The arrival of artificial intelligence technology is helping transform tourism experiences across China, with tour operators and scenic sites utilizing these high-tech tools to enhance their offerings and individual visitors also quickly and conveniently crafting their own personalized travel plans using AI.

The rising trend is part of a smart tourism boom that sees AI increasingly adopted in China's tourism industry, with a wide variety of entities from hotels, to tour groups and even the management of local scenic areas all using this technology to inform key business decisions.
It is also drastically changing the way tourists formulate their travel plans before embarking on trips. According to travel site Mafengwo, nearly 60 percent of the traditional online search traffic has now instead migrated to AI-powered platforms, as people turn to these AI assistants to act as their own specialized travel agent.
These innovations are having a positive impact in northwest China's Gansu Province, where the stunning Lanzhou Ink-wash Danxia Scenic Area -- a scenic wonder with colorful sandstone cliffs and steep rock formations -- is welcoming an influx of visitors.
As well as the natural scenery, management at the site have also sought to maximize more modern entertainment means, and operators of a theater built in the geological park are now producing more AI-enhanced digital content to attract more potential visitors.
"Visitor numbers and revenue are both growing. We're seeing more out-of-province tourists, families, and student tours. Right now, we're making AI videos to showcase our scenery across multiple platforms, building a high-frequency content matrix," said Song Ruoyu, deputy operations manager of the scenic area.
Many of the tourists here have also fully embraced AI, which they say removes the often time-consuming task of searching through countless webpages to find the best suggestions for things to do or eat nearby.
"AI can also make travel itineraries for me, suggesting places to visit and local food. I actually used it on my trip to Lanzhou and it worked great," said Wang Xiaoying, a tourist.
"AI is becoming way more useful now. For example, it instantly pushed all the hotels, restaurants, and transport options in Lanzhou to me. It's so convenient, I don't even need to plan my trip myself anymore," said another tourist named Miao Jiashun.