Tourists experience the metaverse at the Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province. (Photo/Zhou Shegen)
As application scenarios expand at an accelerated pace nationwide, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with tourism continues to spark new possibilities, enhancing service quality in the tourism industry while unlocking cultural charm through creative approaches and delivering fresh travel experiences.
Currently, AI is becoming a trusted travel companion for many tourists. By inputting travel dates, budgets, interests, and specific requirements, travelers can quickly receive detailed AI-generated travel itineraries.
A growing number of travelers are choosing AI for personalized trip planning. On social media platforms, discussion threads related to topics such as "using DeepSeek for travel tips" and "AI-customized travel" have attracted hundreds of thousands of posts. These discussions feature itinerary planning that encompasses not only attractions, dining, and accommodations but also recommendations for avoiding crowds, saving expenses, and styling.
Photo shows tourists wearing exoskeleton robots at the Shizhu Mountain scenic area in Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province. (Photo/Xie Guiming)
From generating travel tips to providing online guidance and personalized recommendations, AI is emerging as the "new guide" for young travelers.
This year, tourism platforms across multiple regions have announced the launch of "AI reference" services.
In Shenbei New District of Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, the tourism department has integrated AI large language models with local culture and tourism expertise to build intelligent modules that dynamically generate travel routes based on group size, preferences, and destinations, while providing online answers to visitors’ questions about what to do, where to eat, and where to stay.
Several travel platform companies have also keenly recognized this market trend, and are actively positioning themselves accordingly. Fliggy, Mafengwo, LY.com, and other online travel platforms have launched related AI products.
Intelligent tour guide robots perform at the Inner Mongolia Museum in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Ma Jinrui)
According to a report on the development of China’s smart tourism in 2024 released by the China Tourism Academy, AI breakthroughs are accelerating the digital transformation of the tourism industry, bringing new opportunities for smart tourism development. Generative AI is expected to significantly impact tourism content creation, trend forecasting, data analysis, and personalized marketing, becoming an important force driving the sector’s transformation.
Walking along ancient city walls and wandering among lantern displays in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, visitors curious about the design and craftsmanship of each lantern installation or seeking optimal touring routes can now receive thoughtful assistance from a "Tang Dynasty (618–907) maiden" who "speaks" Chinese, English, and Russian.
This is made possible by an intelligent customer service system launched by the "Visit Shaanxi" platform. At relevant scenic spots in Xi’an, after scanning a QR code, this charming "Tang Dynasty maiden" in traditional hanfu attire appears on visitors’ mobile phones, providing companionship throughout their journey with real-time travel advice.
A tourist drives a vehicle with a "cyber tour guide" at a park in Xiong’an New Area, north China’s Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Mou Yu)
Across China, scenic areas are accelerating the integration of AI with tourism. Recently, attractions including Mount Huangshan, Mount Lushan, and Three Gorges Dragon Ridge have announced integration with DeepSeek’s large language models, upgrading their intelligent interaction, services, and travel companion experiences.
Meanwhile, tourism enterprises such as China Travel International Investment Hong Kong Limited and China CYTS Tours Holding Co., Ltd. have widely applied AI in the fields of intelligent customer service and "digital tour guides," making the cultural tourism industry more intelligent and personalized.
Children try virtual reality devices in the Shanghai Museum of Glass in Shanghai. (People’s Daily/Wang Chu)
In recent years, immersive digital cultural tourism scenarios created through the integration of AI with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have been emerging, continuously generating new products, scenarios, and experiences.
At a digital exhibition hall in the Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Dunhuang, northwest China’s Gansu Province, visitors can wear VR headsets for immersive exploration of Cave 285 to closely inspect murals and explore cave details in 360 degrees, making Dunhuang culture accessible through VR and AR technologies.
Photo shows visitors at an AI digital art exhibition at the Shandong Art Museum in east China’s Shandong Province. (Photo by Hao Xincheng/Xinhua)
In August 2024, the "Global Linking of Dunhuang Culture: An Encounter with the Chinese Civilization (The USA and Bahamas Special Session)" exchange event was broadcast live for the first time using 5G technology with real-time rendering and low-latency transmission, enabling users to switch perspectives online for immersive digital museum experiences, attracting tens of thousands of international viewers.
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0721/c90000-20342968.html