The new travel influencers do not exist, but they already influence how we travel

In the last two years, the number of these profiles has multiplied. In Spain, one of the best known cases is Aitana Lopezwhile in the tourism sector, corporate projects designed to promote destinations, hotels and airlines stand out without resorting to real people.

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Among them is Sena Zpresented as a travel influencer created by AI in an alliance between Cenizaro Hotels & Resorts and the technology firm Brackets. Another example is Emma, ​​avatar and chatbot of the German National Tourist Officewhich publishes content and answers queries in multiple languages.

These are not isolated cases. Airlines and brands are betting on these avatars because of their low cost and total control: they do not age, they do not generate scandals and they produce content without traveling or filming. According to The New York Timescreating a virtual influencer can cost a fraction of a traditional campaign, which already impacts the income of human creators.

The expansion of the phenomenon has raised regulatory alerts. In Europe, the Artificial Intelligence Regulations (AI Act) will require transparency and labeling of content generated by AI from 2026, a line in which the European Commissionalthough many profiles today continue to operate in ambiguity.

Finally, beyond advertising, the rise of these avatars poses an underlying problem: they recommend places and experiences that they have not lived, with unreal bodies and stories that accumulate likes and algorithmic authority. In an environment saturated with perfect images, the question is no longer whether we will see more artificial influencers, but whether users will be able to distinguish them and demand to know who – or what – is behind each publication.