Could intelligent robots be the cure for bad tourists?

As overtourism strains destinations worldwide, intelligent robots can keep visitors in line

Featured faculty: Robert Li Xiang
Written by Ellis Ng

“Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world, you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life—and travel—leaves marks on you,” said the late American documentarian, Anthony Bourdain. Travelling is supposed to be an exercise for the soul.

However, tourist misbehaviour has constantly dotted headlines. Last year, anti-tourism protests erupted in Spain’s Canary Islands over tourists’ bad behaviour and overtourism, and similar strikes have since spread to Barcelona, Málaga, Athens, and other European cities. In Japan, the same problem has driven the city of Fujiyoshida to cancel its annual cherry blossom festival.

Most misconducts, like being noisy, littering, queue-jumping, and disregarding local customs, might seem minor, but they add up for locals. Traditional countermeasures, such as signage or staff patrolling to issue reminders, often fall short. Visitors easily overlook signs, and confrontations can flare up between tourists and staff.

As tourism boards and site managers search for better ways to manage visitors, Robert Li Xiang, the Fung King Hey Memorial Professor of Tourism Management and Director of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School, suggests that robots can be an effective tool for this.

Equipped with artificial intelligence (AI), Professor Li notes that robots can act as persuasion agents to encourage positive behaviour. Far from replacing human interaction, they provide a non-confrontational means to foster responsible conduct and enhance the experience for both tourists and locals.

“Intelligent robots can influence behaviour through a few simple but powerful mechanisms. When a robot approaches a visitor or speaks to them, it creates a sense that ‘someone is watching,’ which can make people more aware of their actions,” he says.

Smart robots to encourage smart behaviour

A study titled Robot guardians: Mitigating tourists’ deviant behavior with intelligent robots documents the findings of Professor Li, as well as Zhang Mengyang, Pang Shuo, and Liu Na at Southwest Jiaotong University, and Shi Si at the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in Chengdu, that robots outperform signage and humans when it comes to persuading tourists to behave.

In a field experiment at a busy intersection in southwestern China, among 8,148 observed tourists over three consecutive weekends, 17 per cent jaywalked when human staff were on patrol and 25.1 per cent when only signage was placed. This number dropped to 12.5 per cent when a robot was present.

“Robots feel less personal than human staff, so people may be more open to listening without feeling judged or embarrassed.”

Professor Robert Li Xiang

In other scenario-based experiments and AI-generated simulations with participants in China and the US, the results also show that intelligent robots are more influential in affecting tourist behaviour. The reason is that robots created a keen sense of being watched without the psychological tension that human intervention often triggers.

Professor Li grounds the findings in impression management theory, which holds that people control their behaviour when they feel they are being seen. Unlike surveillance cameras, robots can provide on-site intervention and activate self-awareness, but not as personally intimidating as a human figure, reducing the defensiveness that can undermine compliance.

“Robots feel less personal than human staff, so people may be more open to listening without feeling judged or embarrassed. This fusion, being noticeable but not confrontational, helps nudge people towards better behaviour,” Professor Li says.

Different looks for different messages

How a robot looks and speaks also needs to match. When a human-looking robot delivers a stern warning, it can feel socially threatening, and people get defensive. But if that same robot uses a touch of humour, the interaction feels lighter, and people are more willing to conform.

The underlying reason comes down to social threat and embarrassment. A basic-looking robot, on the other hand, doesn’t trigger much social pressure on its own, so a direct message works best. Humour from something that clearly isn’t human can make the message feel unserious.

Therefore, if its primary function is to intervene in deviant behaviour, a less human-looking robot with a more serious tone would be effective. “A simpler-looking robot may be more effective with a direct message, but a human-like robot can get away with using humour. Getting this combination right makes a big difference in how people respond,” Professor Li says.

“The key is finding the right balance. Robots need to be noticeable enough to catch attention and signal that behaviour matters, but not so intimidating that people feel uncomfortable or defensive.”

The future of smart and sustainable tourism

Smart robots offer a consistent, safer way to address daily misconduct, and the study opens new possibilities for smart tourism as authorities grapple with growing challenges in visitor management.

“For policymakers, robots provide a softer approach to public management, encouraging better behaviour through gentle reminders rather than strict enforcement,” Professor Li adds. “For businesses, robots can ease the burden on frontline staff, who often have to deal with difficult or confrontational situations.”

This approach could work in other environments too, including transport hubs, hospitals, shopping malls, campuses, and residential communities. “We’re already seeing early examples, for instance, robots helping with traffic guidance or reminding people of public rules in some Chinese cities.”

Looking ahead, Professor Li sees the most promising approach is likely a combination of robots and humans. Robots can handle routine reminders in a consistent, non-confrontational way, while human staff can step in for more complex or sensitive situations.

Still, organisations will need to address practical challenges before deploying robots in public. “On the practical side, organisations need to think about costs, maintenance, and whether the technology is reliable enough for daily use,” he says. “It’s also important to consider how robots will work alongside human staff.”

Privacy is another concern, especially if robots collect or process data. “Organisations should be transparent about how the robots are used and avoid making public spaces feel overly watched. Most importantly, robots should be used to give gentle reminders, not to shame or punish people.”