Sichuan Nanchong: Creating a New "AI + Culture and Tourism" Ecosystem, Intelligent Technology Solves the Shortage of Minority Language Tour Guides

During the peak tourist season, the dilemma of a severe shortage of tour guides proficient in minority languages such as Vietnamese, Thai, and Malay has been alleviated by the empowerment of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. From April 14 to 16, during the 2025 "Sichuan at Ease · Enjoying Tianshu" event organized by the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism in conjunction with the Nanchong Municipal Government, an AI translation and simultaneous interpretation headphone covering 143 languages became the focus of attention. This device can not only translate tour guide explanations in real-time but also synchronize the content to tourists' earphones via Bluetooth, facilitating seamless communication between Chinese-speaking guides and foreign tourists. This innovation marks the official launch of a dual-driven model of "technology + culture and tourism" in Sichuan, injecting new vitality into the inbound tourism market.

In front of the booth of Koyinda Company, the palm-sized translation device attracted the attention of many travel merchants. "The device supports niche languages such as Vietnamese and Malay, can recognize dialects, and its cost is only 30% of traditional human translation," said Zhu Zhengcong, the company's general manager. These devices, which have been widely used in international conferences, are now adapted for tourism scenarios to quickly address the shortage of tour guides. For example, when a Chinese-speaking tour guide wears a wireless transmitter, the explanation is translated in real-time by AI into the target language, and foreign tourists receive it through their headphones, with a delay of less than 0.5 seconds. Currently, the device supports a "rental and sales combination" model, allowing travel agencies to configure flexibly according to their needs, significantly reducing operational pressure.

Wang Zhaoxue, President of the Sichuan Provincial Travel Agency Association, revealed that since the beginning of this year, the association has jointly developed several intelligent devices with technology companies and piloted them in popular scenic spots such as Jiuzhaigou and Mount Emei. "In the past, a Vietnamese tour group required two translators, but now one Chinese-speaking tour guide with a few sets of headphones can manage it, increasing efficiency by more than 50%," he said.

Behind the breakthrough in technological equipment is Sichuan's systematic approach to addressing the shortage of minority language tour guides. A relevant official from the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism stated that the solution follows a "two-pronged approach" strategy: on one hand, collaborating with universities to initiate the construction of a "minority language tourism interpretation talent pool," focusing on cultivating urgently needed talents in languages such as Vietnamese and Thai; on the other hand, promoting in-depth cooperation between technology companies and travel agencies to develop lightweight, low-cost technological devices, creating a sustainable model of "talent reserve + intelligent assistance."

"Technology is not meant to replace tour guides, but to make human resources more efficiently serve the upgrade of tourist experiences," emphasized a relevant official from the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. The next step will be to build a provincial smart tour guide service platform, integrating data from scenic spots, hotels, transportation, and other aspects to provide tourists with a "one-stop" intelligent service. With the improvement of the "AI + culture and tourism" ecosystem, Sichuan is breaking through the dilemma of the "tour guide shortage" and demonstrating a high-quality development path for technology-empowered tourism to the world.

As the AI translation voices in the headphones intertwine with the whistle of ships on the Jialing River, and the itinerary recommendations on the smart platform correspond with the smiles of tourists, Sichuan's "tech-savvy" approach to culture and tourism is quietly reshaping the boundaries of inbound tourism experiences. This technology-driven transformation not only addresses the urgent need but also opens up new imaginative space for the culture and tourism economy.

Authors: Yi Qinghai, Tang Min