Meet Eugene at Fodors Travel...a new way of getting travel information (or not....)

[Eleanor]

I recently got an email from Fodor’s Travel, introducing their new AI travel assistant.

Apparently "Eugene is built exclusively from Fodor’s guidebooks and the expert travel coverage on Fodors.com. That means his recommendations come from places our writers and editors have experienced firsthand, reviewed carefully, and decided are genuinely worth your time and money.


The email then went on to say "Ask Eugene where to stay in Paris. Ask him which neighborhood in Rome is right for you. Ask whether an expensive restaurant is actually worth the splurge, which attractions you can skip, or whether you would be happier spending your vacation somewhere else entirely. He will not give you an endless list of options–he will help you choose what’s best for you."


I decided I needed to follow this up and looked at some of the questions Eugene has been asked and to be honest, wasn’t impressed...

Is this the future and would you ask Eugene?

 

[Ian Sutton]

On the basis I come here, for niche but expert insight and discussion, in preference to a mass market vision of tourism, the thought of using AI to gather a condensed mass market perspective... LOL, no thanks

 

[Eleanor]

Especially when you read some of the AI generated itineraries.....

 

[Pauline]

That’s interesting!

I have been using Claude (Anthropic) and tested a few travel things. It gave okay information. I am getting very used to using Claude for many things and I think as people use AI more they will use it to plan travel.

I’ve read that people who run travel blogs are not getting the traffic they used to because Google now answers with its AI instead of links to blogs or forums. I think this will have a big effect on forums, blogs and personal websites. Our forums here have been very slow for the past year. I’m not sure what to do about it.

 

[Pauline]

I tested Eugene against Claude for a 7 night trip to Tuscany starting and ending in Florence and they gave similar itineraries. Claude gave hotel recommendations and told me what towns to stay in. I had to ask Eugene for this. Claude knows I am a vegetarian so had suggestions for that. He also knows that I like to hike so built that in without asking.

I find I go to Claude now before Google for many things (problem with my Jura coffee maker this morning). He helped me prepare handouts for a support group I run. I did research for hiking in Baden-Baden.

These AIs are incredible IMO.

 

[Eleanor]

I did a goggle AI asking about Slow Europe forum and it was very complementary.
"excellent, highly reliable resource if you prefer in-depth immersive travel....and avoiding tourist traps.... provide deep insights into local culture, regional dining, and off-the-beaten-path destinations..... advice is generally well-reasoned, highly detailed, and tailored to travelers who prefer relaxing vacations over fast-paced, country-hopping itineraries..."

 

[JillB]

25 years ago I used the slow travel.com forum to find the perfect rental in Chianti for our honeymoon. Fast forward to 2026, I’m planning our 25th anniversary/retirement trip in Provence, and guess what? This forum provides more useful info than any of the AI bots. So no, not really interested in what Eugene has to say - I did use Fodor’s forums back then and will consult the forums again now, but Eugene will not be part of my planning - neither will any “influencers.”

 

[TomandKathy]

Tripadvisor tried an AI on their forums (specifically the Greece one) a while back and there were howls of horror. I tried it and found almost everything wrong... perhaps the AI logarithm worked on all information in all posts and some of them are wrong anyway, and then other travellers correct the information? Anyway last time I looked the AI option had been removed... I must check if it's back. Like many people I go to forums, Rick Steves and Tripadvisor and Fodors, etc to get information from real people who have really visited the places I am going to... I can always ask chatgpt (and do) but i prefer to have experienced answers.