Some people love travel planning.
But I am not one of those people.
So the idea that artificial intelligence chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Bing, can research travel destinations and create itineraries is intriguing.
But I’m skeptical too.
Do recommendations just scratch the surface — for example, suggesting that I see the Eiffel Tower in Paris? Or can they recommend lesser-known restaurants and handle specific hotel requests too?
The answer is: yes and no — at least for ChatGPT.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t test Bing. When I tried to access it, I was put on a waiting list. The website said I could “get ahead in the line” if I set Microsoft defaults on my computer and scanned a QR code to install the Bing app. I did both. I’m still waiting.
ChatGPT was easier. I went to the developer’s website, clicked on the word “ChatGPT,” registered for an account — and started chatting.
‘Can you help me plan a beach trip?’
“Of course!” replied ChatGPT. But first, I needed to tell it about my interests, budget and how long I planned to be away.
I’m looking for a week-long beach trip in mid-March to spend time with my family, with no set budget, I typed.
“Sounds like a wonderful idea!” it replied, before recommending Hawaii, the Caribbean — specifically the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic — Florida and Costa Rica, along with details about the weather and popular attractions for each.
Nice. But I live in Singapore, I said.
“I see!” it exclaimed. (ChatGPT loves exclamation points.) In that case, Bali, Indonesia; Langkawi, Malaysia; and Phuket and Krabi in Thailand were better choices.
One more thing — I want great food too, I typed.
In that case, it said, the better bets are:
- Penang, Malaysia — for char kway teow, nasi lemak and laksa
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — for pho, banh mi and bun cha
- Osaka, Japan — for takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and kushikatsu
- Bangkok, Thailand — for pad Thai, green curry and mango sticky rice
Not bad. But I have another ask: I want to avoid…
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