TLDR: Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming China’s tourism sector, with widespread adoption across major platforms and local initiatives. Innovative AI applications, including AR glasses, digital humans, and AI-driven itinerary planning, are enhancing visitor experiences, revitalizing cultural attractions, and unlocking significant new consumption potential, making AI a key driver for this year’s summer travel.
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has become a pivotal force in the rapid transformation and expansion of China’s tourism industry this year, injecting new momentum and significantly boosting consumption. The widespread application of AI is evident across major tourism platforms and in unique AI tourism service platforms launched by various provinces and cities.
AI has emerged as a defining keyword for the current summer travel season, driven by a surge of innovative technological applications. These include the deployment of digital humans, metaverse experiences, exoskeletons, robot dogs, captivating drone performances, and advanced augmented reality (AR) glasses. According to an industry observer, these technologies are not only revitalizing the tourism and cultural sectors but also unlocking substantial new consumption potential.
Concrete examples of AI integration are already enhancing visitor experiences. At the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, tourists can now rent AR glasses for a smart guided tour. A staff member explained that these devices function as intelligent guides, allowing visitors to virtually travel back in time to experience ancient sacrificial ceremonies while observing the real-life scenery. Xue Yafei, a representative from Beijing-based VITURE Inc., an AR glasses developer, confirmed that the company has partnered with several scenic spots and museums in Beijing. Their AR technology recreates historical and cultural landscapes, offering an immersive ‘time-travel’ experience by digitally reproducing vanished cultural relics and bustling historical scenes.
Beyond on-site experiences, AI is also empowering tourists in their planning and exploration. A Sichuan-based visitor, Ms. Liao, shared her recent experience during a self-driving trip in Shanghai, where she utilized an in-car AI large model to meticulously plan her itinerary, covering clothing, food, accommodation, and transportation. She noted that ‘Compared with traditional tourism platforms, AI platforms offer more interactive experiences.’
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Experts emphasize that AI’s impact extends beyond mere functional utility. Wang, an industry expert, articulated that when AI can interpret a tourist’s smile, robots can convey cultural warmth, and the metaverse can redefine the boundaries of time and space, tourism consumption evolves from simple functional satisfaction to profound emotional resonance. To fully capitalize on the ‘long-tail effect’ in the tourism market, tourist attractions are encouraged to strike a delicate balance between efficiency and warmth, and between innovation and tradition, with technology serving as the backbone and culture as the soul.
