Is this AI Travel Assistant Worth Using?

Posted: 7/2/23 | July 2nd, 2023

Planning a trip can be tedious. And I say that as someone who loves trip planning. Hunting for cheap flights, looking for things to see and do, creating an itinerary, getting visas, buying gear. The list goes on.

It takes a lot of time and energy to plan a trip — regardless of whether it’s a trip for two weeks or two months. Between reading guidebooks, travel blogs, and checking social media for tips, most people spend dozens of hours planning a trip.

Now, companies are looking to simplify that process by using the latest rage: AI.

With the rise of AI, there are now more and more tools available to travelers to help them make the most out of their travels.

The best of those tools I’ve seen is GuideGeek.

What is GuideGeek?

GuideGeek is a personal AI-powered travel assistant created by Matador Network – a leading travel and adventure publisher that has been around as long as I have.

They’ve created a sophisticated AI that blends OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology, real-time travel info (i.e. live flight search) and human curation from their in-house travel experts.

You can ask GuideGeek about pretty much anything:

• Accommodation
• Itineraries
• Local customs & slang
• Places to eat
• Things to see & do
• Safety tips
• Budget tips
• And more!

It’s 100% free – just go to guidegeek.com and use the QR code to connect with GuideGeek via WhatsApp (it runs via WhatsApp, so you don’t need to download a separate app).

If you don’t have WhatsApp, they’re planning on launching on Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and SMS soon (though since the world outside of the United States runs on WhatsApp, it’s worth installing if you’re planning on spending any amount of time abroad).

GuideGeek provides tips and advice to help you decide where and when to go, plan an itinerary, and get suggestions for what to see and do. In tandem with travel guides and/or travel blogs, it’s a powerful tool that will streamline your trip planning.
 

But does it actually work?

I wanted to test and see if it actually worked. For starters, here’s what it looks like when you start using GuideGeek:

Now, since I recently moved back to NYC, I thought I would ask it for a few suggestions to see what it comes up with. I know NYC well so I wanted to see if it would give BS or real answers:

What’s super interesting is that it didn’t just spew out generic info. It asked me to get specific so it could better tailor its suggestions to my travel style and…