The Detour Files - AI Academy Webinar Recap

For this week’s AI Academy Wednesday Webinar, we were joined by Laughlin Rigby from Wheresight and Tiffani Amo from St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce for a candid look at the mistakes tourism organizations may make with AI and how to avoid them. From real-world missteps, to new New York research and a live case study, Laughlin and Tiffani shared practical steps for adopting AI with more confidence.

Why AI Matters for Tourism

• 54% of US travelers have used AI to plan a trip, and 40% have found a destination through AI.
• Visits to US travel websites from AI grew 119% in a year, and those visitors book almost as often as anyone else!

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Made-up information: AI fills gaps with things that sound right. Publish clear hours and routes, and have a person who knows the place check every fact.
• Scams and fakes: Scammers plant fake phone numbers that AI can repeat. Keep one official number on your website, and search for fakes.
• Unguarded chatbots: Air Canada was held legally responsible for what its chatbot said. Limit chatbots to approved website content. (Chatbot questions also make great market research as to what your visitors are actively looking for!)
• Data exposure: Don’t upload guest names, cards, or passports. Use business accounts and switch model training off.
• Sameness and AI imagery: Be cautious with AI-generated imagery, since 49% of Americans react negatively to AI-made ads.
• No training or policy: Only 26% of US DMOs have an AI strategy. An hour of hands-on training and a one-page AI policy is a strong start.

What New York Businesses Are Doing

• Among 75 New York businesses surveyed, only 12% have built AI into how they work, 39% have no AI plans, and 71% have tried it, though one in three of those didn’t stick with it.
• ChatGPT leads at 83%, followed by Gemini (28%), Claude (13%), and Copilot (9%).
• Website content is the top use for AI, while automating tasks and analyzing data are growing.
• Businesses that use AI weekly or daily see the most benefit and plan to invest more.
• Hands-on training is the top request (66%), followed by mentoring and funding.

Case Study: Visit St. Lawrence County

• An AI visibility study found that St. Lawrence County appeared in 65% of answers, but was missing on topics like family trips, winter holidays, and border crossing tips.
• A website audit found AI crawlers weren’t blocked. The fixes include adding organization details to the website, FAQs, and naming the county alongside every town.
• Not every operator will adopt AI, but everyone has to adapt to it, and there’s a major difference between AI visibility and using AI for workflow.

Key Takeaways for DMOs and Businesses

• Start with one weekly task, name an AI champion, and give them an hour a week for a month.
• Ask AI what it says about your destination every month, and fix your website, state listings, and partner pages.
• Keep humans in the loop and agree who responds if AI gets something wrong.
• Lead by example so you can train and support your members.
• Know the new NY rules: no fake or AI-generated reviews, AI-generated people in ads must be labeled, and algorithmic personalized pricing must be disclosed.

Laughlin also shared a free beta AI visibility checker at roadmap.wheresight.com/ai-visibility-check, and announced the NYSTIA digital readiness co-op program, which is free and non-binding to join, with a December 1 deadline.

Thank you again to Laughlin and Tiffani for sharing their expertise, as well as everyone who attended!