vr travel and tourism

10 of the Best Virtual Reality Travel Experiences

  With the time and expense required to travel being prohibitive to many, there are alternative ways of indulging your wanderlust – including via the burgeoning world of Virtual Reality.

(Photo: Cubicle Ninjas)

There are a huge number of VR companies all vying to create ever more unique experiences for consumers – and one of the biggest growth categories has been travel. And what better time to get a taste of exploration and adventure from the comfort of your living room, equipped only with a VR headset, than now, when travel is a luxury that many just can’t stretch to? We’ve picked out 10 of the best virtual reality travel experiences currently on the market.

So which VR headset should you go for? Our favourite is the Meta Quest 3, which launched onto the market in mid-2023 and is the successor to the Meta Quest 2. For immersive games and travel experiences, we believe the Meta Quest 3 is destined to become the leading VR headset over the coming years. It’s pretty affordable, too, and unlike other headsets, doesn’t require cords or a computer. You can purchase the Meta Quest 3 at Amazon.com.

Guided Meditation VR

Developed by Cubicle Ninjas, Guided Meditation VR is designed to bring peace, joy, and calm back into your daily life by teaching you ancient meditation practices in a cutting-edge way. It features over 40 lush environments to escape the everyday, 30-plus hours of guided meditations on anxiety, depression, maternity, resilience, sleep and zen, and hundreds of hours of calming musical audio tracks to help enhance your meditation experience. Users can also customise their sessions to their own specific preferences and needs, including the option to switch into Motion mode and gently float through beautiful vistas like you would on a lazy river, leaving the worries of your life behind before returning calmer and stronger.

PRICE £10.99 HEADSETS Meta Quest 3

Be anywhere in the world with anyone, instantly, in this captivating game developed by Wooorld Inc. Visit hundreds of cities, architectural landmarks, natural wonders, and vacation spots in incredible 3D detail, and get tips about the best places to visit, the hidden gems, where to get the best food and all the tourist traps to avoid. You can also create your own 3D avatars with face and body tracking and test your worldly knowledge by guessing where you are after being teleported to 5 random locations, with only the landscape, flora, architecture, and road signs for clues. The game can played as collaboratively as you wish, with options to explore the world with friends and meet new people, or hop into a Solo World without any distractions.

PRICE Free HEADSETS Meta Quest 3

(Photo: Wooorld Inc.)

Blueplanet VR Explore

(Photo: Blueplanet VR Explore)

Highlighting sacred and fragile locations of natural beauty and cultural heritage, Blueplanet VR Explore  is a collection of remarkable places across the world. With freedom to move around and explore, the virtual reality experiences are captured in volumetric 3D with great detail and accuracy. The scenes look and feel like these places do in real life, and enable you to freely move around to enjoy and explore these remarkable, fragile, and priceless environments. Concern for the environment often comes from direct experience, and being as close as we can get to experiencing a sense of actually being there, Blueplanet can help encourage people to appreciate and protect these treasures.

PRICE £18.99 HEADSETS Meta Quest 3

BRINK Traveler

Travel to some of the world’s most amazing natural wonders in fully immersive 3D and feel like you’re really there in this awe-inspiring game by Brink XR. Step into a scene akin to a postcard as you visit a total of 28 (with more on their way) of the most breathtaking places on Earth. In-game highlights include room-scale walkable areas in each destination, a virtual guide and assistant to learn about where you’re visiting, and the chance to shoot photos to share with friends. You can either play the game solo or with friends and family in multiplayer mode.

PRICE £11.99 HEADSETS Meta Quest 3

(Photo: BRINK XR)

National Geographic Explore VR

Created in partnership with National Geographic, a world-leading society in the fields of geography, cartography and exploration, this magical VR experience invites you to discover two of the most iconic locations on Planet Earth. Don your explorer hat and head to Antarctica for an exhilarating expedition. Navigate around icebergs in a kayak, climb a vast ice shelf and survive a snowstorm as you hunt for a lost emperor penguin colony. Visit the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru and get immersed in amazing digital reconstructions of the legendary site. Witness mummy worships, raise a cup of sacred chicha and encounter cute and furry alpacas as you match Hiram Bingham’s photographs from when he rediscovered the citadel. Be sure to take a camera as your best snaps may even make it into the prestigious National Geographic magazine.

PRICE £7.99 HEADSETS Meta Quest 3

(Photo: Force Field Entertainment B.V)

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners

Fans of the hugely popular TV blockbuster The Walking Dead can now join the world of zombies in this new VR adventure. Travel through the ruins of New Orleans as you fight, scavenge, and survive, each day unravelling another mystery lurking within the city’s historic quarters. Encounter desperate factions and lone survivors who could be friend or foe. Whether you help others or take what you want by force, every choice you make has consequences. What kind of survivor will you be for the people of NOLA? Scavenge for anything that you can; weapons, food, tools, and clues. Be wary of the living and the dead, with spatial audio drawing attention to any loud noise. Craft makeshift gear out of scrapped material; blades, guns, medicine, and more. Test your morals and make difficult choices for yourself and others. It’s all here, bringing the small screen to life in a big way.

PRICE £29.99 HEADSETS Meta Quest 3

(Photo: Skydance Interactive)

Narrated by award-winning actress Anna Friel, this trail-blazing VR series opens the door to some of the planet’s wildest environments while redefining the limits of 3D-180 cameras. Meet the humans protecting our most precious wildlife, explore the great savannahs of Kenya, discover the ancient jungles of Borneo and dive into the rich coral reefs of Raja Ampat. Encounter elephants, orangutans, manta rays and some incredible humans, all in stunning cinematic footage filmed from the air and deep into the ocean. The series was produced in partnership with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF),

(Photo: PHORIA)

The world is your oyster with this interactive, immersive VR experience that’s designed to be played by the whole family. There’s global travel and adventure in which your friends and family can join city tours, hot air balloon rides, back-country road trips, and plenty more. Or you can simply kick back and relax, practice meditation and get back to nature – all in the company of a guide or going solo, if you prefer. Other features include photo sharing, soundtracks, a range of fun games and media customisation.

(Photo: AARP Innovation Labs)

Rome Reborn: The Pantheon

Created by Flyover Zone, an American company specialising in virtual travel applications that present the world’s most important cultural heritage sites and monuments, Rome Reborn is one of five applications that present different areas of ancient Rome. This particular one transports users over the entire ancient city, focussing on the Pantheon, perhaps the best-preserved building from antiquity. In the company of two virtual guides, you’ll get to explore the exterior forecourt and interior sanctuary of the reconstructed complex as you listen and learn about the Pantheon’s design and decoration, as well as the nature of the religious cult once housed within it.

PRICE £3.99 HEADSETS Currently only available on Oculus Rift

(Photo: Flyover Zone Productions)

Monte Fitzroy is Argentina’s most famous mountain landmark and is even used as the logo for outdoor retailer, Patagonia. It is a place that immediately evokes a sense of adventure. At the foot of the mountain is a beautiful and remote glacial lake known as Laguna Sucia. Most people who visit Monte Fitzroy view it from a location that is much easier to access. Laguna Sucia requires a much tougher hard-to-access trail that culminates in one of the most beautiful and remote glacial lakes in existence. You are rewarded with a sense of almost meditative stillness as you approach this untouched natural amphitheatre. This VR experience utilises Pterovision, a 3D technology that integrates computational photography, 360 Video, and gaming and allows you to take off like a bird, fly around the lake, visit the waterfalls along the edge, and fly over glacial formations beneath the mountain peaks. Numerous narrations will tell you about the challenges we faced when filming in this location, as well as educate you about the geology, culture, and history.

PRICE $2.99 HEADSETS Currently only available on Oculus Rift 

(Photo: Specterras Productions)

Gala360 – Travel & Relax

Taking you on awe-inspiring virtual adventures across the globe, Gala360 is the result of the magic touch of an array of exceptionally talented photographers who have captured their globe-trotting trips in all their glory before being rendered into VR form. In professional 6K resolution, more than 300 tours around the world are featured, with some also including narration which allows you to listen to the stories behind the trips. Most of the tours are free, but you can pay a small fee to unlock more.

PRICE Free HEADSETS Currently only available on Oculus Go (soon available on Quest 2)

(Photo: Gala 360)

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6 Great Virtual Reality Travel Experiences

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Who says you can't see the world if you stay home? Virtual reality (VR) tourism experiences let you see places all over the world without ever leaving your couch. These aren't games; they're experiences, so the pace may be slower than you expect, but they are worth your patience. Here are some of the best VR tourist destinations to help you decide on your next virtual adventure.

Before diving in, make sure your computer is beefy enough to handle the demands of virtual reality technology and check the VR headset requirements for each experience.

The Grand Canyon VR Experience

Very relaxing experience.

Excellent visual and sound quality.

Impressive attention to detail.

Predefined with little control.

Requires powerful hardware.

Short experience.

In The Grand Canyon VR Experience (by Immersive Entertainment), you sit in a virtual motorized kayak ride through the Grand Canyon. Tailor the tour to your preferences by selecting either a sunlit or moonlit experience and controlling the ride's speed.

While you cruise along, you'll enjoy the sights and sounds of procedurally generated, artificially intelligent wildlife. Attract and feed the virtual fish as you navigate the waterways.

The ride is on rails, so you can't steer the kayak. However, you can stop at various points and enjoy the scenery by using the throttle speed controls of your motorized kayak or by exiting at scenic rest stops.

The tour is short, and there's no historical background information for history buffs. Still, it is a fun ride perfect for someone new to VR.

Explore amazing places.

Impressively detailed.

Good for beginners.

Not updated recently.

Some experiences are very brief.

Limited destinations library.

Realities is a VR travel app that allows you to explore scanned and modeled real-world environments. The environments aren't just 360-degree photos; these locations were captured with specialized scanning equipment, allowing for immersive rendering in virtual reality.

The user interface is a giant globe you rotate with your VR controllers. Once you decide on the place you want to visit, tap the area on the virtual globe, and you are instantly whisked away to the exotic locale.

One interesting destination is a cell in the infamous Alcatraz prison. When you arrive, you're greeted by an unseen narrator, presumably a former prisoner in the cell next to you, who recalls their experiences. It's museum-like and an educational adventure worth having.

There are other destinations of varying size and complexity which still hold up despite no recent updates with new realities.

Titans of Space PLUS

Great soundtrack.

Detailed 3D visuals.

Impressive sense of scale.

Flying through space makes some users feel nauseated.

No improvements since late 2019.

Do you like planetariums? Have you always wished they were more realistic? If you've ever dreamed of riding in a spaceship and exploring the solar system and beyond, Titans of Space PLUS (by DrashVR LLC) helps make this a reality—at least a virtual one).

The original Titans of Space was one of the first polished virtual reality experiences available; it created a lot of buzz about all the potential VR had to offer.

This app provides a theme park-style ride through the solar system and beyond, allowing you to control the pace of the experience. Factoids about the planets and moons appear throughout your journey, as do distances and other measurements of interest.

The sense of scale of the planets and moons is truly awe-inspiring and gives a unique perspective only astronauts usually get to have.

This title runs in both standard and VR modes; it doesn't require a VR headset.

Impressive rendering technology.

Auto-tunes for your GPU.

Stunning visuals.

Can feel slow.

Mostly narration with little hands-on time.

Everest VR (from Sólfar Studios) is an interactive Mount Everest VR tourism experience.

This game takes you through the journey toward summiting Mount Everest by making five key stops. First, start by preparing for the expedition at Basecamp. From there, experiences at Khumbu Icefalls, Camp 4, and Hillary Step await before reaching Everest's summit.

You can unlock God Mode after you complete your first ascent. This mode gives you a breathtaking view of the Himalayas, almost as if you're there in person overlooking the scene.

EVEREST VR is a must if you're into mountain climbing, adventuring, or if you're a VR newbie who wants to ease in to the experience.

The VR Museum of Fine Art

Lots of content.

Educational experience.

No recent updates.

No voice narration.

Only takes about 20 minutes to experience.

If you've ever wanted to peruse a museum at your own pace with no limits on how close you can get to the artwork, then The VR Museum of Fine Art (free from Finn Sinclair) is for you.

This free app holds amazing educational value with incredibly detailed scans of some of the world's most famous paintings and sculptures. Look at the brushstrokes of Monet's Water Lilies or take a 360-degree tour of Michelangelo's David. This experience is an art lover's delight.  

The VR Museum of Fine Art makes you feel as if you're visiting a museum, complete with a pamphlet map to help you navigate your way around the exhibits, an elevator, and a cafe.

Google Earth VR

Amazing street view VR.

Travel the world virtually.

Impressive, vast experience.

Can be slow to load.

Lacks a search feature.

May cause motion sickness.

When Google Earth was released many years ago, everyone marveled at the novelty of finding and viewing their house from satellite imagery. Now, Google Earth VR (free from Google) lets you see your house from space and virtually fly to it and stand in your front yard or on your rooftop.

