Chinese tourists are revolutionizing their travel experiences by embracing artificial intelligence (AI) guides. From personalized itineraries to real-time assistance, AI is reshaping the way people explore the world.
Major tourism platforms in the Chinese mainland have integrated AI technologies, offering travelers smarter and more efficient services. Tourists can now simply input requests like “Must-visit attractions for a three-day stay in Shanghai” or “A 15-day trip to Canada focusing on natural landscapes,” and receive tailored recommendations within minutes.
Liang Jianzhang, chairman of Trip.com Group, highlighted the impact of AI on travel planning. “Our large model provides users with comprehensive intelligent services before, during, and after their trips by screening high-quality travel data and combining it with real-time information,” he said. “Currently, 80% of inquiries can be swiftly resolved by AI, reducing users’ decision-making time for a trip from approximately 9 to 6.6 hours.”
Industry insiders suggest using at least two platforms to obtain AI recommendations, ensuring a well-informed decision that meets travelers’ needs.
Sun Xiaolei, a travel enthusiast who embarked on a 17-day self-drive journey in western Canada, shared his experience. “To create a self-drive strategy for western Canada, I spent nearly a month browsing through numerous travel guides and notes,” he said. Sun found that AI recommendations overlapped with his carefully planned route by 70% to 80%, giving AI suggestions a score of 6 to 7 out of 10.
In recent months, Chinese provinces and cities, notably Guizhou Province and Shanghai, have launched AI agents offering tourism advice.
Huang Xiao Xi, a digital human adorned in Guizhou ethnic attire, can generate personalized tour plans in seconds and help tourists order local delicacies with just one click. Debuted at a recent conference in Guizhou Province, she serves as the core of Guizhou’s tourism AI model, providing intelligent services throughout the travel process, including itinerary planning, intelligent ordering, and tour guidance.
Similarly, Shanghai has introduced Hu Xiao You, a smart tourism service system that connects in real time with information on business outlets, scenic spot visitor flow, traffic conditions, and even nearby restroom locations.
Zhong Xiaomin, director of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, emphasized the benefits of AI integration. “AI has allowed the seamless integration of authoritative information from cultural and tourism departments with the creative and personal experiences of businesses and tourists,” Zhong said. She added that Hu Xiao You will continue to learn from user feedback, enabling Shanghai’s tourism resources to more accurately meet and satisfy tourists’ personalized needs.
Wearable smart guide devices have also become more prevalent, especially in museums. These devices provide users with a private AI tour guide at a fraction of the cost of human guides. Through technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and 3D imaging, users can “interact” with historical figures and cultural relics, bringing ancient paintings and artifacts to life.
Gan Chunhui, executive vice president of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, analyzed that introducing new technologies has helped the tourism industry form new quality productive forces. “Instead of discarding traditional industries, China aims to revitalize them with technological innovations tailored to local development needs,” Gan said. He anticipates key improvements in the industry, including informatization, networking, digitization, automation, and higher efficiency.
As AI continues to weave itself into the fabric of the tourism industry, Chinese tourists are likely to enjoy smarter, more personalized travel experiences both at home and abroad.
