Will guests prefer parasocial AI tour guides to historical or fictional characters?

A parasocial bond is a one-sided emotional connection that someone forms with a public figure—like a celebrity, YouTuber, or influencer. It feels personal, even though the relationship isn’t mutual. You might know everything about their life, style, and preferences, yet they don’t know you exist. Still, the emotional connection can feel very real.

Traditionally, when we think about characters for AI-guided tours, we imagine historical figures—like knights, artists, or politicians—or fictional characters, either human or animal, created to bring stories to life. These roles tap into imagination, history, and sometimes pure fun.

But perhaps a new path is opening:
What if parasocial influencers become the preferred AI tour guides of the future?

In this emerging world, influencers wouldn’t just inspire travel through social media before a trip. They would become part of the trip itself—guiding guests in real time as AI-powered companions.

The influencer would shift from being a distant source of inspiration to an interactive, dynamic part of the experience. It’s no longer about a YouTube video you watched last month. It’s about them “walking” the city with you, reacting to your choices, answering your questions, and offering their familiar tone, style, and opinions—just as you expect.

Real-world example

Imagine a traveler who has followed a travel influencer for years—watching every vlog, reading every blog post, liking every Instagram story. That fan already feels they “know” the influencer.

Now, instead of buying a generic self-guided audio tour of Rome, they could walk through the city with an AI version of that influencer. The trusted voice they admire becomes their personal, interactive guide—adapting the tour to their interests, making jokes, offering tips, and even suggesting off-script detours.

This kind of experience would feel far more personal and emotionally engaging than a recording of an anonymous historian.

A few things to watch

• Business models: For this to be sustainable, it must be meaningful for the influencer. A 10% cut of a 10 USD tour isn't going to be enough. Licensing, brand extensions, and subscription models could come into play.
• Digital-only influencers: What happens when the influencer doesn’t exist in the real world at all? AI-generated personalities could rise to fame purely as AI tour guides, with no “real” version behind them.
• Accuracy vs authenticity: If an AI guide makes mistakes, does it hurt the influencer's brand? Safeguarding against hallucinations and maintaining trust will be critical.

Conclusion

Historical figures and fictional characters will always have a place in storytelling. But in a world where people increasingly form real emotional connections with digital personalities, parasocial AI tour guides could become the most compelling companions of all.

The future of exploration might not just be about seeing new places—it could be about walking through them with the digital voices we trust most.