News / Author says AI travel guides ‘flooding the market’
Tour guide Laurie Goodlad says three more books pop up when one is removed
A SHETLAND guide book author says it is “disheartening” and “disappointing” to see travel guides seemingly written by AI “flooding the market”.
Laurie Goodlad, who is also a tour guide, said the problem is not unique to Shetland and is being felt right across the tourism industry.
It comes after a book containing false or inaccurate information was raised with Shetland News after being picked up at Sumburgh Airport by an unwitting visitor.
The guide, reputedly written by an author called Dale D. Martinez, claimed Lerwick’s Fjara restaurant is actually based at Sumburgh Head and that the Clickimin has a multi-storey car park.
After a flood of negative reviews on Amazon, the book was briefly removed by the online retailer.
However it was reposted last Tuesday, at a price of £14.75 for the paperback copy, and now appears as a sponsored post at the top of the page when people search for Shetland travel guides.
Two people – one hotelier and one person who owns a short-term let – contacted Shetland News in the wake of the previous story to say they had discovered similar false guides left behind by tourists over the summer.
Goodlad’s own book – Shetland: Your Essential Travel Guide – was published in July 2024, and she said she first came across AI-written guides for the isles when researching.
“I discovered a supposed Shetland guide proudly displaying an Islay distillery on the front cover – and many other dubious ‘guides’,” she said.
“The one saving grace is that, at least these books don’t appear to plagiarising my own efforts – that would certainly sting more if my own work was being carbon copied.
“But it is disheartening, particularly given the amount of research, time, dedication, love and hours I poured into my one.”
She said that she and Misa Hay, who worked on the book with her, had wanted to produce a guide for Shetland that was “rooted in lived experience” and “deeply personal”.
Goodlad said her hope was that the AI travel guide story would be a “turning point” for local bookshops and publishers – with people seeking reputable, local knowledge instead.
She added they “may just be able to enjoy a comeback as people become fed up buying garbage and try to seek out reputable sellers”.
“I can live in hope, but unfortunately AI is here to stay, and as quickly as one dud guide is removed from large online selling sites, another three takes its place,” Goodlad said.
She urged people to “do their homework” if they are thinking of coming to Shetland, and to look for “reputable websites and books” before buying anything.
“Look for quality, check out the publisher, and importantly, read reviews and look at the author before clicking ‘buy now’,” Goodlad said.
“They should phone up local bookshops and ask them what books they would recommend – or look at which titles they are selling online – this goes for any region, as the problem is not isolated to Shetland, but is one that we’re seeing across the travel and tourism sector.
“These steps can all ensure that what they’re buying is going to be an accurate travel companion, and one that will enrich their experience rather than spoil a holiday.”
VisitScotland’s development manager for Shetland, Steve Mathieson, advised anyone looking to visit Shetland to refer to both their website and Promote Shetland’s website in the first instance.
Mathieson said they were “full of useful and accurate information”.
“There are, of course, many legitimate and well-researched guides to the islands, and I would advise anyone considering purchasing a guide to research the author as much as possible, whether they have a track record of producing previous guides or perhaps a local connection, before they spend their money,” he added.
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