The Sacramento suburb of Folsom, California last month released a promotional video featuring Bigfoot. We will be showing you a guided tour of the city. We went to the zoo, swam at Lake Natoma, got ice cream and got a zip line.
Social media videos created by city communications officer Chris Shepherd use generative artificial intelligence. The clip, which has won hundreds of thousands of views on social media, is the latest example of state and local officials increasingly relying on AI to boost tourism on a budget.
Sheppard told Spectrum News 1 that using Google Veo, Folsom saved money while facing a $3 million deficit, at no additional charge for the city's Google subscription.
“Like most local governments here, we operate on a very tight budget,” Shepherd told reporters. “And what's amazing about AI is that these videos are actually free to do with Hollywood production values.”
One recent report shows that AI-powered tourism promotion is expected to boom over the next five years, with market value expected to increase from $3.37 billion in 2024 to $138.6 billion by 2030.
“These systems analyze large amounts of data, such as search history, location, and behavioral patterns, and provide suggestions that are closely matched with individual preferences,” reads the June report of Research and Markets.
Folsom joins other cities that use AI to enhance tourism. Seattle, sometimes called Emerald City, recently launched Emerald, an AI travel resource powered by Guideek, an AI-powered travel assistant, to provide visitors with personalized recommendations. Last January, New York City introduced Ellis, an AI chat platform designed to allow experts to plan meetings and practices across the city's five wards.