Change the sun's position, scale objects to any size you like, and fly around the world. The detail levels depend on what you're trying to view. For example, tourist destinations are likely to have more detailed geospatial imagery than rural areas. There is so much to see, and Google offers virtual tours to help you get started.

Google has even added several comfort features to prevent virtual travel sickness in this must-see virtual reality app.

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Exploring the Future of Virtual Travel: How VR is Revolutionising Tourism

Virtual reality (VR) is rapidly transforming industries worldwide, and tourism is no exception. VR technology offers a new way to experience travel, allowing us to explore destinations without leaving our homes. At Realm Digital, we’re at the forefront of this exciting frontier, crafting immersive experiences that redefine how we explore the world.

What is Virtual Reality Tourism?  

Virtual reality (VR) uses computer technology to create a simulated environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way. It usually incorporates auditory and visual feedback, but may also allow other types of sensory feedback like haptic .

Virtual tourism uses VR technology to transport you to destinations around the globe, all from the comfort of your own home. Imagine walking through the ancient ruins of Rome, diving into the Great Barrier Reef, or hiking the Himalayas – all without packing a suitcase. VR tourism offers several advantages over traditional tourism, including accessibility, affordability, and sustainability.

How is VR Used in Travel and Tourism?

• Virtual Reality Tours: VR allows potential tourists to take virtual tours of destinations, landmarks, and museums. These virtual tours offer an immersive, interactive way to explore a place before deciding to visit in person. For example, a virtual tour of the Louvre Museum in Paris can give you a detailed look at its vast collection of art and artifacts before you book your flight.
• Immersive Travel Experiences: VR can create immersive travel experiences that simulate the sights and sounds of a location. This allows you to experience a destination as if you were actually there.
• Training and Education: VR is used to train tourism professionals, such as tour guides and hotel staff, in a safe and controlled environment. It can also be used to educate potential travellers about different cultures and destinations. A virtual reality training simulation can allow a tour guide, for example, to practice leading a group through a crowded market, or a hotel receptionist to handle difficult customer interactions.
• Destination Marketing: VR is a powerful marketing tool that allows potential tourists to get a taste of a destination before booking a trip. A 360 virtual tour of a resort can entice potential guests with its stunning views and luxurious amenities.

Want to know more about the applications of virtual reality technology?

Benefits of vr in tourism.

• Accessibility: Virtual reality technology opens up a world of travel possibilities for individuals who face physical limitations, financial constraints, or other barriers to traditional travel. It enables them to experience destinations and landmarks they might not otherwise have been able to.
• Safety and Comfort: VR allows travellers to explore high-risk or remote destinations without the associated dangers or discomforts. Imagine trekking through the Amazon rainforest without worrying about insects or extreme weather conditions!
• Pre-Travel Exploration: Virtual vacations let travellers make informed decisions about their trips. They can explore destinations, hotels, and attractions before booking, ensuring their choices align with their expectations.
• Sustainability: VR plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable tourism. When you travel with virtual reality, you also minimise the carbon footprint associated with transport and accommodation.

Realm Digital’s Role in VR Development  

Realm Digital aims to be a trailblazer in crafting innovative VR solutions for the travel and tourism industry. We work closely with our clients, understanding their unique vision, to create bespoke VR solutions that deliver tangible results.

Here are just a few examples of how we can help travel and tourism brands stay ahead of the competition:

• Full-Scale VR Destinations: We can create comprehensive virtual destinations, whether it’s a virtual hotel resort for guests to explore before booking or a digital recreation of a historical landmark for educational purposes.
• Immersive Virtual Field Trips & Travel Experiences: We can develop VR experiences that transport users to far-off lands, all from the comfort of their own homes.
• Training Simulations for Travel Professionals: We can design VR training programs that equip travel agents, tour guides, and hospitality staff with the skills they need to provide exceptional customer service, handle emergencies, and navigate cultural nuances.
• VR Marketing Campaigns: We can leverage VR to create captivating marketing campaigns that showcase the unique selling points of destinations, tour packages, and travel-related products.
• Metaverse Travel Experiences: We can help you create a presence in the metaverse, allowing travellers to interact with your brand in a virtual world and participate in unique travel-related activities.
• Custom VR Travel Content: Whether it’s a virtual tour of a cruise ship, a cultural immersion experience, or an interactive adventure game, our VR experts can make it happen!

Virtual reality opens up a whole new world of possibilities for exploration and engagement. At Realm Digital, we’re committed to pushing the boundaries of VR technology to create impactful experiences that redefine how we travel.

Learn more about the exciting emerging technologies we can help your brand tap into.

Discover how Realm Digital’s VR solutions can transform your tourism business and help you connect with your audience in new and exciting ways.

Contact us today for a free consultation and unlock the endless possibilities of virtual travel!

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How VR Tourism is Revolutionizing Travel Experiences

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• Key Takeaways

In 2024, Statista reported a 30% increase in VR tourism adoption, highlighting its growing popularity.

Gartner predicts that by 2025, 50% of global travel agencies will use VR for showcasing destinations.

According to SEMrush, searches for VR travel experiences rose by 40% in the past year, indicating rising consumer interest.

Sustainable travel is promoted through virtual experiences, reducing environmental impacts.

VR tourism is like a magic carpet for travel. It uses fancy technology to take us to cool places and famous landmarks without leaving home. This new way of traveling, thanks to virtual reality, opens up a whole new world for us to explore. Now, we can climb Everest or walk around Tokyo from our sofas, without worrying about money, distance, or harming the environment. As we step into this exciting new world, we wonder: How will VR change the way we travel in the future?

Introduction to VR Tourism

Virtual Reality (VR) tourism changes how we travel by letting us explore the world digitally in 3D. It’s like going on a trip using special goggles that show you different places. With VR, you can see cities, nature, and cool spots as if you’re really there. Lots of people are getting into this new way of traveling, especially those who want new adventures or can’t travel easily.

• Concept of VR Tourism

VR tourism uses virtual reality tech to make fake worlds for people to play in. In travel, it lets you visit fake versions of real places, like Egypt’s pyramids or New York City streets, without leaving your home. It’s not just looking around; you can also do things like take tours, learn stuff, and even go on adventures, which makes it super fun and interesting.

• Impact on the Travel Industry
• Market expansion: Opens up travel experiences to a wider audience, including those unable to travel physically.
• Marketing tool: Provides a “try before you buy” experience for potential tourists.
• Future potential: Continues to evolve, offering more advanced and interactive travel experiences.

Immersive Destination Experiences

• Virtual tours of famous landmarks
• Highly Detailed Visuals : VR tours provide high-resolution imagery and 360-degree views, offering a lifelike experience of visiting famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or the Grand Canyon.
• Interactive Elements : Users can often interact with the environment, such as clicking on specific points to learn more about the history or significance of the site.
• Global Access : People from anywhere in the world can visit these landmarks virtually, eliminating the need for travel and making global landmarks accessible to a wider audience.
• Cultural and educational experiences
• Learning and Engagement : VR allows for immersive educational experiences, teaching users about the history, art, and culture of different locations without the need for physical presence.
• Language and Customs : Virtual tours can include language lessons and cultural etiquette, preparing visitors for future physical trips or simply enriching their knowledge.
• Museum and Gallery Tours : Many museums and galleries now offer VR tours, allowing users to explore exhibits and collections in detail, often with expert commentary.
• Adventure and exploration in VR
• Simulated Adventures: Users can try out cool virtual adventures like going on safaris, diving deep into the sea, or climbing mountains. They get to feel the excitement of these activities from home, all safe and easy.
• Interactive Exploration: Adventure VR games let you do fun stuff like solving puzzles and exploring virtual worlds. This makes the games more exciting and keeps you hooked.
• Realistic Experiences: VR tech is getting better, making these adventures feel super real. You’ll feel like you’re really there, having a blast just like in real life.

Technology Behind VR Tourism 

• VR Headsets and Equipment
• Variety of Devices : VR tourism is powered by various headsets like Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR. Each offers unique features suited for different VR experiences.
• Sensory Immersion : These headsets come with advanced sensors and tracking capabilities to provide a fully immersive experience. They track head movements, allowing users to look around a virtual environment as if they were physically there.
• Enhanced Visuals and Audio : High-resolution displays and spatial audio technology create a realistic and engaging virtual environment, making virtual tours more lifelike.
• Integration with AR and AI
• Augmented Reality (AR) Enhancements : AR adds layers of information to the real world, enhancing VR tours with interactive elements like historical facts, directional cues, or storytelling.
• AI Personalization : Artificial Intelligence (AI) tailors the VR experience to individual preferences, adjusting the content based on user behavior and interests. This makes virtual tours more relevant and engaging.
• Combined AR and AI : Integrating AR and AI with VR can create dynamic and interactive experiences that adapt in real-time, providing personalized guidance and information during virtual tours.
• Future Technological Advancements
• More Realistic VR: VR tech is getting better at making virtual worlds look and feel more real, with nicer graphics and easier ways to interact.
• Wearable Tech in VR: VR is teaming up with wearable gadgets to make things even cooler, like feeling stuff in the virtual world or making it feel like you’re really in different weather.
• Easier to Get into VR: As VR gets fancier, it’s also becoming cheaper and easier to use, so more people can try out virtual tourism. XR Experiences: There’s a new thing called XR that mixes VR, AR, and MR. It’s making virtual trips even cooler by blending real and digital worlds.

Marketing and Business Impact

• Reinventing Marketing Strategies in Tourism
• VR technology is transforming tourism marketing by enabling immersive storytelling and interactive experiences. This approach captivates potential travelers more effectively than traditional media.
• Companies like Thomas Cook have used VR to offer “try before you buy” experiences, leading to a significant increase in bookings. For instance, after introducing a VR experience of New York, the company reported a 190% rise in bookings for the city.
• Destination marketing organizations are also adopting VR to showcase attractions, landscapes, and experiences in a compelling way, enhancing their promotional efforts and attracting more tourists.
• Economic Benefits and Revenue Generation
• VR tourism creates new revenue streams for travel companies by offering virtual experiences that can be monetized. These experiences appeal to a broad audience, including those unable to travel physically.
• It reduces marketing costs and increases efficiency. Instead of spending on physical brochures and displays, companies invest in VR content that can be used repeatedly across various platforms.
• VR experiences can drive actual visits and bookings, as potential travelers are more likely to book a trip after experiencing a destination virtually.
• Case Studies of Successful VR Tourism Projects
• Marriott International launched the “VRoom Service,” allowing guests to order virtual travel experiences to their hotel rooms, enhancing guest satisfaction and positioning Marriott as an innovative leader in the hotel industry.
• The British Museum partnered with Samsung to create a virtual reality tour of the museum, attracting a global audience and enhancing educational outreach.
• Tourism Australia launched a VR campaign to showcase the country’s unique landscapes and wildlife, resulting in increased interest and tourism from international markets. This campaign leveraged VR to present Australia’s diverse attractions in an engaging and immersive manner.

Sustainable and Accessible Travel

• Reducing carbon footprint and environmental impact
• Virtual Exploration: VR tourism allows travelers to explore destinations virtually, reducing the need for physical travel and thus lowering carbon emissions associated with transportation, especially air travel.
• Educational Impact: By simulating real-world environments, VR can raise awareness about the environmental impacts of tourism, educating users on sustainability and conservation.
• Event Alternatives: VR can host virtual events and conferences, reducing the need for physical attendance and the associated environmental footprint of large gatherings.
• Making travel accessible to all
• Overcoming Physical Limitations: VR tourism opens up travel experiences to people with mobility issues, financial constraints, or other barriers that prevent physical travel.
• Economic Inclusivity: By providing a cost-effective way to experience new places, VR helps democratize travel, making it possible for a broader audience to explore the world.
• Cultural Accessibility: VR can bring cultural experiences and heritage sites to users worldwide, ensuring that even remote or restricted areas are accessible to all, preserving cultural heritage and promoting global understanding.
• Preserving natural sites and heritage
• Virtual Conservation: VR can help in the preservation of natural sites and heritage by providing an alternative to physical visitation, which can lead to over-tourism and degradation of sensitive environments.
• Awareness and Education: Through immersive experiences, VR can educate visitors about the importance of conservation and the challenges faced by natural and historical sites.
• Support for Conservation Efforts: Revenue generated from VR tourism can be channeled back into conservation and preservation efforts, supporting the maintenance and protection of natural and cultural heritage sites.

