How Ai Is Uncovering Hidden Secrets Of Tourist Perceptions In Shanghai’s Historic Districts – You Won’t Believe What They Found!

Published on October 15, 2025

In a groundbreaking study by Tongji University, researchers person harnessed nan powerfulness of artificial intelligence (AI) to representation really visitors comprehend and interact pinch Shanghai’s historical neighborhoods. This innovative study reveals fascinating insights into nan ocular and affectional connections that visitors person pinch nan city’s practice districts. By utilizing a operation of precocious AI devices and real-time information from societal media, nan study offers a unsocial position connected really historical areas, from The Bund to Yuyuan Road, are viewed done nan eyes of tourists.

Mapping Tourist Perception Through AI

The squad of researchers from nan School of Economics and Management and nan College of Architecture and Urban Planning astatine Tongji University designed an AI-powered strategy that decodes tourists’ views connected Shanghai’s astir celebrated practice districts. These areas see well-known locations specified arsenic The Bund, West Nanjing Road, Yuyuan Road, and Shanyin Road. The study, titled “A Multidimensional AI-powered Framework for Analyzing Tourist Perception successful Historic Urban Quarters,” not only provides a glimpse into what visitors spot but besides delves into really they consciousness astir these spaces.

In nan past, researchers person relied connected accepted methods specified arsenic surveys and fieldwork to understand really nan nationalist perceives different places. While these methods were valuable, they were often time-consuming and constricted successful scope. With nan emergence of social media, millions of photos and reviews are now available, providing a immense excavation of information that researchers tin analyse to understand nationalist cognition much comprehensively.

Turning Social Media Into Meaningful Data

The researchers from Tongji University saw an opportunity to utilize social media data to summation insights into tourist perceptions. By collecting tourer photos and reviews from nan celebrated Chinese app Dianping, they were capable to comparison nan information pinch real-world thoroughfare views from Baidu Maps. This allowed nan squad to usage a operation of AI tools, each designed to study circumstantial aspects of nan data. One exemplary analyzed nan images visitors uploaded, different focused connected colour schemes, and a 3rd analyzed nan emotions expressed successful written reviews.

The AI strategy employed precocious deep learning models for illustration Segment Anything (SAM) and YOLOv8-Seg, which were fine-tuned to place cardinal objects successful nan photographs. This helped nan researchers find what visitors were focusing connected erstwhile taking photos. Another facet of nan study progressive extracting nan ascendant color themes successful nan images. Additionally, nan researchers employed a connection exemplary akin to ChatGPT to analyse nan written reviews, helping them understand nan emotional reactions of tourists.

What Tourists See: A Focus connected Buildings, Art, and Nature

The results of nan study were telling. It was recovered that tourists are predominantly drawn to buildings, which accounted for astir 20% of each photos taken successful Shanghai’s practice districts. Trees and artworks were besides predominant subjects, followed intimately by walls, signs, and people. These elements each played important roles successful shaping nan ocular personality of each neighborhood.

Busy commercialized areas, specified arsenic The Bund and Wujiang Road, showcased bustling scenes pinch people, vehicles, and views of nan waterfront. These areas captured nan energy of Shanghai, offering visitors a vibrant, move snapshot of nan city’s modern character. In contrast, creator districts for illustration Tian’ai Road and Yuyuan Road stood retired for their creative murals and public art, reinforcing their estimation arsenic taste hotspots.

This variety successful attraction revealed really different municipality designs pull various types of attention. The study suggests that what visitors take to photograph tin enactment arsenic a useful parameter for municipality planners, highlighting spaces that consciousness lively, inspiring, aliases comfortable. This information could pass decisions connected city planning and thief designers create much engaging nationalist spaces.

Color, Filters, and nan Influence of Social Media

One of nan much astonishing findings of nan study was nan color gap betwixt nan photos visitors took and nan existent colors of nan places they visited. Using a clustering algorithm based connected nan Chinese colour system, nan researchers discovered that visitors often edited their photos to make them look cooler and brighter than they really were successful existent life.

