Shanghai has launched 100 AI-powered tourist service terminals across Shanghai, designed to act as a one-stop travel assistant for visitors navigating everything from attractions and restaurants to transport, ticketing and payments.

Named ‘Hu Xiaoyou’, the AI travel agent can answer questions, provide navigation and location services, offer real-time multilingual assistance and build personalised itineraries based on a traveller's interests.

The rollout covers key visitor touchpoints including airports, hotels, tourism information centres, event venues, major business districts and scenic areas.

The terminals will also be staffed with volunteers to assist with additional queries.

Operators said that Hu Xiaoyou draws on a database containing over 84,000 cultural, commercial, tourism, sports and exhibition resources across Shanghai.

That means travellers can potentially use the terminals to go beyond the city's headline attractions, with the AI able to recommend activities and build an itinerary around individual preferences.

The system is also linked directly to over 20 platforms, giving users access to 14,000 ticketing and shopping links, and the ability to move from planning to booking in the same journey.

Those looking for somewhere to eat or stay can also tap into information covering more than 20,000 dining outlets and over 7,500 hotels and homestays.

No more language or payment barriers

The service has been designed with overseas travellers in mind.

Hu Xiaoyou supports simultaneous interpretation in 10 languages: Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Spanish, Thai, Russian and Arabic.

With the Meet China international card payment terminal, which is integrated into the service hub, international visitors can make payments - available in more than 120 currencies - without having to download an app, create an account or link their card to a local platform.

Shanghai plans to grow the Hu Xiaoyou network over time 100 spots citywide, according to government officials.