Personalization and Customer Experience

• Tailored travel experiences through VR
• VR allows travel companies to create customized experiences based on user preferences and past behavior.
• Travelers can explore destinations, activities, and accommodations virtually before making decisions, ensuring their travel plan aligns with their interests and desires.
• VR can simulate different scenarios within a travel destination, such as weather conditions, crowd sizes, and time of day, giving a comprehensive preview of what to expect.
• Enhancing customer engagement and satisfaction
• Interactive VR experiences engage customers more deeply than traditional travel brochures or websites.
• Users can virtually visit locations, leading to increased excitement and anticipation for the actual trip, enhancing overall satisfaction with the travel planning process.
• Feedback mechanisms within VR platforms can help companies improve offerings and customize user experiences, leading to higher levels of customer satisfaction and engagement.
• Building brand loyalty and trust
• By providing immersive and personalized VR experiences, travel companies can create memorable interactions that foster brand loyalty.
• Transparent previews of travel services and destinations build trust, as customers feel more confident in their travel choices and the authenticity of what is being offered.
• Regular updates and new VR content can keep customers engaged with the brand, encouraging repeat business and referrals to others, thus strengthening brand loyalty and trust over time.

Future of VR Tourism

• Emerging Trends and Potential Growth Areas

The future of VR tourism looks bright! As technology gets better, VR experiences feel more real, pulling in more people. New trends include super-realistic simulations that let you feel, touch, and even smell places you visit.

VR might also branch out into education, offering fun ways to learn about history and nature. And when VR teams up with AI, it can suggest trips and activities tailored just for you, based on what you like and have done before.

• Challenges and Considerations for the Future

Despite the promising prospects of VR tourism, several challenges and considerations need addressing. Digital divide is a big problem. Not everyone can use VR because it costs a lot and needs good tech. VR should not replace real travel, just make it better. We need diverse VR content about different places. This needs a lot of money for making content and better tech.

• The Role of VR in Post-Pandemic Travel Recovery

Virtual reality (VR) travel has helped the travel industry bounce back after the pandemic. It gives people a safe way to explore new places without actually traveling. When international travel was restricted, VR let tourists visit destinations from their homes, keeping interest in travel alive and helping the industry stay afloat.

Virtual reality (VR) tourism is like going on trips without leaving your home. You use special tech to see and feel like you’re really there. It’s good for the environment because it cuts down on pollution from traveling. VR teams up with augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to make the experience more personal and fun. As this tech improves, it will change how we travel, making it simpler for everyone to explore while also being kinder to the planet.

Q. What is VR tourism?  

VR tourism uses virtual reality technology to create immersive travel experiences, allowing users to explore destinations virtually without physical travel.

Q. How does VR tourism benefit the travel industry?  

VR tourism offers innovative marketing tools, generates new revenue streams, and enhances customer engagement by providing immersive previews of destinations.

Q. Can VR tourism contribute to sustainable travel?  

Yes, VR tourism promotes sustainability by reducing the need for physical travel, thus lowering carbon emissions and preserving natural and cultural sites.

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Q. What technologies are integrated with VR in tourism?  

VR in tourism is often integrated with augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to create more interactive and personalized travel experiences.

Q. What is the future of VR tourism?  

The future of VR tourism looks promising with advancements in technology, leading to more realistic and engaging virtual travel experiences.

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• Q. How does VR tourism benefit the travel industry? 
• Q. Can VR tourism contribute to sustainable travel? 
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• Q. What is the future of VR tourism? 

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What Is VR Tourism and What Are Its Benefits?

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Virtual Reality (VR) allows users to experience simulated environments as if they're in the real world. With VR, you could experience far-off destinations' sights, sounds, and sensations without ever getting on a plane.

VR tourism has been gaining popularity in recent years, offering tourists an immersive and accessible way to explore the world. But is it worth doing?

Let's explore the world of VR tourism, what it is, and whether it's a worthwhile experience for avid travelers.

How VR Is Revolutionizing the Tourism Industry

VR devices are commonly associated with gaming, but they have a range of other applications. One of them is in the travel industry, which now allows people to explore the world virtually from their living rooms. It offers travelers an immersive and interactive experience of traveling to any part of the world.

Travelers around the world are taking a keen interest in virtual tourism. According to an estimate by Market Data Forecast , the Global Virtual Tourism Market is expected to reach approximately $847.95 billion by 2028. Meanwhile, the market's valuation for the year 2022 was around $385.75 billion.

VR technology creates a virtual environment that simulates actual tourist spots worldwide. You can experience them through VR headsets or glasses and enjoy these far-off destinations virtually. But it is only one instance of the use of VR in the tourism sector—there are many other uses of this tech in the industry.

For instance, VR can help tourists virtually explore a place before planning a trip. It would allow them to get familiar with the location's culture, know which things they should try, give them a better sense of what to expect, and increase their confidence in their choice. It can also be handy for marketing in the tourism sector and help travel guides attract more visitors.

Furthermore, VR technology offers an immersive experience for travelers unable to travel due to physical disabilities, health issues, or financial constraints. It can also help preserve natural and cultural heritage sites by reducing the number of physical visitors.

Moving forward, let's now focus on the different benefits of VR in tourism.

Create Virtual Travel Experiences

One of the main benefits of VR in tourism is the possibility of virtual travel experiences. You can experience a range of tourist spots, including religious sites, historic sites, and even places that still need to be fully developed for tourists. A range of VR technologies like VR headsets and glasses, 360-degree cameras, special video editing tools, and others allow you to enjoy these attractive sites without being in person.

Virtual traveling can eliminate many limitations for travelers, like budget constraints, physical limitations, or time constraints. You only need to invest in VR technologies, and you can avail immersive travel experiences of any destination worldwide.

With VR travel, you can get teleported anywhere you like and enjoy VR city tours with your friends and loved ones. And because you're not going through the trouble of transit, you don't need group planning apps that help make planning trips with friends and family easier.

However, virtual travel experiences are still uncommon as many people yearn for the authenticity of actual travel. The idea of virtual tourism, where you don't even have to pack your bags, can be puzzling to some. But if you want to try virtual travel, you should check out these free virtual travel experiences .

Use VR for Self-Guided Tours

VR technology and augmented reality (AR) devices can work as your personal tour guide. Although VR and AR are different technologies , they can work together to improve your tour. This especially benefits those who prefer solo travel or desire more privacy. VR tourism apps provide self-guided tours, allowing travelers to explore at their own pace.

VR travel apps for exploring , like the City Guide Tour , can provide you with information about destinations through object recognition features. For instance, if you are traveling in an unknown city, it might pinpoint tourist spots like museums, parks, and galleries and offer on-screen information related to them.

Additionally, translation apps let you talk to anyone, even in places where communication is a challenge. You can download languages to your phone, translating conversations in real time, even without a data connection. Therefore, you can communicate easily at markets, airports, or hotels.

Book Your Destination Using VR

The travel industry is getting even more exciting with the introduction of VR booking systems that provide users with an immersive environment for planning trips. These systems help you to plan your vacation in a better way. You can select your destination, hotel rooms, or plane seats through these AR and VR booking interfaces and even make payments.

Although yet to be widely used by travel agencies, several companies have introduced these services. Amadeus' VR travel search and booking experience is one excellent example that allows travelers to plan their entire trip virtually.

VRBookings.com is another example that offers vacation rental software to travel companies. This emerging trend could revolutionize the VR tourism industry by making the booking system more user-friendly and efficient.

Travelers could save time and money by using VR for booking and payment. At the same time, travel companies could reduce overhead costs and provide more personalized services to their customers. As this technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative applications of AR and VR in the travel industry.

Take a Virtual Tour Before Booking Your Hotel

VR is not limited to the tourism industry but also offers unique features for the hospitality industry. You can take virtual hotel tours before deciding on whether to book. This lets you know what a hotel offers, its environment, recreational activities, and the overall experience. It lets you book a hotel according to your preferences and enjoy a personalized experience.

VR hotel room previews allow hotels to be more transparent about their services and attract more visitors, promoting their services worldwide. Many hotels, like Atlantis Dubai, highlight their lavish features through 360-degree video virtual tours. This innovative approach helps hotels stand out and ensures customers make informed decisions before booking, leading to a more enjoyable and memorable stay.

A Look Ahead at the Tourism Sector and VR

The global virtual tourism market is rapidly expanding thanks to the inventive use of virtual and augmented reality technology. Although VR tourism trips may feel strange to some, Virtual Reality can surely enhance your travel experiences.

VR tech can revolutionize the tourism industry by transforming how travelers plan and experience their trips. In the future, it could be used for destination marketing, creating personalized travel experiences, and enhancing in-destination experiences through immersive tours and interactive exhibits.

This technology can also help tourism boards attract more visitors and encourage them to stay longer. Travel companies, too, can create customized travel itineraries and offer travelers more engaging and memorable experiences. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative applications of VR in the tourism industry.

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• Virtual Reality

10 Best Travel VR(Virtual Reality ) Apps for iPhone/Android & VR Headsets

Table of Contents

Travel VR apps have grown immensely in popularity over the past year with people relying more on virtual travel amidst restrictions. According to a recent survey, around 75% of global citizens have used the best VR apps and videos for virtual travel experiences since 2020.

This showcases how immersive VR is helping discover places remotely through 360-degree videos and interactive simulations. In this blog post, we focus on some of the best travel VR apps available for both mobile VR headsets as well as PC-powered devices.

Ranging from scenic nature reserves to bustling city tours, these apps offer vivid fly-throughs and panoramic views. We have curated this list based on graphic quality, immersion levels and number of high-quality travel destinations covered.

So whether you wish to visit popular landmarks or relax on tranquil beaches, keep reading to plan your next virtual trips! You can use these apps with VR headsets for PC , smartphones, or even as a standalone device.

Top 10 Best Travel VR Apps // Popular VR Apps for Virtual Travel

The travel VR industry has witnessed exponential growth in the past couple of years with over 50 new VR apps launching every quarter. Of these, around 85% focused solely on virtual tours while the remaining 15% offered additional features like transport simulations.

On an average, the top 10 tour apps have gained 50-70k downloads every month according to app metrics. More than 70% of top travel VR apps now feature true-to-life photorealistic visuals captured through 360-degree stereoscopic cameras. Most VR apps for Android and iPhones also allow exploring locations freely with 6DoF VR support as well as sharing trips online.

Around 65% of VR travel app users report feeling highly present and immersed. As if they were actually visiting real places. Now that you’ve got a sense of this thriving virtual travel landscape, browse through our top app picks for your next simulations away from home!

1. National Geographic Explore VR

National Geographic Explore VR is one of the best travel VR apps because it lets you explore two of the most iconic places on this planet – Antarctica and Machu Picchu, Peru. Through virtual reality headsets for PC and mobile devices, you can kayak around icebergs in Antarctica and witness 90% of what National Geographic photographers saw when they discovered Machu Picchu.

This virtual reality application for traveling stands out as it takes you to destinations that are difficult for most people to reach in real life. Only a small percentage of travelers can make it to Antarctica in winters due to harsh weather conditions. And exploring ancient Inca ruins without any crowds is a dream for history buffs around the world.

2. Google Earth VR

We have found the ultimate virtual travel experience with Google Earth VR. Powered by the popular Google Earth platform, these apps for virtual reality travelling allows you to see our entire planet Earth from the comfort of your VR headset, no matter the device you are using. With a map size of 196.9 million square miles, it truly feels like you can travel anywhere!

Some key aspects we loved are – the ability to soar over cities in VR, stand at viewpoints of famous landmarks, and even venture into outer space for a celestial perspective. The preloaded tours take you across amazing destinations instantly. Whether you want to wander the Amazon, see New York from above or gaze into the Grand Canyon, this app delivers stunning global sights.

3. BRINK Traveler

We think BRINK Traveler is one of the best travel VR apps for iPhone /Android & VR headsets. This app lets you experience over 44 beautiful natural places from all over the world without leaving your home! You can literally feel like you are really standing at Pulpit Rock in Norway or in the middle of Alabama Hills in USA through your headsets.

With BRINK Traveler, you get to explore amazing natural wonders like Arches National Park, Antelope Canyon, Mount Cook and many more in full 3D. Each location feels like a real place – you can walk around in a room-scale area and feel fully immersed. Best of all, you can visit these places whenever you want without planning trips or paying for flights!

4. Ecosphere

Ecosphere is one of the best virtual reality headset for travel apps we have seen in 2024. For those who love nature and want to learn about conservation efforts around the world, get your budget VR headsets and hop into the app. This app takes you to real locations in Kenya, Borneo and Raja Ampat in Indonesia – that’s almost 80% of the countries covered by WWF!

Through beautifully shot 360-degree videos, you’ll get to see 75% of endangered animals like elephants, orangutans and manta rays in their natural habitats. In over 7 scenes across 3 episodes, you will meet and interact with 95% of the local people who are working hard everyday to protect these animals and environments for future generations.

5. Puzzling Places

If you’re looking for a calming VR experience while traveling, we highly recommend trying Puzzling Places. Over 95% of reviewers say such travel VR apps for iPhone helps reduce stress and anxiety. What’s unique is that instead of ordinary puzzles, you piece together stunning miniature recreations of real places from all over the globe.

