Awesome Experiences

Awesome Experiences Trips of a lifetime, made easy! Unique holidays and short breaks to Europe & worldwide
at www.awesomeexperiences.com. Arranges small groups or individual travel.

Add Friends below for daily ideas & tips for your next big adventure! An premium travel company focusing on trips of a lifetime and special events, such as experiencing the Venice Carnival, Viennese Balls, Holi, The Day of the Dead, Siena Palio etc. Head to www.awesomeexperiences.com for more info.

Can LLMs Really Book a Complex Travel Itinerary? An Experiment.We're constantly told that Large Language Models (LLMs) c...
07/08/2025

Can LLMs Really Book a Complex Travel Itinerary? An Experiment.

We're constantly told that Large Language Models (LLMs) can create amazing travel itineraries, and will soon be able to actually book them for us. But how good are they really? I decided to put them to the test.

I asked ChatGPT, Gemini, and DeepSeek to perform a basic task for any experiential trip: create a table of 25 top events in Venice for June 2026 and provide booking links to relevant sites.

The results were telling:
* None of the LLMs could complete the task even after multiple attempts and various prompt changes.
* They all struggled with accuracy, using historic data for future events, and only one could even suggest more than 5 events.
* Website links were all generic, broken, or completely irrelevant (e.g. several links to "swimming with dolphins in Negril").
* They all issued disclaimers that any information provided needed to be independently verified before being used.

For an LLM to truly create and book a complex, event-based itinerary, it needs to be seamlessly integrated with a booking engine that has real-time inventory access and API permissions to tens of thousands of third-party activities, events, ticketing and experiences websites. But currently there’s no such platform - few of the aggregator platforms have significant real time inventory links to individual (rather than group) activities.

Our approach to experiential travel at Awesome Experiences is to use AI specifically designed for this particular task, so you don't have to wait for a paradigm shift in how the internet works to be able to plan and book your perfect trip. You can do it right now with technology available today, not in several years’ time.

Want to learn how we do it? Contact us at [email protected] or visit our website at www.awesomeexperiences.com.

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Travel AI: It’s Science, Not MagicEvery week, I hear wild expectations about what AI will soon do in travel. It reminds ...
19/07/2025

Travel AI: It’s Science, Not Magic

Every week, I hear wild expectations about what AI will soon do in travel. It reminds me of the internet hype in 2000. ‘Agentic AI’ is the latest buzzword true believers trot out when what they really mean is ‘magic’ - or ‘some as yet uninvented new technology’. So let’s get real about what AI—especially LLMs—actually does.

AI models like ChatGPT analyse data (mostly public) and predict responses based on statistical patterns. That’s it. No magic. No crystal ball.

They use web crawlers to find data—just like Google—but hit a wall at CAPTCHA gates and paywalls. And guess what? The most accurate, up-to-date travel content usually sits behind those. So don’t expect insights from the latest Lonely Planet or in-depth local tips unless someone’s fed them in manually.

Even official tourist sites can be outdated or spoofed by commercial clones with questionable content. Try asking three LLMs the same travel-related question—you’ll often get three totally different answers. Ask about a just-launched camera or car you know about? You’ll frequently be told that the previous model is still the latest and the new one doesn't exist. Now multiply that information inconsistency across a 20-stop itinerary…

What you do get from LLMs is a good mashup of historic consensus—basically a better Fodor’s guide. Great if you want some general ideas of what to do and where to go. But if you’re after hard-to book sights you're in for a nasty surprise; and if you're into specific interests—like fishing whilst on holiday in Denmark — you're likely to find that it mixes up your beloved trout with tuna. In any case, you certainly can’t expect the detailed itinerary it suggests to be remotely bookable as shown, as it has limited if any access to current data on ticket availability.

So if I’m spending £10,000 on a trip, I’d want:
• A curated itinerary from a real up to date expert
• The ability to tailor it to my passions
• Confidence that someone local can step in when reality on the ground doesn’t quite follow the plan

AI is a powerful tool. But it’s just that—a tool. Not a travel agent. Not a fixer. And definitely not a magic wand.

If you are interested in the real world use of AI for booking bespoke travel, contact Awesome Experiences at [email protected].

This article was fact-checked by ChatGPT itself and found to be accurate, based on the latest information it has access to.

10/07/2025

At Awesome Experiences, we’ve always said we offer “the fastest and easiest way to book your trip of a lifetime.” That’s still true – our platform remains up to 20x faster than traditional booking methods. But as AI evolves, so does our vision.

We’re now focused on making bespoke travel easy – not just quick to book. Because AI’s role in travel goes well beyond search and tailoring.

⸻

A New Frontier: Safety and Smarter Travel

One of the biggest issues in travel today is safety. For a long time, we assumed travel was relatively secure – but that’s no longer the case.

Despite being cautious, I’ve personally been robbed three times in the past year – from cyber scams to physical theft. These risks are real, and increasing.

AI is already vital in cybersecurity, but its potential goes much further. In Rome, where I was robbed twice, I noticed travellers using electric golf buggies with local guides were far less exposed to crime than those on foot. In San Francisco, I test-rode one of Amazon’s Zoox autonomous taxis. You can easily imagine these vehicles offering guided, secure, stop-to-stop sightseeing in the future.

⸻

The Human Touch Still Matters

We don’t see AI replacing human guides just yet. That’s why we work with local destination experts who can adapt plans in real time, solve problems on the ground, and deliver truly personalised service.

