Kerala Tourism to extensively use AI to help tourists

Kerala is going to extensively use Artificial Intelligence to educate, interact with, inform, and guide tourists who are visiting the state. Kerala Tourism will soon zero in on a startup to develop the AI technology, which will function as a personalised guide for tourists visiting the state.

According to officials, Kerala Tourism has approached Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) to select the startup for developing the AI system. As part of the project, fully AI-driven kiosks will be set up across all important tourist destinations in the state. “The AI kiosks will be a technological revolution in the tourism sector. They will have the capability to converse in all regional and foreign languages,” said an officer of the tourism department.

The KSUM has already invited expressions of interest from startups for developing the AI kiosks that will also have facial recognition technology to provide tourists with personalised and context-aware services.

Apart from providing up-to-date information about local attractions, dining options, events, and more, the AI will also provide personalised suggestions based on the tourist’s preferences, history, and location.

There will also be an integrated advanced navigation system to guide tourists to their desired destinations effortlessly, including itinerary preparation. The kiosk will have a user interface that can be easily accessible to users of all ages and tech proficiency levels.

The tourism department also plans to use the data from such kiosks to gather insights on tourist behaviour and preferences. “The data will be used to further enhance tourism facilities in the state. The AI chatbot will be capable of real-time engagement with tourists, answering queries, providing recommendations, and offering support. The kiosks will have both voice and text-based interaction options to enhance user accessibility and convenience,” the officials said, adding that strong cybersecurity infrastructure will be put in place to safeguard the privacy and data of the users.

The kiosks will also have an AI-enabled digital interface for tourists to book cabs and other related services. “The project also focuses on providing tourists with seamless access to transportation services directly through AI-powered information kiosks. The goal is to simplify the process of booking cabs and other related logistics, ensuring tourists can easily move around and enjoy their visit without transportation concerns. The kiosk will be integrated with popular cab booking services and train/flight booking services via APIs. Tourists can select their destination, choose the type of vehicle they prefer, and book a ride in just a few taps,” said an official document.