Some of the locations include Venice, Bordeaux, Kyoto and more – with over 10 puzzles and more added regularly. The best part is that each one comes to life with detailed 3D graphics and immersive Soundscapes that put you right in the heart of each destination. This brings the joy and relaxation of puzzling together with a sense of virtual sightseeing.

If you want to explore awesome new destinations without breaking the bank, we highly recommend Gala360. With a huge catalogue of over 50 iconic locations across 6 continents, there’s always somewhere new to discover. What’s great is that around 75% of scenes are completely free – so you really don’t need to spend a penny! For just $2.99 per quarter, VIP subscribers get unlimited access to premium weekly content from professional photographers.

That’s less than a cup of coffee to see incredible places like the Red Square parade, Mount Fanjing and Antarctica! The thing we like most is that the quality is super high res – around 95% comparable to what you’d get from expensive VR cameras. Whether you use your phone or a headset, reviewers especially love how Gala360 lets you simply tap through and fully immerse yourself like you’re really there.

7. Colosseum VR

Friends, if you’ve ever wondered what it was like to walk the halls of the Colosseum, then this app is for you! For just $4.99, we think it provides incredible value to be immersed in such an iconic site from antiquity. Using high-quality 360 degree photography and audio, around 80% of reviewers say the level of detail feels just like being there in the flesh.

What we especially like is that the guided tour is both educational and deeply engaging. As you follow the narrator, you’ll learn fascinating insights into how the Colosseum was built and operated, as well as the realities of gladiators and citizens some 2000 years ago. You might even spot the odd ancient Roman ghost wandering the corridors!

8. The Climb 2

The Climb 2 is among the best free VR travel apps for climbing enthusiasts! With stunning graphics and realistic climbing mechanics, this app takes you on an adventure through urban landscapes and mountain environments. Not only does it offer breathtaking views but also allows you to compete with friends in asynchronous multiplayer modes.

One of the standout features of The Climb 2 is its diverse range of maps. You’ll have the opportunity to scale skyscrapers, explore vast caves, and navigate through grand peaks. The app also has hidden shortcuts that add an extra layer of challenge to your climb. Just like fighting games for VR , the climbing experience in The Climb 2 is truly immersive.

9. NASA VR App

Are you ready to explore the final frontier from the comfort of your own home? Look no further than the NASA VR App! It is among the most popular VR apps and a must-have for space enthusiasts and armchair astronauts alike. The NASA VR App offers a wide range of virtual reality experiences , from tours of the International Space Station to simulations of rocket launches.

With this app, you can get up close and personal with the Mars rovers, or take a virtual walk on the moon. The attention to detail in these simulations is truly impressive, making you feel like you’re really there. One of the things that sets the NASA VR App apart is its focus on education. The app is filled with interactive lessons and experiments that make learning about space fun and engaging.

10. Everest VR

Everest VR offers an incredibly realistic and immersive experience, with five iconic scenes that take you on a virtual expedition to the summit of Mount Everest. From preparing for your climb at Basecamp to conquering the Hillary Step, you’ll feel like you’re really there. That’s what makes it one of the best VR travel app of 2024.

The app’s new feature, The Seeker Expedition, takes things to the next level. With immersive stories and interactive infographics it teaches you about the science and history of Everest. You can even explore the mountain in God Mode. Which allows you to view the Himalayas from a unique vantage point that’s only possible in virtual reality .

Final Words

We hope these VR travel apps provide a good starting point for your virtual globetrotting journeys through diverse landscapes and cultures. As VRtech advances with some of the best VR headsets , expect travel VR to disrupt industries. While it may also redefine the remote experiences.

We will continue expanding this guide with new additions regularly that might interest you in virtual travelling. Be sure to follow 5thScape Blog for all the latest VR travel apps developments. Now get out there and start exploring the wonders of our planet without ever leaving your room!

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The best VR apps for travel

Travel the earth from your easy chair with these 11 vr apps and sites.

This isn’t a far-off technology, either. There are several virtual travel apps already available, and companies such as Qantas, British Airways, and Marriott have already started experimenting with it as a marketing tool. On the consumption end, YouTube and Facebook are just a handful of the major sites that now support 360-degree content.

But even if you have no plans to physically go anywhere, VR is a fantastic video-based medium for armchair wanderlust. It takes the Google Street View approach of dragging your mouse around 360-degree photos, and transforms it into an immersive experience in which you can explore those environments in greater detail. You can travel to places you may never be able to go (or want to), including destinations that are off-limits to tourists or simply dangerous. And when you add narration from a tour guide to those videos, the experience becomes that much greater.

While video resolution quality isn’t there yet — depending on the production quality, viewing through VR goggles and headsets can be nauseating — it’s getting better. As we experienced back in 2015 with Marriott’s “VRoom Service,” using the  Samsung Gear VR , the audio-visual “sensory experience” did make us feel as if we’re there (pardon the cliché). Expect to see more content uploaded in the near future, including a mix of professional, high-quality videos and those shot by consumers on their phones or cameras.

So if you’ve purchased a VR headset with your new Galaxy phone, or were sent a cardboard viewer as part of a promotion , here are a few sites and apps that will give you a taste of virtual travel.

Google Earth VR

Have you ever wanted to fly around the world? Google Earth’s VR app for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive does that and so much more  — virtually, of course. Google Earth VR starts you off in space, but you can zoom in on any part of the globe and, within seconds, you’ll have a bird’s eye view of the locale in question. With a simple long press and drag of your controller, you can fly from the top of the Eiffel Tower to the inside of Disney World — and it happens quicker than you might expect.

If you need inspiration for your next adventure, Google provides tours of famous landmarks, along with themed destinations. You can even go from day to night — just point to the sky and swipe. You can also type in an address and Google Earth VR will transport you to said destination, where you can capture and save snapshots of what you see.

In Boulevard (formerly WoofbertVR), you can explore 3D renderings of various museums and cultural sites located throughout England and San Francisco. However, the app allows you to do more than merely look around. You can access a virtual tablet with the tap of a button, which will provide you with textual information on what you are looking at and allow you to to take a brief audio tour. It can even show you which exhibits you can further engage with.

For instance, if you tap on Édouard Manet’s famous 19th century painting,  A Bar at the Folies-Bergère , you’ll be transported beyond the frame and into an animated reimagining of the events depicted in the painting. Or, if you tap on a 1969 photo of painter Helen Frankenthaler, you’ll be able to walk around a 3D rendering of her minimalist workspace, giving you the feeling you just stepped into a memory. If you’re looking to indulge in fine art on your next trip abroad, Boulevard might be right up your ally.

Virtual reality has turned photo galleries into 3D experiences. Gala360 consists of a collection of shots culled from professional photographers, all of which allow you to examine events, museums, landmarks, and different locales with a mere swipe of your finger.

You can walk around and explore the cavernous lava tubes of Hawaii, for example, or take in the breathtaking views of Yosemite National Park. Certain experiences even have audio commentary, providing you further context about what you’re seeing as you scroll through the app’s various photos. Many of these experiences are free, though, premium content will cost you a $1 a month.

Lufthansa #TravelCompass

For its YouTube page, German airliner Lufthansa created several 360-degree on-location videos in Beijing, Hong Kong, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo. Each 46-minute clip lets you pan around a notable area in each of those cities, such as Wan Chai Street Market in Hong Kong or Lombard Street in San Francisco. You don’t need a VR viewer, although it’s more immersive if you use the YouTube Android app with Google Cardboard viewer.

Action cam maker GoPro is getting into the VR game in a big way. Its Odyssey uses 16 Hero4 Black  cameras to capture an 8K panoramic video, and its consumer-friendly 360 camera, the Fusion , is coming soon. Of course, GoPro’s videos are short of amazing, and its 360-degree ones are no exception. From surfing in Tahiti to riding a BMW bike on the rooftops of Gran Canaria and inside an Indycar over the Golden Gate Bridge. Check out the personal New York City tour with photographer and Instagrammer, Neil Britto. GoPro won’t be the only big camera company getting into VR: Samsung ,  Nikon , and Ricoh all have 360 cameras, and we can expect to see content from them. The New York Times, for example, has a series of 360-degree videos created using the Samsung Gear 360.

Chances are, most of us will never experience space travel in our lifetime, let alone journey to Mars. Thanks to thousands of images that have been transmitted back to Earth from its Sojourner and Curiosity rovers, NASA was able to put together 360-degree videos and images of what walking on Mars would be like. The most recent panorama comes from the Curiosity Mars Rover, from a site known as Ogunquit Beach .

As its name would suggest, Ascape is a VR app that’s dedicated entirely to travel. Available as an app for both Android or iOS, and viewable on a phone or VR viewer, Ascape has a bunch of 360-degree video and photo tours — from the Star Wars parade at Disneyland Hong Kong to reindeer racing in Norway — and are neatly categorized (called “collections”). You will need to download each experience, which could take up a chunk of space on your phone.

Littlstar is a VR “cinema network” hosting a variety of 360-degree photos and videos, available on the web or via its app for Android or iOS. Its aerial and travel categories contain numerous content from around the world, including videos from Discovery and National Geographic. When you’re looked through all the travel videos, check out the many others, including tech, sports, cars, and fashion.

Like Littlstar, YouVisit lets you experience its content on the web (through a web browser or the Oculus Rift) or with a VR headset via its app for iPhone or Android . YouVisit has a variety of interesting travel-related 360-degree photos and videos, from the Ayautthaya temples of Thailand to the Louvre Museum in Paris and helicopter ride over New York City. You can even get onboard the Carnival Breeze and explore the different parts of the cruise ship.

Wild Within

Destination B.C., an agency that promotes tourism in Canada’s British Columbia, launched a virtual reality experience called “ Wild Within ,” which explores the natural areas of this western province. In the videos, the viewer travels through the Broughton Archipelago of the Great Bear Rainforest, but has the option of taking one of two paths — the coastline or up a mountain. Wild Within was first developed for the Oculus Rift on a desktop, but it’s now available as an app for iOS or Android .

Discovery is one of the major media companies to dive into virtual reality. Last August, it launched its Discovery VR initiative  that lets users experience TV shows like Gold Rush , Survivorman , Puppy Bowl , and MythBusters , in an immersive manner. Besides exploring the exotic locales, you can swim with sharks, ski downhill with Bode Miller, or learn to forage for food, for example. Discovery VR content can be watched online, but it’s best via a phone and Google Cardboard or similar viewer, or Samsung Gear VR (via Oculus store).

Update: Added Boulevard, Gala360, and Google Earth VR.

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Table of Contents

Vr in tourism: benefits and use cases.

• Blog , Virtual Reality

Gaurav Patil

Virtual reality in tourism provides viewers with an immersive tourism experience. There are many different types of virtual tourism services available. They use a combination of virtual reality, still images, video, audio, narration, and other multimedia formats.

Virtual tourism content can be accessed using a virtual reality headset for the most immersive experience. It can also be viewed on a regular computer or even a mobile device.

By using the power of VR technology, businesses can create immersive and accessible experiences that inspire curiosity, foster cultural understanding, and drive economic growth within the global tourism landscape.

In this article, we’ll explore into the world of VR applications in tourism, covering essential aspects such as key features, development processes, and cost estimation factors to understand how to effectively integrate VR into the tourism sector.

Market Stats For VR In Tourism

Virtual Reality (VR) technology is transforming the tourist business, providing immersive experiences that transport consumers to destinations across the world from the comfort of their own homes. 

With advances in VR hardware and software, tourism businesses are using this technology to increase customer interaction and promote interest in tourist destinations like never before.

As per a report from Statista, the market size for global virtual tourism is expected to reach  24 billion U.S. dollars by 2027 .

Source: Statista

The expanding global tourism market presents a lucrative opportunity for VR development in tourism. 

As more travellers seek immersive experiences, VR offers a compelling solution to showcase destinations remotely. Capitalizing on this trend can lead to increased demand for VR content, driving growth and profitability in the tourism industry.

What Is Virtual Reality In Travel?

Virtual reality (VR) in travel entails the creation of interactive images or videos that allow viewers to explore a scene in full 360 degrees. Unlike traditional media captured from fixed viewpoints, VR technology captures every aspect of a location, providing a more immersive experience.

In the travel industry, VR is used to showcase tourism destinations in a unique and engaging manner. Specialized cameras, rigs, and software are employed to capture the content, which can then be experienced through VR headsets or on standard devices such as computers or mobile phones.

While some may believe that VR content is exclusive to dedicated VR headsets, it can actually be accessed on any device, offering varying levels of immersion. For instance, at Immersion VR, we produce tourism VR content that can be explored by clicking or swiping across the video to view the entire 360-degree environment.

Benefits Of Virtual Reality In Tourism

Virtual reality (VR) has revolutionized the tourism industry by offering immersive experiences that transcend physical limitations. From virtual tours of destinations to interactive cultural explorations, VR enhances travel planning and fosters global connectivity.

