A new study from Europe has revealed how driverless cars (or Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, CAVs) will change tourist cities like Nashville. They will change the way we eat, drink, and even where people have sex in Music City.
The University of Surry published Annals of Tourism Research, a deep look at our future with driverless cars. They'll have a big impact in tourist towns because visitors will be using them for quick trips around town. Obviously, they will replace things like cabs (or shuttles), who have to pay drivers. And people won't be renting cars while they're here just to get say, from the Convention Center to a restaurant or hotel.
Here's some bullet points to ponder.
- They'll free up more parking spaces downtown for you
- Less parking lots might mean more green space
- Restaurants want have to be packed into a tight, walkable area
- People might drink more, and bar-hop more because drinking and driving is not an issue
- Drivers not drinking could make everyone safer
But here's the one that shook us a little. They said sex and tourism go hand in hand. So...
- rent by the hour hotels will go by the wayside, because that activity might happen in the cars with no driver!
No word on how it will affect pedal taverns.