Shanghai launches AI-powered Hu Xiaoyou travel service hub

Shanghai launched the Hu Xiaoyou Service Center on Aug 19, a one-stop travel service hub spanning culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and exhibitions and combining AI-powered trip planning, multilingual assistance, and international card payment services.

The center brings together the Hu Xiaoyou AI travel assistant and the Meet China international card payment terminal.

By the end of August, Shanghai plans to roll out Hu Xiaoyou services to 100 locations across the city, including airports, hotels, tourist information centers, competition venues, and major scenic areas.

​The Hu Xiaoyou AI travel assistant offers multilingual travel information and personalized recommendations. [Photo/Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism]

Explore and plan

The Hu Xiaoyou service hub brings together information on more than 84,000 cultural, commercial, tourism, sports, and exhibition resources across 36 major categories and 117 subcategories.

The AI assistant provides Q&A services, precise location services, multilingual interaction, and personalized itinerary recommendations. It can also offer simultaneous interpretation and generate travel journals using AI.

The service hub also highlights selected Shanghai landmarks.

Book tickets and find services

The center connects to more than 20 platforms, providing users with access to around 14,000 ticketing and shopping links.

It also provides information on more than 20,000 catering outlets and over 7,500 hotels and homestays, along with services covering food, accommodations, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment.

​A Hu Xiaoyou Service Center combines the Hu Xiaoyou AI travel assistant with a Meet China international card payment terminal. [Photo/Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism]

Pay with international cards

The Meet China terminal lets international visitors make payments without downloading an app, creating an account, or linking a card.

Its services cover culture and tourism, dining, shopping, and customized services. The terminal supports 10 languages and payments in more than 120 currencies.