AI solves overtourism’s ‘concentration problem’ by helping people find hidden gems, says Klook cofounder Ethan Lin

Asia’s tourist magnets are feeling the squeeze. Places like Kyoto and Bali are getting so packed that residents are losing patience, and some governments are answering with taxes or shorter visa stays. But Ethan Lin, who co-founded Klook, says that framing misses the real issue: the problem is less about total visitor numbers than about where those visitors end up.

Speaking at the Fortune Leaders Forum in Macau on Sept. 8, Lin called overtourism a “concentration problem, not a volume problem.” His point is simple enough. Too many people keep choosing the same narrow set of attractions inside a country, while a lot of the rest goes overlooked. That’s where AI comes in, he argued, because it can point travelers toward new places and experiences.

Klook’s own Travel Pulse survey gives that idea some traction. Among Gen Z and millennial travelers across Asia, 57% said they had used AI to find new destinations or experiences. Mastercard’s chief APAC economist David Mann echoed the theme on another panel, saying company data suggests people who pay for AI subscriptions are more likely to go off the beaten path. He described travelers as hunting for “hidden gems” and said AI can help them find those spots more effectively.

The industry is also leaning on old-fashioned hype. Myoko Suginohara Ski Resort in Japan worked with American snowboarder Travis Rice to showcase its mountains for backcountry skiing and snowboarding, with Ken Chan of Patience Capital Group saying the filming over two seasons made viewers want the same experience. Trip.com CEO Jane Sun said travel demand is increasingly driven by “premium, purposeful, and pro-leisure” trips, and that the company’s most expensive package ever — a $200,000-per-person tour — sold out in 17 seconds.

That shift is showing up in Macau too, where integrated resorts are trying to be more than gaming halls with hotel rooms attached. SJM runs the Macao Open golf tournament, and Melco’s City of Dreams stages House of Dancing Water, an aquatic show built around aerial acrobatics. The pitch is clear: come for one thing, stay for the rest. And for a lot of travelers, work is now coming along for the ride as well, with Fridays turning into the start of a “workcation” instead of the end of a work week.