Cool business idea: Take yourself on a guided tour
Just in time for the quick, forward-thinking entrepreneur and the 2010 World Cup - here's a cracking idea that has Cape Town written all over it.
Instead of a poor, bewildered foreign tourists trying to understand how to connect with the N2 via the M3 off the M5, while dodging Toyota Supa 16s in a Golf Chico 1.4 with a map - perhaps a talking GPS guide would be a better, less stressful option.
An innovative business idea from San Fransisco is the “first ever storytelling car.”
The GoCar looks like a tiny yellow two-seater car, but is actually a three wheeled moped. Two people can hop in, and are required to wear helmets.
An on-board computer and GPS (global positioning system) serve as a back seat driver, directing the humans in front to places that few visitors get to see, along with the famous sites. The system provides running commentary in a choice of five languages, allowing tourists to motor along at their own pace, exploring places a tour bus can’t go, and stopping for lunch, photos, or shopping whenever they like. The GPS tour guide will make suggestions for good stops and direct the driver if he or she gets lost. As the company says, the GoCar is “a tour guide, a talking car, a trusty co-pilot and a local on wheels.”
We can already see thousands of these things, covered in every flag on the planet, whizzing around the Cape Peninsula come 2010. Great idea.
Website: Go Car rentals
More: Via Springwise
Two issues:
- If it's a moped, you need a motorcycle license.
- Helmets aren't comfortable
Posted by: Vaughn | March 27, 2007 at 01:00 PM
....but they are so cute.
Posted by: sooo | March 27, 2007 at 01:12 PM
We have our own version, it was launched last year, I wrote about it at the time, check it out http://www.tourismradio.co.za/
Posted by: Dave | March 27, 2007 at 01:29 PM
Thanks Dave - that tourism radio is a pretty cool idea. Now if it can be hooked up to a GPS or maybe a Google Earth app, they're laughing.
It costs R15 per day. Something a rental company should be giving away for free.
Posted by: Cherryflava | March 27, 2007 at 03:53 PM
I saw these when I was in SF last year. Whilst a great idea, you still have to drive on the road in these tiny fibreglass vehicles. No problem you think, that is until you realise how low to the ground they are - it's quite daunting when you consider that the top of your head would be in line with the bottom of the wing mirror on most cars. People can't see other full sized cars in their mirrors, so I have no confidence in them spotting these little things.
I also don't think these will hold up very well when they're clipped by the taxi that races through the junction 2 seconds after the robots have gone red.
Posted by: Colin | March 27, 2007 at 04:50 PM
Yeah.... Imagine trying to get past these little fuckers while theyre going 5km an hour on a slight uphill.
Posted by: Rory | March 27, 2007 at 05:32 PM
Tourismradio is linked to GPS. Thats how it is able to identifyw when togive a particular bit of info about a specific site!
Posted by: Dave | March 28, 2007 at 10:32 AM
GPS tours are available for walking, biking, driving, and mass transit. Check out our B2B web site, www.intellitours.com, or that of our client, www.tourcoupes.com, the first GPS-guided tour cars in San Diego.
Posted by: Jim Carrier | March 29, 2007 at 08:01 PM
There is a very interesting and innovative tour in Seville. It is a GPS Audio/Visual Tour Guide System. You carry a handheld gps with you as you walk anywhere. It shows you where you are and what is exciting and interesting near your location.
It is tailored to individual visitors. You are free to create your own gps tour without the aid of an escorted guide.
GPS Sightseeing in Seville Spain
Posted by: Juan Navarro | July 01, 2007 at 09:04 PM