Report: The new reality in the international tourist industry is... virtual

At a time when tourism is becoming increasingly "experiential", interactive immersion is becoming a driving factor in the purchasing experience of tourism clients, tourism-review.com notes in the following report:

Virtual reality in tourism plays a critical role.

Virtual reality has a place in the tourism industry; stakeholders around the world are realizing this fact and integrating it into their customers' purchasing experience. In this spirit, the Australian Tourism Office is offering a 360° video via its YouTube channel allowing people to take a virtual tour of the country and New Caledonia has set up a web-based virtual game.

As far as travel agencies are concerned, since 2016, Cub Med has been offering the possibility of watching 360° videos of its destinations and “Prêt à Partir” is even testing virtual reality headsets currently.

The e-commerce giant Expedia, also, has launched many initiatives, by partnering with various companies, including virtual tours of hotels via an app, a 360° video (Virtual Flam) and even a virtual visit of San Antonio via a 360° video.

Virtual reality in tourism is becoming more and more common and each VR solution has a special role based on its intended end-use. In order to allow their clients to choose a hotel based on virtual reality, Mariott is offering The Teleporter, 360° videos available on YouTube, Google Earth VR as well as Samsung Travrer, a virtual tourism platform first introduced at MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2017.

Amadeus has developed a futuristic search and reservations system based on VR via its Navitaire subsidiary. Austrian Airlines allows clients to get a 360° glimpse of the interior of its aircraft thanks to myPanorama and the SNCF is currently developing a Proof of Concept VR application to assist travelers prepare their journeys.

The virtual reality and 360° videos are being used in the tourism industry at every stage – from inspiration to final purchase. At the same time, VR is becoming an increasingly important part of actual travel - as entertainment (example: SkyLights).

While virtual reality in tourism has become a vital part of the marketing strategy of many brands, some companies are still investing in the "real" by mixing it with virtual reality (example: King of Vikings). VR still has a lot of untapped potential for promoting and enriching the customer experience.

Read more here.

Read also relevant article on hospitalitynet.org here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

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Source: tourism-review.com