Artificial intelligence can make travel more convenient, but its greater value may lie in helping tourism destinations coordinate services, manage visitor flows and make better operational decisions, Jianbo Wu, Secretary General of the Green and Smart Energy Organization (GSEO), said at an international conference in Tashkent on Friday.
Speaking at the International Scientific-Practical Conference on “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Tourism Sector”, Wu drew on examples from China and Singapore to examine how AI is being applied across the visitor journey, from planning a trip to navigating a destination and accessing local services.
His central argument was that successful AI adoption should be measured by practical results rather than technological novelty. A chatbot may answer a traveller’s question, he noted, but a more meaningful improvement occurs when visitors can turn that answer into a workable itinerary and move between transport, accommodation and attractions with fewer obstacles.
Wu highlighted Zhejiang Province’s Zhejiang Travel platform, also known as Haiyou, launched in 2025 to assist international visitors. The platform can generate personalised itineraries based on travel dates, budgets and interests, while bringing together AI assistants for attractions, hotels and budget planning. It also supports real-time translation in five languages.
Zhejiang has paired these planning functions with an “Easy Go” service code connecting hotel check-in, attraction entry and public transport. The integration addresses a common problem for international visitors: services may be available individually, yet remain difficult to navigate as a whole. According to a Zhejiang government report, the platform recorded 80,000 visits in its first month, an early indication of interest in more integrated travel services.
Wu also discussed Hangzhou’s efforts to improve the practical experience of international visitors. In 2026, the city introduced an airport-based service enabling foreign visitors to obtain temporary driving permits and rent cars. By September, visitors from 12 countries and regions had used the service, expanding the options available to travellers wishing to explore areas beyond the city centre.
Hangzhou recorded 1.08 million overnight inbound visits during the first seven months of 2026, a 50.1 per cent increase year on year. Wu cautioned against attributing that growth to AI, but said the figures underscored the importance of making destinations easier for international visitors to navigate.
He also distinguished AI applications from broader digital infrastructure. Online payments, electronic tax refunds and digital check-in systems can improve convenience without necessarily involving AI. AI contributes in different ways, including multilingual assistance, natural-language interaction and personalised recommendations. The greatest benefits emerge when these capabilities work alongside reliable transport, payment and visitor-management systems.
The presentation also covered Hangzhou’s newly opened national pilot facility for AI in culture and tourism, which is developing applications ranging from AI travel agents to tools for identifying damage to historic buildings. The facility has reported training one such model on more than 300,000 annotated records, with accuracy above 87 per cent. For Wu, these initiatives illustrate a shift from demonstrations towards applications that can be tested and refined in real operating environments.
Drawing on Singapore’s cooperation with OpenAI and its exploration of AI applications for tourism businesses and visitors, Wu emphasised the role of public tourism agencies in bringing technology providers, attractions and businesses together. The priority, he argued, is to identify applications that solve identifiable problems and deliver measurable benefits.
He proposed three questions for evaluating AI initiatives: whether they improve the visitor experience, help destination managers use resources more effectively, and create economic opportunities for local businesses and less-visited cultural sites. These outcomes, he said, should be measured rather than assumed.
The conference brought together international speakers, academics, public-sector representatives and tourism practitioners to discuss the opportunities and challenges of applying AI in the sector. Organised by the Research Institute for Tourism Development under Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee, the event formed part of wider discussions on the sustainable development and effective management of tourism destinations.
Wu’s participation also builds on GSEO’s previous cooperation with Uzbek partners. The organisation has been involved in international initiatives connecting sustainable development with practical cooperation. A joint United Nations project with the Uzbek tourism research institute, Tourism Promotes Poverty Reduction, Employment and Women’s Development in Uzbekistan, was recognised as a good practice in United Nations South-South and Triangular Cooperation.
