AP To Be First AI-Powered Tourism State

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh would become India's first Artificial Intelligence-powered tourism state, with the government here signing a three-year strategic pact with travel technology company Explurger to deploy its NiVU AI platform across major tourist destinations.

Tourism minister Kandula Durgesh announced the initiative on Tuesday after signing an MoU at the Secretariat in the presence of special chief secretary Ajay Jain, tourism authority managing director Amrapali Kata, CEO Padmavathi and senior officials.

The minister said NiVU AI (neural intelligence vernacular unified model) would be introduced at over 100 tourist and pilgrimage destinations across the state in phases, making AP the country's first AI-powered tourism destination. The first phase will cover 30 major locations within a year. Full implementation is targeted over three years, with the agreement extendable based on performance.

Tourists will be able to scan QR codes installed at forts, beaches, temples and heritage monuments to interact with NiVU AI through voice or text in more than 130 languages. The service will be free of cost and will not require visitors to download any application.

Durgesh said successful pilot projects at the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple and Sri Panakala Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Mangalagiri received an encouraging response. Hundreds of devotees used the AI platform daily to learn about temple history, rituals and cultural significance in their preferred languages.

The minister unveiled the "Ask AI" QR code and demonstrated the platform live before the media along with Ajay Jain.

Besides enhancing visitor experience, the platform will provide APTA with real-time analytics on tourist preferences, languages and behavioural patterns, enabling better tourism planning and destination management.

Describing the initiative as a major milestone under the state's Swarna Andhra Vision-2047, Durgesh expressed confidence that AI-enabled services would significantly boost tourist arrivals, particularly during major events such as the Godavari Pushkaralu.

Ajay Jain said the initiative would position AP as a model for other states and countries by making advanced AI technology easily accessible to tourists.

APTA CEO Padmavathi said the partnership combines Andhra Pradesh's rich heritage with world-class Indian technology.

Explurger Founder and CEO Jitin Bhatia said the collaboration would make AP the first state where every major tourist destination could "speak" to every visitor in their own language. The platform, which has over 22 million users across 75 countries, was showcased during the G20 Summit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.