Autonomous vehicles

Abstract

Both as a means to reach a tourism destination and as an end in itself to enjoy the travel experience, tourism and transport are intertwined. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) combine both, with a direct and indirect impact on tourism marketing and management, despite being in an early stage of deployment. According to an extensive AV survey administered in 25 countries (www.wise-act.eu/survey2021), an AV is defined as a vehicle which takes over speed and steering control completely and permanently, on all roads and in all situations. The driver-passenger cannot drive manually because the vehicle does not have a steering wheel. The driver-passenger only sets the travel destination. AVs are used for land, sea and air travel, aiming to improve travel safety by reducing the possibility of human error. AV trials have taken place across the world, from Arizona and California to Norway and Stockholm. China and Japan have also been active in AV travel testing in Asia, which is a growing region for tourism. Six levels of automation have been defined by SAE International and are widely used by academics and practitioners (see the figure). Levels 0–2 require some level of manual driving and a driving licence, while levels 3–5 require minimal or no manual driving under the conditions specified and a driving licence may not be required for level 5. Despite their widespread adoption, however, academics have begun to question the use of the SAE levels of automation (Hopkins and Schwanen, 2021). More open and flexible standards are required to accommodate the needs of sectors in addition to automotive engineering, such as the tourism industry.