“The pictures weren’t even close to what it really looked like.” Those words, and similar rants, have been the stuff of one-star destination reviews for decades. Now, with the advent of generative artificial intelligence platforms, are destinations stretching the gap between what they have and what they sell?
It’d be easy to think so, given that only 5% of travelers can correctly identify real destination photos when compared side-by-side with AI-generated images, a recent survey commissioned by the Tennessee Department of Tourism revealed.
It’s not surprising. Tourism marketing has pretty much always relied on colorful imagery. Travel agencies, real and virtual, feature eye-catching artwork of breathtaking vistas. Tropical beaches, lush forests, happy families gathered around delicious-looking meals by campfires in tidy parks.
The casual viewer might never notice an extra finger on the hand of that gap-toothed kid toasting marshmallows, or that the branches on that Coastal Redwood look remarkably like those found on a Douglas fir.
Such gimmickry won’t be happening in Tennessee, however. Given the results of their survey, the state has rolled out a new photo certification, “Yeah, It’s Real,” and pledged not to use generative AI in place of images of real people, places and things.
New and existing images are analyzed to ensure they were taken by a real person, with approved ones getting a circular mark with “Tennessee – Yeah, It’s Real” text within. The mark contains content credentials and secure metadata for anyone wanting to research who took the artwork, when and what kind of camera was used.
The idea is to be proactive, and use AI where it makes sense, but also to let the state’s natural beauty speak for itself, says Debra Smith, assistant commissioner of marketing for the department.
“There was no specific incident, no ‘gotcha,’ moment,” Smith says. “We have just seen comments from visitors to various places that there is an increasing lack of trust in what they see in promoted images and what the reality is.
“Tennessee is an authentic state,” Smith continues. “Our brand’s core is promoting that authenticity, the beauty you find here, and so we wanted to elevate that stance and really lean into it. The short message is, our images are real.”
The public’s general unease with AI at present will also help this message land successfully, she predicts.
“It’s in the news in trip planning in general; people rely on images and they are concerned,” she says. “Our data from the research was really interesting in that so few people can actually identify a real destination photo. Couple that with 74% saying they won’t book a trip without seeing photos first, and you see the importance of why we wanted to certify our images.”
The certification is meant to put a positive spin on ‘what you see is what you get’ in Tennessee vs. attacking AI. The technology has great potential in the tourism sphere, Smith says, and so the department isn’t leading with any kind of anti-tech message.
“This is about trust, and our commitment to showing you what we’re really like here,” she says. “We can’t control what specific destinations do, of course, and the ‘bait and switch’ in marketing isn’t new. What we’re saying is, this image hasn’t been altered or enhanced, so this is what you’ll experience when you’re standing in front of that waterfall or visiting that lake. We’re not adding anything or taking anything away. You can look at the meta research behind that image, if you like, it’s all open and transparent. Come and see for yourself!”
Visit Knoxville hasn’t stood up any particular policy around AI imagery as of yet, says Kim Bumpas, president, but she does note that the organization doesn’t use AI for images and doesn’t plan to do so.
“Most convention and visitors bureaus don’t, because authenticity is such a big part of our message,” Bumpas says. “It’s definitely a pretty hot topic, though. What I’m hearing is that people are formulating policies around saying that they don’t, which is what they state has done.”
Like the state, she says she can’t speak for destinations, particularly smaller ones who might not have a budget for professional photography, but she says they are unlikely to be tinkering with their artwork, either. And for the same reasons as the larger players.
“Tennessee is full of scenic beauty, and we don’t need AI to do anything for us,” Bumpas says. “There’s no need to enhance what we offer.”