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CNET
5 hours ago
- CNET
I Asked AI to Help Me Travel More Sustainably. Here's What Happened
Growing up, we didn't travel much, especially not internationally. Even as a child, though, I knew I wanted to travel when I got older and could do things for myself. The kid who would wistfully spin and spin and spin a toy globe in my room is now an adult who can book trips as much as my schedule and budget will allow. There is a caveat, though. Growing up also means that I'm now cognizant of the environmental cost of traveling. Defying gravity is incredible and all, but it puts a damper on that dream vacation knowing that my trip is contributing to climate change and that the aviation industry accounts for 2.5% of all global carbon dioxide emissions. In a world where we're all thinking a little more about our carbon footprints, yet are also dreaming about that next far-away adventure we see on our phone screens, I wondered: Can tech -- and more specifically, AI -- help us travel more sustainably? To find out, I did what any curious digital native would do: I put this idea to the test. I turned to AI chatbots, specifically two of the biggest names in artificial intelligence: ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. My mission was to plan two very different vacations that would minimize my environmental guilt while still delivering on adventure, food and cultural enrichment. Here's how it went. For more AI Tips, explore these AI essentials you need to know and how to use AI to get better at playing guitar. A quick note: While AI can help you plan more sustainable trips, the tools themselves aren't exactly eco-neutral. Behind every chatbot response is a data center running thousands of servers, machines that require vast amounts of electricity and cooling water to operate. In fact, research suggests that generative AI tools like ChatGPT can use several liters of water per conversation, depending on the complexity of your queries. That water is typically used to cool the servers during processing. Microsoft, for instance, has reported a 34% year-over-year increase in water consumption, partially due to its AI investments. So while AI could be used to explore eco-friendly travel itineraries, it also has a lasting environmental impact of its own. Like with all tech, sustainable use comes down to moderation and transparency. The setup: Two trips, one goal For the experiment, I designed two different travel scenarios and let the chatbots plan the itineraries from there. Trip 1: A week and a half in Seoul, South Korea, flying from Tampa, Florida (where I live). My goals include hiking, art, food and seeing all the major historical monuments, with a budget of $2,000 to $3,000. ChatGPT asked me to specify some travel details, then created an itinerary from there. Macy Meyer/CNET Trip 2: A wild card. I gave the AI chatbots full creative control to plan the most sustainable tropical vacation possible. In both cases, I used ChatGPT and Copilot side by side to compare results. The Seoul search: Sustainability in the capital city I started with the Seoul trip. I was actually supposed to move to Korea post-grad to teach English as a foreign language, but that didn't work out, thanks to COVID-19. I still haven't made it to Korea, so it's at the tippy-top of my bucket list. Both bots quickly recognized South Korea as a fascinating mix of ancient tradition and high-tech innovation. When I asked how to make my trip eco-friendly, they took two different approaches. ChatGPT gave me a detailed itinerary, including direct flight suggestions, budget breakdowns, eco-lodging in walkable neighborhoods like Insadong and Hongdae and sustainable food recommendations, such as local markets and temple cuisine. It also factored in transit cards and local carbon offset programs. Copilot gave me more surface-level results. It recommended looking into eco-certified hotels or guesthouses, but didn't recommend specific ones, and most of the itinerary it produced was essentially "just walk around this place." I did like that the results all linked out to other sources and websites, though, so I could do a deeper dive when researching its recommendations. Day 1 and 2 of the Copilot-generated itinerary for Korea. Macy Meyer/CNET Copilot also went about $1,000 over budget with its recommendations and didn't suggest specific flights to take to Seoul. That said, Copilot did shine when it came to sourcing carbon offset programs and comparing airline emissions. Its integration with Microsoft's web tools helped it pull in more current data. The tropical wild card: AI goes off the grid Now for the fun part. I asked each AI platform to plan the most sustainable tropical trip it could dream up. My only parameters were that I wanted a warm and tropical climate, nature and an eco-conscious budget. Copilot recommended Palawan, Philippines -- the "last frontier" of the Philippines -- and laid out a 10-day trip. I loved the itinerary. I mean, it's like a dream vacation, so how could I not? But again, the results were pretty brief and lacked specificity. For instance, Copilot said things like "when booking, check for airlines that highlight sustainability" or "familiarize yourself with waste-reduction programs," when that's what I was hoping the chatbot would be able to do for me. Copilot created a 10-day itinerary for the Philippines. Macy Meyer/CNET ChatGPT was again more detailed. It chose Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula -- a place I'd honestly never heard of, but I'm glad I know about now -- and outlined an eight-day experience. The suggested itinerary also included information about eco-lodges, permaculture farm tours and sea turtle conservation, and suggested packing reef-safe sunscreen and DEET-free bug spray. ChatGPT generated a trip for Costa Rica. Macy Meyer/CNET I fact-checked the suggestions from both chatbots, and nearly everything checked out. Most of the lodges ChatGPT listed are genuinely sustainable, utilizing solar power, composting toilets and no single-use plastics. The activities Copilot suggested all support local economies, communities and conservation. Both itineraries were invested in ecotourism, which I appreciated. This brings me to an important reminder: You can't take anything at face value. AI chatbots have a history of "hallucinating" wrong answers, meaning they generate false or misleading information and present it as fact. Any search or answer must be fact-checked. What AI gets right and wrong about sustainable travel Planning with AI has its perks: It saves time, simplifies the research and pulls in suggestions I never would've thought of (looking at you, Osa Peninsula). But AI isn't perfect. The