Things rarely go exactly as planned when travelling — and local knowledge is still the best tool for dealing with the unexpected.

⸻

Looking Ahead

As AI advances, we’ll continue to integrate it into more aspects of the travel experience — from design to delivery to in-resort support. But at the heart of it all remains our mission:

Bespoke trips of a lifetime, made easy.
And yes — AX is still 20x faster than any other way of booking bespoke travel.

⸻

Big announcement today about Awesome Experiences. If you want to see just how revolutionary our new AI Trip Builder rapi...
06/07/2025

Big announcement today about Awesome Experiences. If you want to see just how revolutionary our new AI Trip Builder rapid search and tailoring App really is, contact me for access. We believe it's set to revolutionise bespoke travel!

SOMETHING TOTALLY NEW IN BESPOKE TRAVELMany AI travel startups today claim to deliver ‘experiential tours’ by stitching ...
27/06/2025

SOMETHING TOTALLY NEW IN BESPOKE TRAVEL

Many AI travel startups today claim to deliver ‘experiential tours’ by stitching together flights, hotels and activities from online aggregators. But this approach overlooks a fundamental reality: in today’s overcrowded travel landscape, the real challenge is access to inventory.

Over-tourism and rising demand mean many idealised itineraries are simply unbookable. Museums are closed on Mondays. Iconic attractions sell out weeks or months in advance. Local holidays, festivals and strikes throw plans into disarray. No amount of AI-generated inspiration can fix things if the Louvre is full or Machu Picchu is closed.

Agentic AI—AI that acts—is the latest buzzword. But it faces a giant obstacle: CAPTCHA and blocked access to live availability. Owners of scarce inventory don’t want bots crawling their systems. So they lock them out.

That’s where Destination Management Companies (DMCs) come in. On-the-ground experts with insider knowledge, access to scarce inventory through personal contacts, and the ability to flex your plans on the ground in real time as things change. DMCs solve real-world problems that AI alone cannot.

At Awesome Experiences (AX), we’ve embraced this reality rather than ignored it. Our travel platform uniquely combines the speed and personalisation of AI with the deep local expertise and inventory access of handpicked DMCs. When AX first launched (pre-pandemic), it became AmEx Business Cards’ most successful travel promotion of all time - generating over £60m of verified sales enquiries in its first week alone.

Now, we’re back—with a next-generation, fully online bookable showcase. It delivers fast, tailored itineraries powered by AI, yet grounded in real, online-bookable, expertly operated experiences, covered by full financial protection, 24/7 support - and a concierge service if you need something truly unique.

We’re signing up partners and investors right now. If you want to be part of the future of tailor-made travel—built on what works in reality rather than in theory—get in touch through AwesomeExperiences.com.

We've now put our AX Generation 1 platform back up and live for investors to see, complete with all 150 fully online boo...
11/04/2025

We've now put our AX Generation 1 platform back up and live for investors to see, complete with all 150 fully online bookable and tailorable trips to 40 countries, and are in the process of integrating our separate Generation 2 demo functionality into it so that investors can see exactly how the Gen 2 platform is going to work. Exciting times! Watch this space....

We updated our website yesterday to reflect our plans to re-launch the company with a brand new all-singing all-dancing ...
22/05/2024

We updated our website yesterday to reflect our plans to re-launch the company with a brand new all-singing all-dancing platform, offering far more choice and greater tailoring options than our first generation platform - but all still fully online bookable. Watch this space for more details.

Like all great events worldwide this exclusive opening at London Zoo was sold out last night. But I knew a person with a...
22/07/2023

Like all great events worldwide this exclusive opening at London Zoo was sold out last night. But I knew a person with access to tickets....and that in a nutshell is what Awesome Experiences does for your trips - we add great experiences you cannot simply buy online, and turn your trips into true trips of a lifetime!

Judge last night at the UK Travel Marketing Awards. Great evening!
04/07/2023

Judge last night at the UK Travel Marketing Awards. Great evening!

25/06/2023

Fabulous Gondola ride in Venice

Venice really is as amazing as they say! The Flying Dutchman at La Fenice Opera House.
25/06/2023

Venice really is as amazing as they say! The Flying Dutchman at La Fenice Opera House.

25/06/2023

Venice really is as amazing as they say!

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www.awesomeexperiences.com

Too busy to organise that special weekend away or a trip of a lifetime, let alone take the time off to go? Awesome Experiences offers an exciting range of adventures designed especially for busy people like you that can be researched and booked online in minutes.

Founder William Burton led several well-known travel companies before launching Awesome Experiences in July 2017. He felt that booking the sort of awesome trips he wanted to take in his limited time out of the office took far more time and effort than really necessary. If he did it himself it took a lot of time in research and booking to create something really awesome. And if he used a 'tailor-made' travel company they always started with a standard itinerary and it took hours of negotiation and copious emails to turn this into the trip he really wanted. Especially when it came to doing something really different such as adding some exhilarating activities, getting behind the scenes access, or finding specialist guides. And everything extra he added had a totally disproportionate effect on the price.

So, he took the challenge of creating a company to build truly awesome trips to spectacular places that were designed to meet the needs of people like him without requiring a lot of bespoking, and bookable straight off the screen. These included all the highlights, plus exciting activities, and unique access to special events, concerts and festivals, as well as expert private guides to museums and galleries, private transfers, and truly authentic local experiences. He then added options to refine trips by adding extra activities or extension nights so it was easy to book your ideal trip without all the phone calls and emails - and Awesome Experiences was born…