Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, attracting nearly one million visitors annually, has been selected as one of The New York Times&rsquo &ldquo52 Places to Go in 2025.&rdquo
To improve service quality for international tourists, the Chiayi Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency has launched Taiwan&rsquos first &ldquoAI Smart Real-Time Translation Counter&rdquo in the park. It offers two-way translation in over 30 languages, including English, Japanese, and Korean, marking a new chapter in smart tourism.
Staff at Alishan National Forest Recreation Area use the AI smart counter to assist Japanese tourists by explaining the park map. (Photo: Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency website)
With international travelers returning post-pandemic, the Chiayi Branch noted that the visitor center currently operates with two full-time staff members and rotating volunteers. While many are proficient in English and Japanese, communication with speakers of less common languages remains challenging, affecting service quality and efficiency.
To address this issue, the AI smart counter was introduced, integrating multilingual voice recognition and interpretation technologies. Through a transparent two-way screen, frontline staff can now assist tourists in various languages in real-time with professional-level interpretation.
In addition to the fixed counter, a portable iPad is also provided for mobile use. During testing, it successfully supported visitors speaking English, Japanese, and Korean, and even handled languages like French and Hebrew, showcasing impressive real-time multilingual capabilities.
In addition to commonly used languages such as English, Japanese, and Korean, Hebrew translation services were also used to assist foreign visitors during the trial period. (Photo: Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency website)
The Chiayi Branch emphasized that the AI Smart Counter not only improves communication but also demonstrates Taiwan&rsquos technological and human-centered service strength. Based on usage results, the system may be expanded to other service points in the park, aiming to bridge language gaps and offer convenient, immediate, and culturally accurate translation services&mdashbringing Alishan closer to the world.
