Hundreds of tourists are reportedly flocking to a small northern Tasmanian town to sample its famed hot springs.

The only problem is the much-vaunted springs are the figment of an AI imagination.

Screenshots from a now-deleted blog on Tasmania Tours’ website showed recommendations for “Weldborough Hot Springs” promising to “a peaceful escape” in the forests of north-east Tasmania.

Weldborough, a small rural town about 110 kilometres from  Launceston, definitely does not have hot springs and the images and content touting them appears to be the result of faulty AI or “AI hallucinations”.

Scott Hennessey, owner of NSW-based Australian Tours and Cruises, which operates Tasmania Tours, told the ABC last week that “our AI has messed up completely.”

Hennessey said the company had outsourced its marketing material to a third party, and while he normally reviewed each post, the blog was published while he was out of the country.

“We’re trying to compete with the big boys,” Hennessy was quoted as saying. “Part of that is you’ve got to keep your content refreshed and new all of the time.”

“We don’t have enough horsepower to write enough content on our own, and that’s why we outsource part of this function,” he said.

“We’re not a scam,” he said. “We’re a married couple trying to do the right thing by people … We are legit, we are real people, we employ sales staff.”

Kristy Probert, owner of the local Weldborough Hotel, told CNN she was confused when tourists started asking her questions about the hot springs in September.

Kristy Probert was puzzled at visitors’ questions. Photo: Weldborough Hotel

“It was only a couple of calls to start with, but then people began turning up in droves,” Probert said.

“I was receiving probably five phone calls a day, and at least two to three people arriving at the hotel looking for them. We’re in a very remote location, so it was very random.”

Probert said she would respond each time: “If you can find these hot springs, beers are on me.”

She said the local Weld River was “freezing”, and typically only occupied by prospectors searching for sapphire and tin.

“They wear wetsuits,” she said. “There’s a sauna in a nearby town. I guess you could jump into the freezing river after you’ve been over there.”

Probert said that she felt sorry for the owners of Tasmania Tours, who she said she had spoken to by phone.

“They seem like lovely people, and we’ve all made mistakes. I think this was quite a funny one,” she said.

“There is plenty to do in Weldborough, just no hot springs.”

The Weld River is popular with fossickers and anglers. Photo Pinterest

A former tin-mining town, Weldborough has a permanent population of just 33 people, according to the 2021 census.

While there no hot springs, the Weld River is a sought-after destination for fossicking and fly fishing, while the town is a popular stop for cyclists and motorbike riders touring the area.