1. Immersive Destination Experience

Virtual reality (VR) offers a unique and immersive way for users to experience travel destinations without physically being there. By transporting users to different locations, VR allows them to vividly imagine themselves at a travel destination, fostering a sense of connection and anticipation.

2. Detailed Destination Showcase

One of the key advantages of VR in tourism is its ability to showcase destinations in stunning detail. Through high-resolution, 360-degree views, users can explore every angle of a destination, providing them with a comprehensive understanding of what it has to offer.

3. Flexible Exploration

Moreover, VR empowers users to navigate and explore scenes at their own pace and according to their preferences. This flexibility enhances the user experience, allowing individuals to tailor their virtual journey to their interests and desires.

4. Memorable Interactions

In addition to offering immersive experiences, VR in tourism creates memorable and unique interactions for users. By simulating real-world environments and activities, VR can evoke strong emotions and leave a lasting impression on users, making their virtual travel experiences truly unforgettable.

5. Innovative Brand Engagement

From a marketing perspective, VR enables travel companies to differentiate themselves and engage with consumers in innovative ways. By leveraging VR technology, companies can create distinctive brand experiences that capture the attention of potential travelers and set themselves apart from competitors.

6. Accessibility Enhancement

Furthermore, VR has the potential to make travel accessible to individuals who may face limitations or barriers to traditional forms of tourism. Whether due to physical disabilities, financial constraints, or other reasons, VR can provide these individuals with the opportunity to explore destinations and cultures from the comfort of their own surroundings.

7. Sustainability Contribution

Importantly, VR in tourism can also contribute to sustainable travel practices by reducing the environmental impact of traditional tourism activities. By offering virtual alternatives to physical travel, VR can help minimize overcrowding and mitigate the negative effects of tourism on vulnerable destinations and ecosystems.

VR Trends For The Virtual Travel Industry

Virtual reality (VR) travel trends have surged in popularity, with travel companies actively offering immersive VR experiences to their customers. These experiences often include simulated journeys to various destinations, allowing users to explore different places from the comfort of their own homes.

1. VR Travel Experiences by Travel Companies

2. virtual hotel tours by travel companies and hotels.

Both travel companies and hotels are increasingly providing virtual tours of their accommodations, giving potential guests a detailed preview of their facilities and amenities before making a booking decision.

3. Technologies to Make VR Travel More Realistic

To enhance the realism of VR travel, ongoing advancements in technology are being implemented. These innovations aim to replicate the sights, sounds, and even sensations of being in a particular location, thus providing users with a more authentic and immersive experience.

4. VR Travel Experiences for the Elderly

Recognizing the potential of VR technology to cater to diverse demographics, there is a growing focus on creating VR travel experiences specifically tailored to the elderly population. These experiences are designed to cater to the unique needs and preferences of older individuals, offering them opportunities to virtually explore destinations they may not have been able to visit physically.

5. VR Flight Experiences

VR flight experiences have gained traction as a novel way for users to virtually experience air travel. These simulations allow users to immerse themselves in the entire flight process, from boarding to landing, providing a realistic portrayal of the flying experience without leaving the ground.

6. Virtual Experiences of Landmark Destinations

Another popular trend in VR travel is the creation of virtual experiences of landmark destinations. Users can virtually visit iconic landmarks and tourist attractions worldwide, gaining insights into their history, significance, and architectural marvels through immersive VR environments.

7. Virtual Booking Interface

Moreover, the development of virtual booking interfaces simplifies the process of planning and booking travel experiences within the VR environment. These interfaces enable users to browse destinations, view accommodations, and make bookings seamlessly, all within the immersive VR environment, enhancing the overall convenience and accessibility of VR travel.

Use Cases Of Virtual Reality In Tourism

Virtual reality (VR) is revolutionizing tourism by offering immersive experiences that allow travelers to explore destinations, engage in cultural activities, and preview accommodations, enhancing trip planning and the overall tourist experience. Here are some of the use cases

1. Virtual Destination Exploration

Through virtual reality (VR), prospective tourists can engage in comprehensive exploration of various destinations. This technology offers detailed virtual tours of landmarks, museums, or natural wonders, presenting a 360-degree immersive experience. By virtually visiting these locations, travelers can gather information, assess the appeal of destinations, and plan their trips more effectively.

2. Virtual Travel Experiences

VR technology transports users into diverse travel experiences, from iconic activities like riding a gondola in Venice to adventurous endeavors like hiking through a rainforest or even encountering wildlife like swimming with dolphins. These simulated adventures provide travelers with a taste of different cultures and environments, sparking their interest in exploring new destinations and embarking on unique experiences.

3. Virtual Hotel and Accommodation Tours

Hotels and resorts leverage VR to offer detailed virtual tours of their accommodations. Prospective guests can virtually explore various room types, amenities, and facilities, gaining a realistic sense of the lodging options available. This immersive experience empowers travelers to make well-informed decisions about their accommodations, leading to increased bookings for hospitality businesses.

4. Virtual Historical Reconstructions

VR technology enables the recreation of historical sites and events, providing tourists with immersive experiences of significant moments in history. By virtually stepping into the past, visitors can gain a deeper understanding of historical contexts, civilizations, and cultures. These immersive reconstructions enrich educational tourism, offering insights into diverse historical periods and fostering cultural appreciation.

5. Virtual Cultural Immersion

Cultural institutions and tourism organizations utilize VR to offer immersive cultural experiences to audiences worldwide. Through virtual platforms, users can participate in virtual festivals, ceremonies, or cultural performances, immersing themselves in the traditions and customs of different societies. This virtual cultural immersion fosters cross-cultural understanding and appreciation, promoting cultural exchange and dialogue.

6. Virtual Reality Travel Agencies

Modern travel agencies integrate VR technology into their services, offering virtual consultations and immersive presentations to clients. Through VR platforms, travelers can preview destinations, activities, and accommodations in a highly immersive manner. These virtual experiences enhance the booking process, enabling travelers to make informed decisions and tailor their travel experiences according to their preferences.

7. Virtual Tour Guide Services

VR-based tour guide services provide personalized, immersive tours led by virtual guides. Travelers can interact with these virtual guides, who offer informative commentary, historical facts, and navigation assistance throughout the virtual tour. This interactive experience enhances the overall tourist experience, providing travelers with insightful guidance and enriching their exploration of destinations.

Examples Of Virtual Reality In Tourism

Discover the world from the comfort of your home with virtual reality tourism. Explore stunning destinations like the Faroe Islands, Bristol, Dubai, and the Great Barrier Reef in immersive experiences

1. The Faroe Islands

Situated off the coast of Iceland, the Faroe Islands are a picturesque group of islands. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Faroe Islands introduced a virtual tourism campaign as an alternative to physical travel. This initiative proved to be a boon for individuals worldwide who were confined due to isolation measures. It allows virtual visitors to explore the islands through the perspective of a local, offering real-time tracking of local activities.

2. Bristol From Home

In response to the pandemic, Visit Bristol developed an immersive virtual experience called Bristol From Home, mirroring the Faroe Islands’ approach. This platform compiles various attractions, activities, and resources that travelers can enjoy from the comfort of their homes during social distancing. The website offers an array of virtual tours, including visits to a luxury Victorian ship, virtual hot-air balloon rides, gin tastings, and more, providing a comprehensive virtual exploration of Bristol’s offerings.

3. Dubai 360: A Virtual Tour of Dubai

Dubai 360 offers an immersive virtual tourism experience showcasing the awe-inspiring architecture of Dubai. This platform allows users to navigate the city from a bird’s-eye view, providing comprehensive information about its diverse attractions and landmarks.

4. The Great Barrier Reef

Virtual tourism is also available for the Great Barrier Reef, offering an interactive journey hosted by renowned broadcaster and historian David Attenborough. This virtual experience provides viewers with a comprehensive tour of the world’s largest coral reef system. It serves as more than just a substitute for physical tours of the Great Barrier Reef, offering a unique and versatile exploration of this natural wonder.

How To Develop A VR App For Travel Industry?

Developing a VR app for the virtual travel industry involves a blend of technical expertise, creative design, and a deep understanding of user experience. Below are non-generic steps to guide you through the process:

1. Market Research and Conceptualization

Identify your target audience within the virtual travel industry, such as adventure seekers, travel enthusiasts, or those with limited mobility. Understand the current market trends by analyzing existing VR travel apps and identifying potential gaps or opportunities for innovation.  

2. Define User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI):

Develop user personas based on thorough research to understand your target audience’s demographics, behaviors, and preferences. Tailor the UX/UI design accordingly to ensure a seamless and immersive experience for users navigating the virtual travel app. Create wireframes and mockups to visualize the app’s layout, navigation flow, and overall look, prioritizing intuitive controls and seamless transitions to enhance user immersion and comfort within the virtual environment.

3. Choose VR Development Tools and Platforms

Select appropriate VR development platforms based on your target VR devices, considering factors such as Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, or mobile VR platforms like Oculus Quest. Utilize game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine known for their VR capabilities, along with VR-specific SDKs and frameworks. Consider compatibility with additional peripherals like motion controllers or haptic feedback devices to enhance user interaction and immersion within the virtual travel experiences.

4. Content Creation and Integration

Curate high-quality 360-degree videos or immersive VR environments showcasing various travel destinations. Utilize photogrammetry techniques to create realistic 3D models of landmarks, cities, or natural landscapes. Integrate interactive elements such as informational hotspots, guided tours, or mini-games to engage users during their virtual travel experiences, ensuring that the content is both captivating and informative for users exploring different destinations within the app.

5. Implement Social and Sharing Features

Enable multiplayer functionality to allow users to explore virtual destinations together or share experiences in real-time, fostering social interactions within the virtual travel app. Integrate social media sharing options to enable users to share snapshots or videos of their virtual travels with friends and family, expanding the app’s reach and user engagement.  

6. Optimize Performance and Accessibility

Optimize graphics rendering and resource management to ensure smooth performance across different VR hardware specifications, providing users with a seamless and immersive experience regardless of their device. Implement accessibility features such as adjustable text sizes, voice commands, or alternative control schemes to accommodate users with disabilities, ensuring that the app is inclusive and accessible to all users.  

7. Monetization and Business Model

Explore various monetization strategies such as premium app purchases, subscription models, in-app purchases for virtual souvenirs or upgrades, or sponsored content partnerships with travel brands. Consider offering a freemium model with basic features accessible for free and premium content or experiences available through in-app purchases or subscription tiers, providing users with flexibility and choice in how they access and enjoy the virtual travel app’s offerings.

8. Launch, Marketing, and User Feedback

Plan a strategic launch campaign targeting VR enthusiasts, travel communities, and tech media outlets to generate buzz and excitement around the virtual travel app. Gather user feedback through beta testing phases, user surveys, and app analytics to iteratively improve the app’s features and performance post-launch, ensuring that it meets the evolving needs and expectations of its users.  

Cost Affecting Factors To Consider To Develop A VR Based Travel App

Developing a VR-based travel app involves several cost-affecting factors that need careful consideration. Each of these elements contributes to the overall expense of creating the app, and it’s essential to allocate resources accordingly to ensure a high-quality product.

1. Development Cost

The development of a VR-based travel app involves several cost factors, including software development, UI/UX design, and testing. Allocating resources effectively in this phase ensures the creation of a high-quality product that meets user expectations.

2. Content Creation Cost

A crucial aspect of VR travel apps is content creation, which includes producing 360-degree videos and virtual tours. Quality and quantity of content directly impact user engagement, necessitating thorough budgeting to ensure immersive experiences.

3. Integration with VR Hardware

Ensuring compatibility with various VR devices and platforms adds complexity to development and may incur additional expenses. Seamless integration and optimal performance across hardware configurations are essential for a consistent user experience which can be easily done by hiring VR developers .

4. Marketing and Promotion

Effective marketing campaigns, advertising, and promotional activities are vital for garnering visibility and attracting users. Strategic budget allocation in this area significantly impacts user acquisition and retention, contributing to the app’s success.

5. Maintenance and Updates

Regular maintenance, bug fixes, feature enhancements, and software updates are essential for sustaining the app’s functionality and relevance. Budgeting for ongoing maintenance tasks ensures the app remains secure and up-to-date with evolving technologies and user preferences.

Know more about the cost of VR app development in detail with this ultimate guide.

Here is detailed breakdown of estimated cost to develop a VR powered travel app:

Tech Stack To Consider To Develop A VR Based Travel App

Developing a virtual reality (VR) based virtual travel app requires careful consideration of various technologies to ensure a seamless and immersive user experience. Here’s a suggested tech stack you can consider:

1. Unity or Unreal Engine

These are popular game engines commonly used for developing VR applications. Both engines support VR development and offer robust tools and features for creating immersive environments.

2. VR Headsets

Determine which VR platforms you want to target and choose the appropriate headsets. Common options include Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Oculus Quest, and Valve Index. Each has its SDK and development requirements.

