Sports Innovation: What Happens When AI Meets the Great Outdoors?

The Fireside Chat If you’ve never pitched a business idea to an investor while riding a chairlift in the Austrian Alps, you’re missing out on one of the most exhilarating tech events in Europe. I recently had the pleasure of taking the stage at Skinnovation – the premier startup conference on skis – for a … Read more

Technology insights from the Tourism Innovation Summit in Seville

TIS Hero Image

3 Days of Travel Tech Last week, I attended the Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS) in Seville, gaining some valuable insights into Spain’s tourism technology advancements. The three-day conference featured interesting panel discussions and presentations from both multi-national industry giants as well as some innovative startups. The event gathered professionals, companies, and experts to explore the … Read more

AI, Mixed Reality and 3D Technologies: A Chance for the Tourism Industry?

Andy Gstoll presenting

(The press release and original article in German can be found here) Workshop Summary: Expanding Experiences with Augmented Reality in the Inner Salzkammergut On August 6, 2025, a workshop was held as part of the INTERREG project “Livability in the Alpine Region” to explore the potential of modern technologies for tourism. The event, titled “Expanding … Read more

Through the solar system with AR on the new “Planet Trail” at the Gerlitzen Alpe in Carinthia

Combining nature experiences, educational opportunities, and digital innovation With the new “Planet Trail” on the Gerlitzen Alpe, the Villach – Faaker Lake – Ossiacher Lake region is setting new standards in combining nature experiences, educational opportunities, and digital innovation. The approximately 2.5-kilometer-long themed trail leads the existing “Kanzelhöhe” circular trail to the solar observatory and … Read more

An interactive AI Assistant for Tourist Information in Schladming / Dachstein

Information for guests and travellers The Styrian holiday region of Schladming-Dachstein is continuing its digital guest information initiative. In addition to daily updated information on the website, social media channels, and a dedicated app, numerous displays have been in use at several locations since last year. Now the tourist board has taken another pioneering step: … Read more

Explore The Magical 3D Gaussian Splats Museum

Mozart

Imagine Stepping Into History, From Anywhere Imagine walking through the halls of a museum, examining ancient artifacts or priceless artworks up close, feeling the atmosphere of the space… all from the comfort of your own home. For years, creating truly convincing, interactive digital replicas of real-world places felt like science fiction. Capturing the intricate details, … Read more

Embodied AI avatar “Sophia” for the Austrian National Tourism Board

Transforming Customer Interaction Traditional customer service often struggles to keep up with the demand for personalized and engaging experiences. How can we make complex information easily accessible and exciting? How can we provide support that feels both personal and cutting-edge? Introducing the interactive AI Avatar Solution “Sophia,” a personalized AI-powered avatar customized by Mixed Reality … Read more

My thoughts on the Meta Ray-Ban Smartglasses

UPDATE 11. June, 2025 Using the Meta Ray-Bans for mountainbiking is an interesting experience. I can’t wait for the Meta Oakleys 😉 UPDATE 28. April, 2025 Meta AI is now available in Austria, Germany and other European countries. However, the “Ask Meta AI about what you see” capability is still only available in English in … Read more