TI CEO Podcast · episode 23
Why autonomous driving will change tourism too
1-minute summary
In this episode of his CEO diary, Christoph Standl talks about why autonomous driving will also change tourism. Waymo plans to offer its fully autonomous ride service in Munich towards the end of 2027 – practically on the doorstep, seen from Tyrol. What sounded like science fiction a few years ago is suddenly geographically close; in Las Vegas there are already autonomous rides to the airport. His thought: if we no longer have to drive ourselves during a car journey, travel time becomes freely usable time – working, watching a film, planning the holiday or sleeping. That changes our understanding of distance: destinations that seem too far away for a weekend trip today become interesting; rental cars, transfers, airports, road trips and perhaps even the question of where we spend the night during a journey will change. Autonomous driving is only one part of a bigger development: electric mobility, solar energy, battery storage and bidirectional charging are growing together – a hotel could produce, store and supply energy to vehicles itself in the future; mobility, buildings and energy begin to communicate with each other. Add digitalisation and AI: the vehicle becomes a digital space in which guests choose activities, book tickets and get information about their destination while still on their way. For Tourismus Interaktiv and Tourismus.one the question is therefore: where will the guest be in five or ten years – and how will information and services reach them then? Perhaps the autonomous vehicle itself becomes the new touchpoint. Big changes often happen when several technologies mature at the same time – and they begin with small daily steps.
Description
Autonomous driving is getting closer – and with it, the way we travel could fundamentally change. Current developments around Waymo in Munich and Las Vegas show how quickly technologies are evolving that seemed like science fiction just a few years ago. In this episode of my CEO diary I therefore deliberately think a few years ahead: What happens when at some point we no longer have to drive ourselves during a car journey? When travel time becomes freely usable time? And what does that mean for destinations, hotels, transfers and tourism as a whole? For me this isn't just about autonomous driving. Several developments could increasingly grow together: artificial intelligence, electric mobility, solar and renewable energy, battery storage, bidirectional charging and digital platforms. I find the question of what role Tourismus Interaktiv and Tourismus.one could play in this particularly exciting. Today we bring tourist information to the guest via our infopoints, for example. But as a technology company we also have to ask ourselves: Where will the guest be in five or ten years – and how will information and services reach them then? Perhaps one day the autonomous vehicle itself will become a new digital touchpoint during the journey. We can't predict exactly what this world will look like. But we can observe developments, try things out and think early about the opportunities that arise from them. Because big changes often happen when several technologies mature at the same time and start working together. Big changes often begin with small daily steps.