3. 3D Modeling and Animation Software

Tools like Blender, Autodesk Maya, or Cinema 4D are essential for creating 3D models, environments, and animations for your VR travel app.

4. Programming Languages

Depending on the game engine chosen, you’ll need to be familiar with programming languages such as C# for Unity or C++ for Unreal Engine.

Utilize VR software development kits (SDKs) provided by headset manufacturers like Oculus SDK, SteamVR SDK, or OpenVR for integrating VR-specific features into your app.

6. Spatial Audio Libraries

Implement spatial audio to enhance the immersive experience. Libraries like Google Resonance Audio or Oculus Spatializer can help achieve realistic audio effects.

7. Networking

If you want to include multiplayer or social features in your app, you’ll need networking capabilities. Libraries like Photon Unity Networking (PUN) or Mirror can facilitate multiplayer functionality.

8. Backend Development

For user authentication, data storage, and content management, you may need a backend server. Technologies like Node.js, Django, or Firebase can be used for backend development.

9. Cloud Services

Consider cloud services like AWS or Azure for hosting your backend infrastructure and managing scalability and performance.

10. UI/UX Design Tools

Design intuitive user interfaces and user experiences using tools like Adobe XD, Sketch, or Figma. VR-specific considerations such as user comfort and interaction design are crucial.

11. Analytics and Monitoring

Integrate analytics tools like Google Analytics or Firebase Analytics to track user behavior, engagement, and performance metrics within your VR app.

12. Testing Tools

Ensure the quality of your VR app with testing tools like Unity Test Framework, Oculus Performance Profiler, or SteamVR Performance Test to optimize performance and identify bugs.

13. Security

Implement security measures to protect user data and ensure a secure VR experience. Consider encryption, secure authentication methods, and compliance with data protection regulations.

14. Deployment Platforms

Decide where you want to distribute your VR app. Options include app stores like Oculus Store, SteamVR, or standalone distribution platforms if you’re targeting enterprise users.

Virtual tours offer a promising avenue for diversifying tourism, they provide an accessible option for individuals who may lack the resources, finances, or time to engage in traditional travel experiences.  

Moreover, virtual tours present a cost-effective way to showcase tourist destinations to both local and central governments, requiring advancements in technology such as 360-degree software, virtual reality (VR), and panoramic imaging. 

The evolution of these technologies has enabled the creation of immersive 3D virtual tours, enhancing their realism and appeal.

By leveraging these technological advancements, virtual tours can serve as compelling previews that encourage physical visits to tourist attractions, bridging the gap between virtual and in-person experiences.

How Can We Help In Developing A VR Based Virtual Travel App?

We specialize in creating advanced AI solutions and are skilled in developing VR-based virtual travel applications. 

Our talented team of developers and engineers is ready to use cutting-edge technology to create a flawless and immersive virtual travel experience. 

We’re available to work together on anything from developing the initial idea to executing the final deployment. Contact us today by using the button below to begin your VR app development journey.

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100% developer skill guarantee; or your money back., q. how can vr technology benefit tourism business.

A. Virtual Reality offers immersive experiences that can showcase your destinations, accommodations, and activities in a way that traditional media cannot. It allows potential customers to virtually explore your offerings, increasing engagement and driving bookings.

Q. What are the key use cases of VR in the tourism industry?

A. VR can be used for virtual tours of hotels, resorts, and attractions, providing potential guests with a realistic preview of their experience. It’s also valuable for destination marketing, allowing travelers to virtually explore destinations before making travel decisions. Additionally, VR experiences can enhance travel agency presentations and trade show exhibits, offering a unique and memorable way to showcase destinations.

Q. How difficult is it to integrate VR into existing business operations?

A. Integrating VR into your business can vary in complexity depending on your specific needs and resources. There are off-the-shelf VR solutions available for creating virtual tours and experiences, which can be relatively easy to implement with the right guidance. However, for more customized VR experiences, you may need to work with VR developers or agencies to create content tailored to your business.

Q. Will investing in VR technology provide a good return on investment (ROI) for my tourism business?

A. While the initial investment in VR technology may seem significant, it can lead to long-term benefits such as increased bookings, improved customer engagement, and enhanced brand reputation. By offering immersive experiences that differentiate your business from competitors, VR has the potential to attract more customers and generate higher revenue over time.

Q. How can VR experiences enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty?

A. VR experiences can provide customers with a realistic preview of their travel experiences, helping to manage their expectations and reduce the likelihood of disappointment upon arrival. By offering immersive and interactive content, you can also create memorable experiences that increase customer satisfaction and encourage repeat visits or referrals.

Q. Are there any limitations or challenges associated with implementing VR in the tourism industry?

A. While VR technology offers many benefits, there are some challenges to consider, such as the initial cost of equipment and content creation, technical requirements for hosting VR experiences, and ensuring accessibility for all users. Additionally, VR experiences may not fully replicate the sensory richness of real-world travel, so it’s important to manage customer expectations and supplement VR with other marketing efforts.

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15 Benefits of Virtual Reality In Tourism (2024)

Virtual reality (VR) technology is rapidly transforming the tourism industry by offering immersive and engaging experiences that allow tourists to explore destinations and attractions in new and innovative ways.

From virtual tours and simulations to training and skill development, VR is providing a wealth of benefits for tourism businesses and destinations alike. 

What is VR In Tourism?

Virtual Reality (VR) transforms tourism by immersing travellers in digital environments. Using VR headsets, users can virtually explore destinations, check out hotels, and experience activities before the actual trip. This tech-enhanced preview adds excitement to travel planning, offering a more immersive and informed way to envision and choose upcoming vacations.

15 Key Benefits of VR In the Tourism Industry You Must Know

1. enhanced destination marketing.

Virtual reality (VR) technology allows tourism marketers to create immersive experiences that showcase destinations and attractions, giving potential visitors a taste of what they can expect.

With VR, marketers can create interactive videos, 3D models, and virtual tours that transport viewers to the destination and provide a sense of its unique features and attractions.

This enhanced destination marketing can help to increase awareness and interest in a destination, driving more visitors and tourism revenue.

2. Increased Engagement

VR can provide a more engaging and interactive experience for tourists, enhancing their interest and enthusiasm for a particular destination.

With VR, tourists can explore destinations in a more immersive and interactive way, experiencing sights, sounds, and even smells that are not possible with traditional media.

This increased engagement can help to create a stronger emotional connection with the destination, making tourists more likely to visit and recommend it to others.

3. Accessible Tourism

VR can make tourism more accessible to people with disabilities or limited mobility, allowing them to experience destinations and attractions they may not have been able to before.

With VR, people with physical or sensory impairments can explore destinations in a virtual environment, making it possible to experience the sights and sounds of a place without the physical barriers that may prevent them from visiting in person.

4. Time and Cost Savings

Virtual reality can save time and money for both tourists and tourism businesses. With VR, tourists can explore destinations and attractions without the need for expensive travel and accommodation, making it possible to experience multiple destinations in a short amount of time.

For tourism businesses, VR can reduce the costs of creating physical marketing materials and can help attract visitors who may not have otherwise considered the destination.

5. Improved Planning and Decision-making

VR can provide tourists with a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of a destination, helping them to make more informed decisions about where to go and what to do.

With VR, tourists can explore destinations and attractions in detail, seeing how they fit into the larger context of the destination and its culture.

This can help tourists to plan their trips more effectively, ensuring that they make the most of their time and money.

6. Enhanced Customer Experience

VR can help tourism businesses enhance the customer experience, providing visitors with more personalized and engaging interactions.

With VR, tourism businesses can create immersive and interactive experiences that allow visitors to explore destinations and attractions more engagingly and memorably.

This can help to create a stronger emotional connection with the destination and the business, leading to increased loyalty and repeat business.

7. Reduced Environmental Impact

Virtual reality can help to reduce the environmental impact of tourism by reducing the need for physical travel and the associated carbon emissions.

With VR, tourists can explore destinations and attractions without the need for air travel, reducing their carbon footprint and contributing to a more sustainable tourism industry.

8. Improved Safety and Security

VR can provide a safer and more secure way to explore destinations and attractions, particularly in areas with high levels of crime or political instability.

With VR, tourists can explore destinations in a virtual environment, avoiding the physical risks associated with travel to these areas.

This can also help to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries, particularly in activities such as adventure tourism.

Learn More: VR Safety Training

9. Enhanced Education and Cultural Understanding

VR can provide tourists with an enhanced understanding of the culture and history of a destination, helping them to appreciate its unique features and attractions.

With VR, tourists can explore historical and cultural sites in a more immersive and interactive way, allowing them to learn about the destination more engagingly and memorably.

This can help to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of different cultures and can contribute to more responsible and sustainable tourism.

See Our Complete Module: VR For Education

10. Increased Access to Remote Destinations

Virtual reality can help to increase access to remote or hard-to-reach destinations that may not have been accessible before.

With VR, tourists can explore destinations that are difficult to reach due to their distance, rugged terrain, or lack of infrastructure.

This can help to open up new destinations and attractions to tourism, increasing tourism revenue and contributing to economic development in these areas.

11. Improved Training and Skill Development

VR can provide a valuable tool for training and skill development in the tourism industry.

With VR, tourism businesses can create immersive and interactive VR training simulations that allow staff to learn and practice new skills realistically and engagingly.

This can help to improve the quality of service provided by tourism businesses, leading to increased customer satisfaction and repeat business.

12. Enhanced Sustainability

Virtual reality can help to promote sustainability in the tourism industry by reducing the impact of tourism on the environment and local communities.

With VR, tourists can explore destinations and attractions without the need for physical travel, reducing the carbon emissions and environmental damage associated with tourism.

Additionally, VR can help to promote more responsible and sustainable tourism practices by highlighting the environmental and social impacts of tourism and encouraging tourists to make more sustainable choices.

13. Increased Revenue and Profitability

Virtual reality can help tourism businesses increase revenue and profitability by attracting more visitors and enhancing the customer experience.

With VR, tourism businesses can create immersive and engaging experiences that set them apart from competitors and encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more money.

This can help to increase tourism revenue and profitability, leading to greater economic benefits for the destination and its stakeholders.

14. Improved Crisis Management

Virtual reality can provide a valuable tool for crisis management in the tourism industry, particularly in the event of natural disasters or other emergencies.

With VR, tourism businesses and emergency services can create simulations of different crisis scenarios, allowing them to practice and refine their response strategies in a safe and controlled environment.

This can help to improve the effectiveness of crisis response and reduce the impact of emergencies on tourists and the local community.

15. Innovative and Future-Proofed Marketing

Virtual reality represents an innovative and future-proofed approach to destination marketing that can help tourism businesses stay ahead of the curve.

With VR, tourism businesses can create immersive and interactive experiences that capture the attention of potential visitors and showcase the unique features and attractions of a destination.

This can help to create a strong brand identity for the destination and position it as a leader in the tourism industry.

How is virtual reality applied in the tourism industry?

Virtual reality is applied in tourism for various purposes, such as virtual destination tours, hotel reviews, and interactive travel experiences. It allows users to explore and interact with digital environments, offering a realistic glimpse into what a travel destination has to offer.

What is the difference between VR tourism and AR/VR in tourism?

VR tourism focuses specifically on virtual reality experiences in travel, while AR/VR in tourism encompasses both augmented and virtual reality applications. VR tourism provides immersive previews, whereas AR may overlay digital information onto the real world, enhancing the physical travel experience.

Why consider AR in tourism, and what benefits does it offer?

Augmented reality (AR) in tourism enhances the real-world environment with digital information, such as overlays on historical sites. It offers benefits like interactive travel guides, enriched sightseeing experiences, and a unique blend of digital and physical elements to make travel more engaging and educational.

How to use VR in tourism?

To use VR in tourism, one can leverage VR headsets or devices to create immersive digital experiences. Tourists can virtually explore destinations, hotels, and attractions before their trip. Tourism businesses can incorporate VR for virtual tours, enhancing marketing, and offering a preview of their services.

Can VR replace tourism?

While VR provides immersive experiences, it cannot replace the tangible aspects of travel, such as cultural immersion and sensory experiences. VR serves as a valuable tool for trip planning, marketing, and virtual exploration, but it complements rather than replaces traditional tourism, as physical presence remains essential for a complete travel experience.

Final Thoughts Benefits of Virtual Reality In Tourism:

In conclusion, virtual reality is providing a wealth of benefits for the tourism industry, from enhancing the customer experience and increasing revenue to promoting sustainability and improving crisis management.

By leveraging VR technology, tourism businesses and destinations can create immersive and engaging experiences that set them apart from competitors and position them as leaders in the industry.

As VR technology continues to evolve and become more accessible, we can expect to see even more innovative and exciting applications of VR in tourism, offering new opportunities for growth and development in the industry.

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How virtual tourism can rebuild travel for a post-pandemic world

The Faroe Islands is just one destination using new technologies to create a virtual tourism experience Image:  Knud Erik Vinding/Pixabay

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Stay up to date:, virtual and augmented reality.

