AI-Generated Travel Blog Directs Tourists to Nonexistent Tasmanian Hot Springs
An Australian tour company's website published an AI-generated blog post recommending nonexistent hot springs in Tasmania, complete with generated images. Tourists then traveled to the remote town of Weldborough searching for the fictional attraction, and the company reported reputational damage from the incident.
What happened
An AI-generated blog post on Tasmania Tours' website recommended "Weldborough Hot Springs" as a "peaceful escape" with pools "rich in therapeutic minerals," describing it as a "tranquil haven" favoured by hikers and wellness organisations.
No such hot springs exist in or around Weldborough, a small rural town in northeast Tasmania. The location and attraction were entirely fabricated by the AI system, which also generated accompanying images to illustrate the nonexistent site.
Scott Hennessy, owner of Australian Tours and Cruises (the parent company operating Tasmania Tours), stated that the article was created by a third-party contractor and was published while he was out of the country, despite a policy of reviewing all posts before publication.
Reported impact
Starting in September 2025, tourists began arriving at Weldborough seeking the hot springs. Kristy Probert, owner of the local Weldborough Hotel, reported receiving approximately five phone calls per day and two to three visitors arriving at the hotel asking about the springs.
Australian Tours and Cruises reported that the incident and resulting online hate had been "absolutely soul-destroying" to their business reputation.
Index analysis
The AI system generated false information—specifically the existence of a named location and its supposed features and reputation—rather than retrieving this from a training dataset or authoritative source.
Governance controls
Hennessy stated that all posts published to the website were intended to be reviewed before going live, but this post was made live while he was not in the country.
The company outsourced content creation to a third-party contractor rather than managing it in-house, citing lack of capacity. Hennessy described the situation as an effort to compete with larger companies by maintaining frequent content updates.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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