Hey Siri, Help me Sell my Destination!

Do we even know what country this amazing destination is in? This type of content is often filled with generic phrases such as ‘thriving metropolis’, ‘unparalleled connectivity’. These terms sound impressive, but they ultimately lack any real meaning. Buzzwords like ‘innovation’ and ‘ecosystem’ make the copy feel robotic, and the repetition of these overused descriptors leads to a bland, personality-less narrative that could apply anywhere. When marketing a destination, these clichés offer no personalisation, no local flavour and no storytelling. They lack the specificity distinguishing one city from another, resulting in a lifeless narrative that fails to capture the destination's true identity. This undermines the destination’s efforts to stand out. It wastes valuable marketing budgets to create a unique and recognisable brand, ultimately diminishing the competitive edge they are working so hard to build.

 

We need to be realistic: AI is a tool. It is not a human. When you market your destination, venue, or event, you are selling to people. People do not connect with bland, soulless copy that sounds like it could describe any city in the world. They want stories, emotion, and a real 'taste' of the destination.

 

For marketing professionals, copywriters and the media, it is important to ensure that content remains unique and personal, so that marketing efforts can avoid the pitfalls of generic, AI-generated text. Not forgetting the ethical dimension: when using AI to create content, you must consider the impact. The audience deserves content that reflects the true identity of a destination. And the truth is, AI cannot capture that; only a human can.

 

AI is a Tool, but Human Expertise is Essential

 

AI is incredibly useful, but only if it is used wisely. It is a tool to help you work smarter, not to do your work for you (at least not yet). Sure, it can handle routine tasks, provide inspiration or even generate rough drafts, but it should never replace your human touch. You are the expert; you know who the ambassadors of your destination are, the vibe on the streets, the true colours of the landscapes and the authentic taste of the local food. AI does not live in your destination, and it certainly cannot sell it with exact authenticity.

 

Let's clear up a common misconception: there is a big difference between grammar and spelling checkers like Grammarly and AI text generators like ChatGPT or Copilot.

 

Grammar and spelling checkers refine pre-written content, polishing it for grammatical correctness, punctuation and style. These tools improve what you have already written, which is particularly useful if you are not a native speaker.

 

AI text generators, on the other hand, create new content from scratch. They are based on vast amounts of data and generate responses based on pre-defined structures and phrases, which - if left unchecked - often result in repetitive, formulaic content. What you think is new has probably already been written and used by someone else. And it is not always easy to detect when these models make mistakes. For example, AI models often make mistakes with historical dates because they rely on patterns from vast, imperfect data and generate answers based on probability, without any real understanding or fact-checking. Unlike humans, who cross-check known dates, AI focuses on linguistic context, which can lead to inaccuracies, especially with specific details. Try asking it about historical moments with dates you know by heart, and you will often catch some obvious errors.

 

Grammar checkers help you maintain your voice, while AI-generated content often lacks originality and can sound like it has been copy-pasted from a thousand other sources.

 

Use AI, but do not get lost in it

 

AI is undeniably a game-changer. It can simplify your life, automate tedious tasks, and help you generate ideas quickly. But it cannot replace human insight, creativity, and emotional intelligence.

 

In destination marketing, you must inject your content with the local flavour, expertise, and storytelling that makes your destination stand out. Yes, use AI to assist you, but do not let it run the show. The real magic happens when AI is a tool that works alongside your human creativity, not instead of it.

 

As more people are trained in AI, the stereotypical, formulaic writing will only become more obvious. Just scroll through LinkedIn and see how many people are thrilled or excited about things happening in their lives; it all starts to sound the same. Overexcitement is often a symptom of AI-generated content, but that doesn't mean that everyone using these terms is necessarily relying on AI.

 

The use of AI by more and more people raises another question: as destinations embrace AI for various purposes, including content creation, are they considering the environmental impact of these technologies? Major companies, such as Google and Microsoft, have already seen a significant increase in their greenhouse gas emissions due to the energy requirements of AI-powered data centres. How much energy is your destination using while you are using AI, and do you measure this in your sustainability strategies, such as the GDS-Index? This is a conversation worth having, and an important aspect to consider as we embrace these technologies.