the holidays https://t.co/mcHjHOKCUe pic.twitter.com/5o6aNNywRC

— Quartz (@qz) December 6, 2025

Another major issue is that AI often misstates visa requirements, transit connections, and insurance coverage. A 2025 report found that many travelers using AI for travel insurance research didn’t understand coverage gaps or policy exclusions, leaving them exposed if something went wrong. AI tools also can’t reliably judge local safety conditions, political unrest, or weather risks, which are critical for family vacations and holiday travel. Relying solely on AI for these decisions removes the human judgment that’s essential when planning trips, especially for older travelers or families with children who can’t afford last-minute surprises or dangerous situations.

Privacy and Data Risks Are Real

When travelers paste personal information into AI tools—like passport numbers, home addresses, booking codes, or credit card details—they expose themselves to serious privacy and cybersecurity risks. Many AI platforms store and process this data in ways that aren’t fully transparent, and some may use it for profiling, advertising, or even training future models. A 2025 cybersecurity analysis noted that many organizations lack robust plans to address AI-related threats, and travel platforms handling sensitive passenger data are no exception. Once personal data is shared with an AI system, it can be difficult or impossible to fully delete, and breaches can lead to identity theft, fraud, or targeted scams. Travelers who value their privacy and security should avoid entering any sensitive personal information into public AI chatbots or planning tools.

How to Use AI Safely for Travel Planning

Experts agree that AI can be a useful starting point for trip planning, but it must be treated as a “smart first draft,” not the final word. Travelers should use AI to generate ideas and rough itineraries, then verify every key detail independently. That means checking flight times, hotel availability, attraction hours, and local regulations directly on official airline, hotel, and government websites, not just on third-party aggregators. It also means cross-referencing multiple sources and reading recent traveler reviews to spot red flags. For complex trips, especially international travel, consulting a human travel agent or advisor can provide the local insight, negotiation power, and safety checks that AI simply can’t match. By using AI as a tool rather than a replacement for human judgment, travelers can enjoy its convenience while protecting themselves from costly or dangerous mistakes.