Andhra Pradesh launches free AI tourist guide in 130 languages at heritage sites

Andhra Pradesh has launched an artificial intelligence guide for tourists that gives information about monuments and temples in more than 130 languages, the state's Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh said on Wednesday, 7 October 2026. He announced the service, called NiVU AI, while speaking at the Tourism Innovation Summit 2026 in Seville, Spain. Visitors scan an "Ask AI" QR code at a site to learn about its history and cultural importance, without downloading an app or paying a fee. The service is planned for more than 100 prominent tourist and religious sites, with 30 destinations taking part in the first phase.

For many travellers, the biggest gap at an Indian heritage site is information. Signboards are often brief, written in one or two languages, or missing altogether, and trained human guides are not always available, especially at smaller temples and monuments. A visitor from another state or country may walk through a site of great historical value without learning what it is. A free guide that answers questions on a phone in the visitor's own language could change that experience.

The QR code approach is practical. Tourists do not have to find and install a separate app, create an account or pay, which removes common reasons people give up on digital guides. The wide language range matters both for foreign visitors and for domestic tourists, since India's own travellers speak many languages.

For the state, the data side may be just as valuable. The minister said the platform can help the tourism authority understand what visitors are interested in from real-time information. That could guide decisions on where to improve facilities, which sites to promote and which nearby attractions to link into circuits.

Some caution is needed. AI systems can make mistakes, and information about religious sites is sensitive, so accuracy will depend on how carefully the content is checked against local histories and temple traditions. Mobile network coverage at remote sites will also affect how well the service works.

Short-term: Visitors to the first 30 sites in Andhra Pradesh should be able to scan QR codes and get explanations in their own language.

Long-term: If it works well, the model could spread to the rest of the planned sites and encourage other states to offer similar free digital guides, while giving tourism planners better data on visitor behaviour.

Who is affected: Domestic and foreign tourists, pilgrims at temples, local guides, site managers, and the Andhra Pradesh tourism department.

Questions and Answers