Jurilovca tourists misled by AI and agencies regarding cancelled festival

Hundreds of tourists arrived in Jurilovca, Tulcea County, expecting to attend the Lipovan Borscht Festival, only to find the event had not been organized for 2026. More than ten coaches and numerous private vehicles descended on the village due to misinformation spread by travel agencies and artificial intelligence.

Mayor Eugen Ion reported that tourism agencies had been promoting trips to the festival since early summer using various incorrect dates. Many travelers claimed they had verified the event's occurrence by asking ChatGPT, which provided affirmative answers despite the festival being suspended since 2025 due to budget constraints.

Local authorities noted that while they had requested agencies to remove misleading offers, some continued to insist the event was happening because of online information. The mayor described the incident as a case study in how easily people can be misled by digital misinformation and urged travelers to verify plans through official government sources.