THE POSSIBILITIES OF VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) IN THE TRAVEL/TOURISM INDUSTRY
The travel industry has always been quick to adopt new technologies, from the introduction of the jet engine to the rise of online booking sites. Now, the industry is on the cusp of another major shift, as virtual reality (VR) begins to play a role in both how we plan vacations and how we experience them. Virtual reality is a digital world that can be immersive and interactive. It is a type of artificial- sightness that uses images, sounds or other physical sensations to place potential customers in a virtual space with so many possibilities; you literally feel like you’re in another world.
The idea of virtual reality has been around for a while now but it’s still not a mainstream technology. Issues like latency, inflated prices, concerns about privacy and in fact, nausea, have been a constraint to its widespread adoption. However, some of these issues are being sorted with technologies such as motion tracking and cloud services among others. Before now, VR was considered a sham but with recent development in tech, the possibilities in it have become more glaring.
VR has quickly become an integral part of the travel industry as it offers a new way to engage customers. With virtual reality now available at hotels and other locations around town via apps or websites, you can now see online videos with panoramic views (Taster contents) for your viewing pleasure, as opposed to just reading descriptions and viewing images. This way, you can get an idea of what it will feels like when you visit these attractions in person.
This technology is also being used to create more realistic simulations for flight and driving schools, and it has even been employed by some hotels as a way to provide guests with an interactive concierge service. As VR technology continues to develop, it is likely to have a profound impact on the travel industry, making it more accessible and efficient than ever before. Asides being able to exhibit high resolution, 360 degrees of a destination and creating memorable experiences for its users, VR’s application extends to creating unique brand engagements, used for the conduction of employee trainings as well as serving as a strong marketing tool in the industry.
Heard about VR flight experiences? It’s a plus to the VR travel space; An amazing initiative that provides a realistic experience of flying to a destination. A Tokyo based company known as First Airlines has created the world’s first virtual reality airline, that provides passengers with mind-blowing travel experience. Another present-day application is the Virtual Booking Interface, where all booking processes for a holiday takes place within virtual reality; from picking the hotel or location, to paying for it. Although this application is still limited, it has lots of potential in the travel and tourism industry.
The world’s most popular video games are being released in virtual reality formats, leading to an increase in demand for this technology. Online platforms such as Google, Amazon, Facebook among others have begun investing into this market as it promises rapid development in the nearest future.
The future of VR in the travel/tourism industry is scintillating and the world is eager to explore the possibilities it offers!