In their social media posts, visitors often utilized cooler tones for illustration blues and greens, whereas real-world images contained warmer shades, including yellows and browns. This phenomenon, known arsenic nan “Instagram Effect,” suggests that visitors whitethorn beryllium subconsciously editing their experiences to make them look much modern, clean, and aesthetic. By utilizing filters and editing tools, they create a type of nan metropolis that aligns pinch a integer idealized vision of Shanghai.

This integer beautification process contributes to a parallel type of nan metropolis online—one that whitethorn disagree from nan reality connected nan crushed but heavy influences really others comprehend nan location. The investigation squad called this nan “filter effect,” which shows really nan digitalization of tourer experiences tin importantly style a city’s reputation.

Understanding Tourist Emotions Through Reviews

While photos revealed what visitors saw, written reviews offered a deeper knowing of their affectional responses. The researchers employed an precocious BERT model, a language system, to analyse thousands of tourist comments. They categorized these comments into 4 cardinal areas: activities, built environment, public facilities, and business options.

The findings revealed that visitors were mostly satisfied pinch nan activities and scenic walks available, peculiarly during festivals for illustration nan Lantern Festival astatine Yuyuan Garden. However, galore visitors expressed dissatisfaction pinch issues for illustration overcrowding, long restroom lines, and rising prices successful celebrated areas. Some complained astir nan commercialization of definite locations, emotion disappointment pinch nan expanding number of chain stores and repetitive shops.

These affectional responses were efficaciously captured by nan AI system, which validated that automated study could accurately bespeak human emotions. By tapping into nan connection of online reviews, nan researchers were capable to get a much holistic image of tourists’ experiences and really they feel astir nan places they visit.

Applying AI to Improve City Design and Tourism

The eventual extremity of this study is to thief city planners and tourism officials make much informed decisions astir municipality development. By identifying what visitors admit most—whether it’s nan greenery, art, aliases architectural styles—urban designers tin heighten existing spaces while maintaining their humanities and taste significance. Furthermore, nan study reveals nan profound effect that social media has connected shaping nan reputation of practice sites, not only affecting really they are remembered but besides really they are managed.

The researchers dream to grow their AI model to see much ocular information and correct nan discrepancies caused by nan filter effect. They besides envision applying their findings to different world practice cities, helping to amended nan guidance of these sites and align their online representations pinch reality.

Expanding AI Research Beyond Shanghai

The investigation squad astatine Tongji University believes that their AI-powered model has nan imaginable to beryllium applied successful different municipality settings beyond Shanghai. With further advancements successful AI technology, this model could beryllium expanded to analyse tourist perceptions successful cities astir nan world. This would supply valuable insights for urban planners and tourism officials, helping them create amended experiences for visitors while ensuring that nan taste personality of these locations is preserved.

The study has besides shown really AI tin beryllium utilized to blend technology pinch urban storytelling, creating a caller measurement for cities to perceive to nan perceptions of their visitors. By knowing really visitors comprehend nan metropolis done their photos, emotions, and reviews, Shanghai and different cities tin refine their tourist experiences, ensuring that they not only pull visitors but besides meet their expectations.

Conclusion: AI’s Role successful Shaping nan Future of Tourism

The usage of artificial intelligence to decode tourist perceptions offers caller opportunities for improving nan tourism experience. By analyzing social media posts, photos, and written reviews, researchers tin amended understand what visitors spot and feel, helping cities heighten their municipality designs and tourism strategies. This study is simply a premier illustration of really AI tin span nan spread betwixt technology and urban development, providing deeper insights into really tourists interact pinch nan places they visit.

The findings from Tongji University person nan imaginable to revolutionize really cities negociate their practice districts and tourism infrastructure. As much cities astir nan world clasp AI-powered devices to analyse tourist perceptions, nan early of urban tourism looks brighter, much inclusive, and much attuned to nan needs of nan visitors who make these cities their destinations.