chatbots occasionally recommended hotels that looked eco-friendly, but weren't certified. Neither platform could consistently tell if a business was truly sustainable or just good at marketing, and neither can book anything for you like a real travel agent can. Also, AI doesn't know you. It doesn't know that you prefer local buses to private tours, or that your idea of a dream vacation involves zero plans and a hammock. You'll still need to tweak your itinerary to suit your actual personality, not your browser history. For sustainable travel planning, both ChatGPT and Copilot were helpful tools to jumpstart the trip-planning process. Neither platform can replace a good travel advisor or first-hand knowledge, but they're decent enough assistants for brainstorming, budgeting and discovering new ideas. See also: Chatbots Are Ready to Help in Language Learning. Here's My Experience Would I use AI to plan my next trip? Maybe, but with caveats. I'd consider using ChatGPT and Copilot again, especially at the early planning stage when I'm besieged with options for travel destinations, but I definitely feel like I could get the same results from a well-traveled friend, travel agent or travel books like Lonely Planet. If I did opt to use AI chatbots again in the future, I'd still double-check sustainability claims, compare prices manually and use traditional sites to book things. AI is a tool, not a travel agent. While AI can help, the most sustainable travel choices -- taking fewer flights, supporting local businesses, packing smart and minimizing waste -- still fall on us.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
I Asked Reddit for the Worst Days of the Week To Book a Hotel — Here's What It Said
The reality is that there's no 'worst day' to book a hotel. Just like there's no best day. But there are popular days when prices are high and less popular days when prices are typically lower. Discover More: Read Next: There are several factors to consider, and that's really what our Redditors had to say. The few threads I found specifically addressed which days of the week are 'best' and 'worst.' and conversations among travelers and hotel managers followed. Here's what I found. Worst Days of the Week To Book a Hotel: Friday and Saturday People on vacation, even short ones, tend to travel on weekends. As a result, you'll find prices are often steepest on Friday and Saturday nights. This also means hotels will be busiest, which means the accompanying amenities like pools, hot tubs, gyms, bars, and restaurants attached to the hotel will also be more crowded. As a result, you could make the argument that Friday and Saturday are the worst days of the week to book a hotel. Trending Now: At the same time, perhaps you like being in crowds, partying, swimming with other guests, and meeting new people. Also, features like dance clubs, cafes, and food trucks may only be open and on premises on the weekends — which would make weekends the best days to book a hotel, even if your costs increase. Best Days of the Week To Book a Hotel: Sunday to Wednesday Conversely, virtually everyone checks out of the hotel by Sunday morning, whether they're staying for a week or a weekend. This means the pool and gym will be calm on Sunday afternoon, the prices go down because demand goes down, and the weekly business people haven't arrived yet. You could have the entire hotel almost to yourself. Redditors agree that Sunday may be the best day, especially when it comes to price, to book a hotel. And thanks to those slow, low-demand days, you might even find interesting amenities like a karaoke night, a fun show or some other extra you can enjoy. Hotels, restaurants and bars will often add an attraction on a Sunday or a Monday to increase interest and attendance. It's important to realize that most people don't have the luxury of choosing specific weekdays for their vacation. They get off work on Friday and have to be back at the office two days later. So they book their travel for those days. As we see more people moving to remote work with more flexible hours, we will likely also see an increase in interest in this subject. For those of us who get to work from our laptops, it looks like the worst possible time to book a hotel would be Friday and Saturday night, unless you're looking for a wild and expensive ride. So it's safe to say you can book a nice, calm, relatively affordable vacation from Sunday to Wednesday, according to Reddit. More From GOBankingRates These Cars May Seem Expensive, but They Rarely Need Repairs This article originally appeared on I Asked Reddit for the Worst Days of the Week To Book a Hotel — Here's What It Said
Travel Weekly
a day ago
- Travel Weekly
Virtuoso names Helen McCabe-Young to global products position
Virtuoso has promoted Helen McCabe-Young to senior vice president of global products. She replaces Thatcher Brown, who recently announced his departure to become CEO of resident-at-sea concept Crescent Seas. McCabe-Young has been Virtuoso's senior vice president of global marketing for the past five years, during which she oversaw the launch of the "So Virtuoso" consumer-facing campaign. Before Virtuoso, she spent a decade with Kerzner International, holding several roles including executive vice president of sales and marketing. She was previously Silversea Cruises' vice president of worldwide marketing and helped with the early positioning of Princess Cruises while at Campbell-Ewald advertising. Amy Logan "Virtuoso's product division has undergone a thoughtful strategic realignment, creating a strong foundation for the innovation and agility needed to serve the evolving needs of our global network," COO Brad Bourland said. "We thank Thatcher for his contributions to Virtuoso in this area and wish him much success as he embarks on this new chapter with Crescent Seas. "We're also excited to have Helen bring her marketing expertise and creative vision to a part of the business that's primed for significant growth," he added. Virtuoso also has named several other additions to McCabe-Young's team. Amy Logan, vice president of global network product, joined Virtuoso in May. Logan was previously vice president of solutions at Classic Vacations and has held senior leadership roles at Expedia and Amazon. Lucy Liberman Lucy Lieberman, vice president of global digital experience, joined in June. She was CEO of hotels at Michelin, where she oversaw travel services for Tablet Hotels and Michelin Guide. She also spent 10 years with Ogilvy and Mather, most recently as managing director working with brands like InterContinental Hotels Group and American Express. McCabe-Young will assist with the transition as Virtuoso searches for its next head of marketing.
