Recognised for exceptional creativity in applying Artificial Intelligence to tourism, reinventing the visitor experience for the digital age.
Tootie: The First AI Conversational City Guide for Urban Tourism
TootBus, part of the RATP Dev group and known worldwide for its low-emissions sightseeing buses, has launched a breakthrough innovation that is reshaping how visitors explore major European cities. With Tootie, an AI-powered conversational city guide unveiled at VivaTech, TootBus introduces a new era of personalised, interactive and sustainable tourism experiences.
Designed to function as a true travel companion, Tootie replaces static audio guides with dynamic, two-way dialogue. It can speak 50+ languages, recognise accents, understand context, and respond instantly to visitor questions. Whether guests want directions, restaurant tips, cultural stories or historical facts, Tootie adapts to their interests in real time—making city discovery as intuitive as having a friendly conversation.
A Transformative Digital Innovation
More than a technological upgrade, Tootie represents a complete rethinking of what visitor guidance can be:
- Conversational Intelligence: Tootie detects intent, tone and context, allowing natural and fluid interactions.
- Voice-to-Voice Operation: Guests speak naturally, and Tootie responds vocally—no typing, no menus, no friction.
- Geolocation Awareness: Recommendations adjust automatically based on the user’s surroundings, nearby attractions and real-time conditions.
- Curated, Verified Content: Tootie integrates historical facts, cultural information and operational data to ensure trusted, meaningful storytelling.
- Ethical and Sustainable Design: No personal data is stored, and the system follows eco-hosting and digital sobriety standards.
The result is an engaging and responsible digital tool that enhances enjoyment while reducing dependence on printed materials and outdated devices.
Designed Around Human Connection
What makes Tootie exceptional is its personality. Developed in collaboration with UX designers, AI engineers and the TootBus customer experience team, Tootie speaks with warmth, humour and a friendly tone—bringing a human touch to the digital sphere. This ensures that technology does not replace human interaction, but enriches it, supporting the TootBus onboard teams and helping visitors feel more confident and welcomed.
Early Success and Visitor Impact
Although launched only recently, Tootie has already begun demonstrating strong adoption and engagement. Early guests praise it for its ease of use, surprising depth of knowledge and ability to adapt to personal interests. Its freemium model—allowing travellers to ask a few free questions before choosing premium access—has encouraged widespread trial and positive feedback.
More importantly, Tootie solves many of the long-standing challenges of urban tourism:
- navigating unfamiliar cities;
- finding accurate, real-time information;
- discovering authentic, local recommendations;
- shaping personalised itineraries that evolve throughout the day.
With Tootie, visitors gain confidence, independence and a richer connection to the city.
A Collaborative Innovation Story
The creation of Tootie was led by Nadia Hamdoun, Head of Customer Experience and Innovation at TootBus Global, together with development agency Gravyr and the broader TootBus team. From brand personality to language models, from user testing to digital ecosystem integration, the project reflects two years of dedicated, multidisciplinary effort powered by passion and a shared vision of the future of tourism.
A New Standard for AI in Tourism
With Tootie, TootBus sets a new benchmark for how AI can be integrated responsibly and creatively into visitor experiences. This pioneering project demonstrates that technology can enhance sustainability, enrich cultural understanding and strengthen human connection—all while making tourism simpler, smarter and more enjoyable.
Through this innovation, TootBus not only inspires the industry but also reaffirms its leadership in shaping the future of urban sightseeing.
