AI planned tourism

August 11, 2025. 

Yesterday, I was planning my holiday with some friends. One of them politely asked, “Can I help you plan? I’ve just come back from a trip abroad, and it was extremely smooth. Everything was micro-planned like what tourist destinations to visit, what to eat, where to stay, which vehicle to board, and so on. It was hassle-free and stress-free.” I was amazed. Then he confessed that AI had planned it for him.

Wow! Doesn’t that defeat the very purpose of a holiday? Holidays are meant to explore new places and food, walk aimlessly, talk randomly with people, get exposed to new cultures, and learn and unlearn. A short holiday can give you a true picture of a place, if it remains unplanned.

I wondered what an AI-guided visit to Bhopal would be like. It would suggest established tourist spots like Bharat Bhavan, Tribal Museum, Sanchi, Bhimbetka, Boat Club, Taj-ul-Masjid, and other digitally promoted places. But visiting only such places isn’t tourism. True exploration is walking through the by-lanes of old Bhopal, climbing hilltops to see the city lights, sitting on the rocks behind Ashoka Lake View Hotel to watch the Boat Club lights reflected in the water, strolling in Ekant Park or Van Vihar, or cycling beyond the SAI Sports Academy.

Who would tell visitors that eating bhutta (corn) by Shapura Lake, chaat from the 6 No. Chaat Corner, non-vegetarian delicacies from a small shop in Bairagarh, poha and jalebi from MP Nagar kiosks, or samosa-kachori from TT Nagar New Market offers a joy you can’t imagine, and a real taste of the city’s culture?

A city looks entirely different in the quiet hours of the morning and in the lively evenings. I make it a point to walk for kilometers in the early morning when the city sleeps, then wander aimlessly in the evenings when everything is lit up. I have experienced Vienna, Venice, and many other foreign cities this way, on foot.

So, I’ve decided I will use AI only to highlight possible places to visit. But the actual trip will remain unguided and unplanned. I’ll let the locals tell me which places to explore and experience. And a humble suggestion all travelers.