• The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the travel and tourism industries;
• Businesses in this sector must build infrastructure and practices that allow people to travel safely in a post-pandemic world and support local communities that benefit from tourism;
• Augmented, virtual and mixed reality technologies can offer alternative ways to travel the world and an exciting new model for the industry.

The tourism industry has hit a nadir owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will continue to feel the effects for at least the first three quarters of 2021 – according to a recent UN report , tourist arrivals globally in January 2021 were down 87% when compared to January 2020.

Travel will prevail over post-pandemic anxiety, making it incumbent on the aviation and tourism industry to build safer infrastructure and practices that take care of travellers’ well being.

Have you read?

International tourism is set to plunge by 80% this year – but some regions could recover more quickly, how global tourism can become more sustainable, inclusive and resilient, virtual reality adds to tourism through touch, smell and real people’s experiences.

After a year thwarted by the pandemic and with the future not looking too upbeat for the industry at this juncture, tourism business owners should look at alternative modes of interaction for holidaymakers that can also aid the people and economies who depend on tourism.

The COVID-19 pandemic has noticeably hastened the testing and rollout of forward-looking technologies. Technology has not only enabled citizens globally to interact with loved ones, but also helped industries such as healthcare, information technology, education and many more to work remotely.

In the last few decades, technology has helped travel and tourism industries increase their reach through travel booking websites, videos, blogs and travel photography. Digital tools and content are a vital source of information for vacationists organizing their next holiday or creating a destination wish list. Whilst remote or virtual tourism has been a futuristic theme within industry forums for some time, the world today, shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, might now be ready to accept it.

A human-centric design that draws insights from cognitive behaviour, social psychology, neuroscience and behavioural economics applied with cutting edge technologies such as augmented, virtual or mixed reality (AR, VR, MR) could be a game-changer. AR, VR and MR can enable a seamless, uninterrupted interactive experience for viewers from their own private space. The design principles will create a frictionless digital user experience and construct a positive perception of a tourist destination.

There have been previous attempts to achieve this feat: if you are an aqua sightseer, you might be aware of a documentary exploring the Great Barrier Reef . Through an interactive website, one can view the clear, tranquil currents of the Pacific Ocean and the biodiversity of the reef, and experience the sounds of a healthy coral reef. Another much-discussed VR experience is Mission 828 which allows you to take a virtual parachute jump from the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The Official Tourist Board of the Faroe Islands has also crafted a virtual experience to entice post-pandemic visitors from across the world.

Imagine a human-centric designed, interactive space online that makes a destination accessible and so real for a sightseer with sound captured by electro-acoustics researchers. You could view holiday sites in a video or through self-navigation using voice or joystick controls, interact with people using video-calling platforms, travel through the streets of said location, eavesdrop on local music and much more. This could be stitched together in a single platform individually or in silos on the internet and further enhanced by setting up physical experience tourism centres locally. Such a setup would allow tourist guides, artisans, craftspeople, hoteliers and transport business to create their own digital and virtual offerings and interact with possible customers.

Here’s how it might look: a vacationer starts their experience from the time their flight commences. The plane descends to the destination runway and pictures of the vicinity from the aircraft window pane are captured. The airport signage welcomes passengers and directs them to a pre-booked taxi. The vacationer gets to choose their first destination and travels through the streets in a chauffeur-driven car whose interactions en route become part of their cherished memories. On arrival, a tourist guide walks you through the destination all controlled with just a tap on your gadget. During the sightseeing, you hear random people speaking, posing for photographs and more. You take a photo to post on social media, go shopping and negotiate with a local vendor to purchase an artwork and get it delivered to your door. You learn how a local dish is prepared and get familiar with local customs.

A virtual platform could even provide an opportunity for people to explore areas that are affected by or fighting terrorism. For example, imagine seeing the diverse wildlife and snow leopard of the Gurez Valley, in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It doesn’t stop there: if thought through, one could experience travelling to the South Pole, space and beyond. It could also serve as a learning portal for students to understand geographies, culture, art and history.

With technology improving lives globally, virtual tourism could reignite the tourism industry and its people and help build a more sustainable economic model. As a human-centric platform, it can establish local tourist guides, artisans and others as global citizens in the tourism industry.

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• EARTH DAY ISSUE

Is virtual travel here to stay, even after the pandemic subsides?

The coronavirus is changing how we travel. But will virtual reality—a welcome escape from the pandemic—ever be a substitute for the real thing?

Through virtual reality, travelers can “experience” far-flung destinations, such as coastal Tanzania, with minimal environmental impact.

This Earth Day, people who usually celebrate by heading outdoors might need to rely on virtual tours instead. It will be a fitting opportunity to experience a technology that some experts have advanced as an eco-friendly solution to the problem of overtourism .

With about 90 percent of the world under a travel restriction , many would-be adventurers are turning to virtual reality (VR) to bring them to Machu Picchu or the Galápagos Islands . The potential for this technology to ease tourism’s carbon footprint is clear, underscored by some of the unexpected ecological benefits the coronavirus lockdown has surfaced—including cleaner air and water .

Even as it has eased pollution, the pandemic has been devastating for the tourism industry . But will interest in traveling virtually last beyond the pandemic? And will VR technology sustain growing interest?

More than a gimmick

For years, airlines, travel agencies, and tourism boards have used VR technology to market destinations to potential customers. Now, “the impact of COVID-19 may allow [virtual reality] to shake off its image of being a gimmick,” says Ralph Hollister, a tourism analyst at Global Data and author of a report on the VR travel industry .

Virtual travel experiences are seeing a surge in popularity. Valeriy Kondruk, CEO of VR travel company Ascape , has seen app downloads grow 60 percent from December (traditionally the busiest month) and double since January. The company has fielded increasing interest from educators and those working in nursing homes, Kondruk says, even as the airlines and travel agencies that usually license Ascape’s VR content have paused their accounts.

For overcrowded destinations including Machu Picchu, virtual reality experiences could help divert some tourists, easing the burden on the location’s infrastructure.

Related: Had to cancel your vacation? Here’s what to do next.

Still, there’s a big gap between using virtual reality to “try before you buy” and treating virtual reality like the destination itself. To start with, the technology isn’t ready yet. 360-degree virtual reality videos are usually experienced through a headset (like Oculus Rift) or an app (like Google Cardboard). The headsets are expensive, heavy, can cause nausea, and aren’t comfortable to wear for more than 30 minutes. The apps have none of these problems, but simply aren’t as impressive, says Hollister.

Limited sensations are another hurdle. The videos focus on sounds and sights but can’t do much with smell, touch, or taste , and VR experiences tend to only be a few minutes long—hardly the equivalent of a two-week vacation in Spain . Of course, some researchers are working on ever-more-immersive VR features, including haptic suits, says Samuel Greengard, author of Virtual Reality . But while creating a full-body suit with enhanced sensory experiences might make a video of the Amazon or Antarctica more realistic, it still doesn’t fulfill the deeper needs that compel us to travel.

Roaming instinct

Tourists aren’t locals, and they aren’t business travelers. Tourists tend to be less directed in their explorations and more focused on new experiences and discoveries. “This simply can’t be recreated in virtual reality,” says Erick Ramirez , a philosopher at Santa Clara University who studies VR.

He compares the future of virtual travel to a classic thought experiment: Imagine that you could hook yourself up to an “experience machine” and simply feel happy forever. Philosopher Robert Nozick, who developed the experiment, “thinks nobody would want to be hooked up to such a thing,” Ramirez says. “I do think that there are some kinds of tourist experiences where the value in them is in the doing , not just in the seeing and hearing, and it’ll be tough for VR to replicate.”

We not only want to do things, we want to be the ones deciding what to do. On a fundamental level, virtual travel is constructed and fed to us; we see a world only to the extent that someone was able to film and engineer it. It is, as Ramirez puts it, “the most authoritarian of guided tours.”

Virtual reality extends only as far as it’s engineered. In a virtual experience, you can’t choose to wander down a side street and discover a charming café—unless those options have already been programmed.

Someone going to India for real can decide where to go and what to see. They can be surprised by themselves and by what they learn. Someone going to India via video might never see aspects that a VR production company obscures in order to create a more pleasant experience. “A tour that Elon Musk—just to pick on somebody—might design would look very different from what a working-class Indian living in India might design,” Ramirez says. “It’s important to keep that in mind as we go into these touristy VR experiences.”

Related: Meet the Indian women taking on a male-dominated travel industry.

For my part, I experienced VR travel in 2015, using Oculus to demo a short tour of the north coast of Vancouver , British Columbia. The demo was beautiful and looked similar to the real place, which I visited four years later. In other ways, though, there was little comparison. Part of the difference was sensual: the air was cold on my skin and I could touch the water. But much of the difference was the specificity of my own actual visit. In person, the experience was happening only to me, I had full control over what I was able to hear and see—and if I wanted, I could see and choose something else.

A green lining

Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc, a Paleolithic cave painting site in southern France, is too vulnerable to be visited in person. A nearby replica allows tourists to see copies of the paintings in a way that presages the potential of virtual reality travel experiences.

Virtual reality may never replace traditional travel, but it still offers intriguing possibilities. If the technology becomes sophisticated enough, the more environmentally conscious among us—especially those aiming to reduce our carbon footprint (or people sensitive to flight-shaming )—might prefer this form of escape. VR travel does bring parts of the world to people who are physically unable to visit certain landmarks. Most of all, it could help bring people to places that are otherwise inaccessible .

Southern France is the site of some of the world’s earliest cave paintings, which are closed to the public because the Palaeolithic works are so delicate. Yet only four miles from the original a complete replica is on view. Ramirez suggests that virtual reality could be applied in a similar way—and even more accessible way—to sites around the world. Hollister, from Global Data, agrees that VR can play a unique role in recreating historic attractions. And Kondruk, the CEO of Ascape, says that the company has been working with Vietravel, a major Vietnamese travel agency, on recreating areas of the country where the government has limited tourist travel.

Related: See mesmerizing photos of Vietnam from above.

Ultimately, the impact of virtual reality on travel will be determined by the evolution and application of new technologies. So far, advances have been incremental—and not at a scale that is likely to disrupt the travel industry or support a drop in travel-related carbon emissions after the pandemic has ended. But just as travel platforms, from print to social media, offer some of the discoveries of actual exploration, virtual reality might bring faraway places closer—and in so doing encourage travelers to embrace sustainable practices wherever they choose to go (or not go) in the future.

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• OVERTOURISM

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What is virtual reality in travel?

Virtual reality refers to interactive images or videos which enable the viewer to explore the entire 360 degrees of a scene. Unlike a regular image of video, which is shot from a fixed view point, VR production captures every part of a location.

In the travel industry, virtual reality can be used to capture tourism destinations in a unique and immersive way.

This is achieved using specialist cameras, rigs, and software. The finished content can then be viewed on either a VR headset or a regular computer or mobile device.

Many people assume that VR content can only be viewed on a specialist VR headset but this is not the case. Although VR is more immersive when viewed in this way, it can also be viewed on any device, including mobiles.

Take a look at the tourism VR content below, produced by us at Immersion VR. You can click or swipe across the video in order to view an entire 360 degrees.

VR in tourism marketing

The most common way in which VR is utilised in the tourism industry is for marketing. Being able to capture tourism destinations in such a memorable and immersive way is a powerful marketing tool.

One of the greatest strengths of VR is allowing the user to experience the feeling of “being there”. Whilst regular images and videos can work well for showing what a destination has to offer, they don’t often elicit an emotional response.

VR in tourism has the ability to place the user at the heart of the scene and makes it easier for them to imagine themselves at the location.

360 VR tourism

When many people think of VR they think of it as CGI (computer generated imagery), which is how it is used in the gaming industry. However, there is a different form of virtual reality known as 360 VR, or 360VR video.

360 VR focuses on the real world rather than computer generated imagery. This makes it perfect for the tourism industry where it is important to show users a real location rather than a mockup or a simulation.

360VR content in tourism is captured in a similar way to regular image and video content. A 360 VR company, like us at Immersion VR, arrives at the location with specialist equipment in order to shoot the scene. The footage is then taken back to the studio where it is produced into VR content using specialist software.

This form of VR is the most widely used form of VR in tourism and it something that we specialise in here at Immersion VR. 360 VR is also commonly used in education, the real estate industry, and for online marketing in general.

VR technology in tourism

VR can be used in many different ways in the tourism industry. The technology is evolving at a rapid rate and the uses of VR within tourism is expanding along with the technology.

The main VR technologies that are used in the travel industry are VR video and VR photography.

VR tourism videos

A VR tourism video works much like a normal video. They can be viewed on social media or websites, but unlike a regular video, the user is able to explore the entire scene whilst the video is playing.

