Overview
- Published in July 2025, a now-deleted Tasmania Tours blog falsely promoted “Weldborough Hot Springs,” ranking it among top sites and illustrating it with AI-generated images.
- Beginning in September, the Weldborough Hotel reported about five calls a day and multiple in-person inquiries from travelers seeking the nonexistent attraction.
- Company owner Scott Hennessey said a third-party contractor using AI created the piece, acknowledged “Our AI has messed up completely,” and removed all AI-generated posts.
- Tourism records list no hot springs in or near Weldborough, and locals say the nearby Weld River is freezing rather than thermal.
- The hotel said the incident brought a small tourism bump and noted in a Jan. 21 post that the cause was identified, as researchers highlight frequent AI itinerary errors that can create safety risks.