Radhika posts about the tang of spicy chutneys and her lunchtime meals of saffron noodles, although she can't taste either. That's because Radhika is one of a growing number of AI-generated travel influencers quietly populating social media as tourism boards and travel firms look to cut costs, speed up content creation, and precisely control messaging, per the New York Times. It's easy to see why: Per Expedia's Traveler Value Index, 73% of consumers say an influencer has helped shape a trip decision, a figure that jumps to 84% among those under 40.
Although human travel influencers are able to command $100,000 or more for one post, per marketing agency founder Steve Morris, AI avatars never need flights, hotel rooms, or per diems. The avatars, often young, attractive women, are designed to look and sound real. Germany's tourism board uses "digital storyteller" Emma, for example, to tout wine country. Some followers leave heart emojis or flirtatious comments, while others call out the accounts as AI.
Human influencers see the trend as a direct threat. Travel creator Jen Ruiz describes an "uproar" among peers who "feel they're being replaced" by entities that don't actually travel. Lifestyle influencer Christiana Ballayan, who has 5 million-plus followers, says in the past year she's seen hotels trim perks and pay—because now "they have another advertising option: AI." For brands, the math is stark: An off-the-shelf avatar might cost as little as $500 to $2,000, with fully customized, constantly learning "synthetic characters" topping out around $15,000, which is still far less than repeated shoots with live talent.
Travel marketers say AI isn't meant to replace humans entirely. Qatar Airways, for instance, insists it will use both. But experts expect these virtual influencers to become more "agentic," able to not only recommend hotels but also book them, or to make dinner reservations. As image quality and realism improve, distinguishing between a human traveler's imperfect experience and an AI-crafted fantasy will likely get harder. For some users, that's another reason to be wary. Social media already feels "fake and vapid," says one 28-year-old filmmaker. Knowing that some exciting travel feeds aren't tied to anyone's real life only deepens that sense of inauthenticity, he notes. NDTV highlights some of these "new faces of travel" (Emma and Radhika both make the cut). The Washington Post also has more, from a deep dive it did last year.
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