The May Day holiday has quietly concluded. Beyond the visitor surges at major scenic spots, tourism services across various regions unveiled numerous innovative approaches during this period: intelligent traffic management robots safeguarded travel safety by West Lake in Hangzhou, while government canteens in Hubei and Chongqing opened their doors to the public, conveying city warmth through affordable and delicious meals. From technology-enhanced travel to heartwarming benefits, local authorities demonstrated both robust support and sincere hospitality through innovative practices, ensuring the holiday was both secure and emotionally enriching.
From traffic guidance to culinary and mixology tasks, advanced technologies were actively deployed this Labor Day. Artificial intelligence became a capable assistant in tourism services, with various intelligent robots officially commencing duties to protect and enhance the visitor experience. On the first day of the holiday, China's first full-strength traffic management robot squadron, "Hangzhou Police Smart Travel," began operations in Hangzhou's West Lake Scenic Area. This team of 15 intelligent robots worked alongside traffic police, primarily responsible for劝阻 non-motor vehicle and pedestrian violations, directing traffic, and providing directions to tourists. Visitors could quickly access inquiry services by tapping the "I want to speak" button on the robot's interactive screen, offering convenience and efficiency.
During the holiday, Shenzhen leveraged robust innovation combining technology and tourism to transform the entire city into an immersive experience zone, repeatedly setting new records for visitor numbers. On May 1, Shenzhen's first robot restaurant experience store officially opened in Bantian, Longgang, where over ten types of robotic "workers" managed the entire process from greeting guests to cooking and mixing drinks. Concurrently, the "Robot Labor Day" event launched, featuring high-tech performances like kung fu shows and piano ensembles, creating an immersive experience that integrated dining with entertainment and delivered holiday joy for entire families.
Government canteens "opened their doors to welcome guests," with heartwarming benefits highlighting urban hospitality. Facing surging tourist numbers, maximizing the use of existing resources tested a city's confidence and vision. This May Day, many local government canteens broke down barriers, opening their doors to residents and tourists. Evolving from simply offering convenience to providing genuine warmth, these canteens became "reception halls" conveying city hospitality through affordable, tasty meals and thoughtful service, earning widespread public praise.
Chibi City in Hubei Province opened its government canteen, comprehensively upgrading dishes, service, and cultural experiences while continuing its public-benefit dining model. The canteen introduced a special 18-yuan "3 meat dishes, 2 vegetable dishes" set meal, with free refills of rice and soup, while also setting up an affordable small-bowl dish section with prices ranging from 2 to 20 yuan. This approach balanced cost-effectiveness with local flavors, meeting diverse dining needs and allowing tourists to enjoy economical meals with local characteristics during their travels.
The Rongchang District government canteen in Chongqing also radiated warmth, serving approximately 1,000 tourists by noon on May 1 alone, and even providing free birthday meal sets to 18 tourists celebrating their birthdays that day. Reports indicated that from May 1 to 5, any resident or tourist celebrating their birthday could receive a complimentary birthday meal set at the canteen, featuring local specialties like Wanling sesame cakes, Rongchang marinated goose, and yellow jelly noodles, using thoughtful details to warm every visitor's heart.
Technology-enabled tourism unlocked new enjoyment through distinctive scenarios. Beyond traditional sightseeing, AI-powered特色消费场景 became new highlights attracting visitors this holiday, making tours more personalized and entertaining. Hubei Culture and Tourism Group, leveraging artificial intelligence technology, partnered with 44 scenic spots across the province to launch "AI Photo Prompt Stations." When visiting core attractions, tourists could scan a QR code, upload a personal photo, and instantly generate customized high-quality images in various styles like fantasy or ancient theme, with the actual scenic spot as background, capturing beautiful travel moments.
At the "Chang'an Twelve Hours Theme Block" in Xi'an, Shaanxi, advanced AI technology created an immersive "time travel to the prosperous Tang Dynasty" experience. By taking a selfie with their phones, visitors could have their faces integrated into selected templates using large AI models. In just three minutes, a short video was generated showing them wearing magnificent costumes and exquisite makeup, perfectly blended into a virtual Tang Dynasty setting. The unique experience received high praise from many tourists, becoming a popular holiday attraction.
In Beijing's Summer Palace, addressing foreign tourists' primary concern about language barriers, 58 intelligent AI translation devices were deployed across all service points. Major gates like the East Palace Gate, North Palace Gate, and Newly Built Gate featured "parent-child AI translation machines," using dual devices to enable real-time translation between staff and visitors through windows, supporting 75 languages and accents. Additionally, 48 locations including tourist service centers and boat docks were equipped with handheld smart translators. "When I was selecting fridge magnets at the cultural创意 shop, the salesperson even used the AI translator to explain the history of the Tower of Buddhist Incense. It's so intelligent. Friends from around the world should be able to appreciate the thoughtful care in this classical garden," remarked Maria, a tourist from Brazil, after her shopping experience, noting that this unexpected surprise boosted her confidence for the rest of her China trip.
At the Sanxingdui Museum, beyond implementing measures like AI and combined human and technical security to combat ticket scalpers, visitors could experience newly launched attractions such as "Seeking Sanxingdui" and "Echoes of Heaven and Earth - Sanxingdui Panoramic Audio-Visual Digital Art Theater." Wearing MR or AR glasses, audiences could instantly "travel back" to the mysterious ancient Shu Kingdom. In the "interactive panoramic sound LED dome" space, simply waving a digital torch could "summon" a divine bird to circle and dance within the 20-meter diameter dome.
Mobile charging provided robust support, solving travel power needs. As May Day travel demand surged, charging needs for new energy vehicles also rose significantly. On the first day of the holiday, charging volume for new energy vehicles at national expressway service areas reached 23.0339 million kWh, a 55.6% increase compared to the same period in 2025, setting a new historical record for charging volume on the first day of a May Day holiday. To alleviate "difficulty finding charging piles," various regions introduced mobile charging services to support new energy vehicle owners.
In Hebei Province, eight mobile storage and charging robots were deployed at service areas along three major highways that typically experience high holiday traffic. These robots come with their own supplementary charging equipment, not occupying existing charging pile resources. They can move flexibly within parking areas, achieving "piles finding cars" for convenient energy replenishment, effectively easing charging congestion for new energy vehicles during the holiday.
At the Xinqiao Service Area on the Shanghai-Shaanxi Expressway, a mobile emergency storage charging vehicle deployed by State Grid Anhui Hefei Power Supply Company, featuring "storage + charging + solar supplement," could not only quickly recharge new energy vehicles but also store excess power back into its storage system. In case of external power loss, it could supplement power using rooftop solar panels. Throughout the holiday, this mobile emergency charging vehicle was dispatched to various busy charging points as needed, fully ensuring tourists' power requirements during travel.
This May Day holiday demonstrated that AI has moved beyond being a mere novelty to becoming a practical tool; institutional barriers were broken down, fostering mutual engagement between tourists and cities. While the holiday has ended, these humane and forward-thinking service explorations are poised to provide valuable insights for future holiday economic development, ensuring that every journey is filled with warmth and pleasant surprises.
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