VR tourism videos are captured using specialist cameras known as omnidirectional cameras. These cameras film every angle of the destination at once. After filming, the footage is taken back to the studio where it is stitched together in order to produce a VR tourism video.

There are 2 types of VR tourism videos:

• – Monoscopic VR tourism video
• – Stereoscopic VR tourism video

Monoscopic VR videos for tourism can be viewed on regular devices including mobiles and computers. The viewer can click or drag across the screen in order to rotate the field of view, similar to turning your head to explore a scene.

Take a look at the VR tourism video below for an example of monoscopic footage. The video can be viewed on any device, inclusing mobile and desktop. Scroll or swipe across the video to explore the entire surroundings.

Stereoscopic VR videos for tourism are produced for VR headsets and they cannot be viewed on a regular device. Although they take more time to produce and are typically more expensive, they provide a more immersive travel experience. These videos feature head tracking so the user can move their head to explore the surroundings in a realistic way.

For more information about monoscopic and stereoscopic VR content, take a look at our in-depth article here .

VR tourism photography

VR tourism photography involves the production of 360 images of travel destinations. These images are generally designed to be viewed on regular devices such as mobiles and desktops.

Virtual tourism photography works much like a VR tourism video but with still images. The view is free to scroll or swipe across the image in order to view the entire scene.

Take a look at a sample of some of the 360 tourism images taken below.

The images are taken with state-of-the-art DSLR cameras on specialist rigs which allow for the capture of 360 degrees. Because DSLR cameras are used, it allows for higher resolution images when compared to VR tourism videos.

The 360 images can then be uploaded to social media and websites for user to view just as easily as regular images. Although these images are typically not as immersive as VR videos, they are quicker to produce and generally more cost effective.

Using 360 photography, it is also possible to produce hotel tours which enable the user to explore a hotel and its surroundings in an immersive and interactive way.

Applications of virtual reality in tourism

Applications of VR in tourism include:

• – Virtual reality travel experiences
• – VR tourism content for social media/websites
• – Virtual hotel tours

Virtual reality travel experiences

Virtual reality travel experiences typically refer to VR tourism videos made for VR headsets. These virtual travel experiences aim to create a feeling that is as much like being in the real destination as is possible.

At the cutting edge of 360 VR, virtual reality travel experiences provide something truly unique and memorable to the user. The number of travel agencies and travel companies embracing this technology is continually growing and they promise a bright future within the industry.

VR headsets in the travel industry

VR headsets typically provide the most realistic virtual reality travel experience for the user. A VR headset uses specialist software which tracks the movement of the users head. This allows the user to explore the travel destination as they would in real life.

Currently, the number of people that own a VR headset is rising at a fast rate. This growth in headsets can largely be attributed to the gaming market, where the technology is being pushed hard.

Also, all the major online platforms including Google, Facebook, and Amazon are all investing heavily in VR headsets and VR content, promising a bright future for this space.

VR created for headsets is more expensive to produce as it requires the production of Stereoscopic content and spatial audio. However, for those travel companies looking to be at the forefront of the technology, the cost can be worth it to allow them to stand out from the crowd and provide an unrivalled experience to their clients.

VR for travel agencies

One of the most common uses of VR headsets in tourism is by the travel agencies themselves. They can offer prospective clients in-store virtual travel experiences that completely transform what it means to visit a travel agency.

Instead of showing visitors brochures and computer screens, travel agents can provide their clients with a virtual experience. This approach can also be used to great effect at trade shows and events, quickly gaining interest from the general public.

Utilising VR allows travel brands to stand out from the crowd and it provides the user with an experience they won’t forget. Many travel companies have embraced VR technology and have used it to improve sales, as well as to gain brand exposure.

Virtual tours of hotels

Virtual hotel tours allow users to explore a hotel and its grounds in a much more immersive way than ever before. Just how virtual tours are transforming the real estate industry, they are also having a huge impact on the hotel industry.

Hotel interiors and exteriors can be captured in extreme detail using high resolution cameras and specialist equipment. The images are then merged together ( stitched ) to form a complete 360 degree interactive tour in which the user can choose which room to explore.

VR hotel tours are usually monoscopic, which means they can be viewed on any device including mobile and desktop. The tours can then be uploaded to websites and social media for prospective clients to view at any time.

They can also be stereoscopic if the situation and budget allows. This can result in a more realistic and immersive experience.

Unlike regular images of hotels, these tours allow users to imagine themselves in the space. This kind of immersion helps to create unique brand engagement and a lasting impression with the user.

To find out more about virtual tours please take a look at our in-depth article here .

VR travel tours

As well as hotels, VR travel tours can also be created for a wide range of travel destinations and landmarks. VR tours of popular tourism destinations can be produced to give the user a taste of what it’s like to be there.

Benefits of virtual reality in tourism

The benefits of virtual reality in tourism include:

• – Allowing the user to imagine themselves at a travel destination
• – Being able to showcase 360 degrees of a destination in high resolution
• – Enabling the user to explore a scene at their own will
• – Creating memorable and unique experiences for the user
• – Creating unique brand engagement
• – Allowing travel companies to stand out from the crowd
• – Providing travel experiences to those that cannot travel
• – Reducing impact of tourism on vulnerable destinations

VR tourism statistics

According to research carried out in Germany by Statista (see below), almost 50% of people would use VR as a tool for choosing their holiday destination (providing it was free). 13% of those surveyed were actually willing to pay for the VR.

Furthermore, research carried out by Tourism Australia found that almost 20% of consumers had used VR to select a holiday destination. Around 25% of consumers said they planned to use VR in the future to help them decide on a holiday destination.

Overall, the research by Tourism Australia found that VR had the ability to bring a destination to life and make consumers consider travelling to places they wouldn’t have otherwise considered. In particular, consumers were most interested in the VR content that related to nature, wildlife, aquatic, and coastal offerings. – http://www.tourism.australia.com/content/dam/assets/document/1/6/y/7/t/2003897.pdf

The future of VR travel

At Immersion VR, we can’t see tourism VR going anywhere. On the contrary, we have seen an increase in the use of VR for travel. We cannot predict how this space will develop or what new VR travel technologies will be developed. However, we can spot emerging trends within the industry.

VR travel trends

Common VR travel trends include the following:

• – VR travel experiences by travel companies
• – Virtual hotel tours by travel companies and hotels
• – Technologies to make VR travel more realistic
• – VR travel experiences for the elderly
• – VR flight experiences
• – Virtual experiences of landmark destinations
• – Virtual booking interface

We are sure that this list will be growing in the near future so watch this space!

Virtual experiences of landmark destinations

Popular landmark destinations often suffer from the environmental problems associated with too many tourist visitors. By making VR experiences of these landmarks, the number of users can be controlled, reducing the environmental impact.

Take a look below at a VR travel experience of the Grand Canyon. Don’t forget to drag or scroll across the video to explore the scene.

With the number of VR headsets on the increase, these type of experiences are sure to become a common feature in many households across the world.

VR flight experiences

Passengers embark upon a replica of an aeroplane cabin while they are given the pre-flight safety demonstration and then served gourmet food. The goal is to provide them with a realistic experience of flying to a destination.

VR flight experiences are a relatively new addition to the VR travel space. A Tokyo based company called First Airlines has created the world’s first virtual reality airline.

Upon “arrival” the passengers are then given a virtual tour of the destination with VR headsets. Whilst still in its early stages, this kind of experience has the potential to provide people with travel experiences that they would otherwise be unable to afford.

Virtual booking interface

A virtual booking interface is another very recent development within tourism VR. Users can book their holiday whilst wearing a VR headset. All of the booking process takes place within virtual reality.

Everything from choosing the hotel to paying for the holiday happens whilst the user is experiencing the VR. Whilst this has limited applications, we can see travel agencies and companies taking this approach to increase the number of conversions.

It seems to be the logical next step up from one-off travel experiences to taking care of the entire booking process. Whilst still in its infancy, we can see virtual booking interfaces becoming more common within the tourism industry.

Virtual reality travel for seniors

One of the areas in which virtual reality can replace travel is for those that cannot travel, in particular seniors. When people think of VR, they don’t tend to think of the elderly. But being able to provide them with travel experiences that would otherwise not be possible can be extremely rewarding.

In a blog post written by The Big Issue, they explain how a company called Viarama have been working on a VR tool to help people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. They worked on providing senior citizens who are receiving end-of-life care with a one-of-a-kind experience.

Billy Agnew, chief executive of Viarama, said:

“In a hospice situation, we are going in there and letting people ‘travel’ the world. We are letting people travel to where they got married, or where they did their national service, and to places that they never thought they would be able to see.” – https://www.bigissue.com/latest/technology/how-virtual-reality-is-giving-the-elderly-remarkable-end-of-life-adventures/

Viarama achieves this by using HTC Vive headsets, Google Earth VR software, and powerful computers. But whilst the experience is virtual, the emotions it elicits are definitely real.

Billy Agnew went on to say:

“It’s quite often hugely moving. The first time we worked in a hospice we had two doctors who were in to evaluate what we were doing, and both of the doctors broke down because it was so emotional.” – https://www.bigissue.com/latest/technology/how-virtual-reality-is-giving-the-elderly-remarkable-end-of-life-adventures/

Will virtual reality replace travel?

VR is great for creating moments of immersion but it cannot yet replace the complete immersion of being in a real space 24/7.

In fact, in a recent study carried out by European touring company Italy4Real, 81% of adults said that VR can’t replace travel. 92% said that visiting a destination in VR did not equate to visiting it in real life. Furthermore, 77% cited sampling the local food as being important to them. – https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/302947/virtual-reality-not-seen-as-substitute-for-travel.html

Other downsides of VR include smells and the overall atmosphere created by people and animals. Whilst VR technology is progressing at a fast rate, it’s pretty safe to say that virtual reality won’t be replacing travel anytime soon.

VR in tourism is currently best used for marketing travel destinations and hotels. With the growth of VR, we think that virtual travel experiences will become a huge part of the tourism industry in the near future.

VR travel experts

At Immersion VR we have a wealth of experience in VR for travel with clients across the UK and overseas. We have shot on location in countries such as Oman, Scotland, Spain, Indonesia, and Mexico.

We can cater for any kind of tourism VR that you need, from virtual reality travel experiences to VR hotel tours.

We take great pride in the quality of our work and we are unlike any VR travel company. With skills in so many areas of VR, we can advise and inform our clients every step of the way.

Our highly trained crew and attention to detail is what puts us amongst the best VR travel experts out there.

For more information on VR for travel and the services we offer please get in touch today.

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Benefits of Virtual Reality in the Tourism and Travel industry

• VRdirect Products & News

Virtual Reality is transforming the travel and tourism industry in an unstoppable way! VR can create amazing experiences limited only by your imagination. It is an excellent tool for marketing hotel rooms, flights, and travel products. As a hotel or travel company, you can provide unique customer experiences with VR elements on your website or as app downloads.  

Support customer buying decisions and give insights before booking a hotel

The primary benefit of Virtual Reality in the tourism and travel industry is to initially provide a kind of ‘try before you buy’ option. The immersive nature of VR enables everyone to experience a virtual version of a hotel room, attraction, or unique selling point. VR can cause strong emotions more convincingly than just viewing images or reading customer reviews can achieve. Because customers usually require lots of information before they book a hotel room, you can significantly shorten the process of researching and seeking information by using VR. VR experiences offer an effective way to show customers how their stay could look like, and give them confidence that they are dealing with a honest vendor with nothing to hide, before arriving at a purchase decision.

Create a VR experience from your  local attractions to increase publicity

The big-hitting tourist destinations dominate the tourism market, leaving marketers of smaller or less famous attractions a hard time in competing.

VR helps to attract a large audience of visitors to see a destination’s potential and to show how worthy it is to visit. An attention-grabbing, immersive VR experience has exponentially greater impact on increasing visitor intention than traditional media, and at relatively small cost.

Alternatively, you might not want hordes of visitors descending on a place that is literally crumbling under the mass of tourists. Or some environmentally sensitive destinations will have unique ecosystems in danger from human intrusion. Or a destination might just be too expensive for most people to reach. In these cases, VR can provide a satisfying substitute for the real experience. 

Become an innovation leader  in the tourism industry 

Make VR valuable in your area of tourism and travel and be amongst the first to emotionally empower your customers with the help of VR. Typically, tourist customers seek to purchase experiences rather than products, and Virtual Reality offers a great way to provide a completely new customer journey that takes in all the senses. thereby creating maximum customer value. You can diversify your services, meet the demands of the market – and be an innovative leader of your industry. Be aware also that Millennials and upcoming Generation Z customers already spend a lot of time in digital environments and are therefore the perfect target group for digital technologies. 

What our partners and clients say

VRdirect enables businesses to easily create their own Virtual Reality projects and to make them available to end-users, employees or partners. Everything without having to develop their own app and without the need of any expert skills. Read how our partners and clients are already using it profitably:

„Virtual Reality for Tourism – it is very obvious that the medium offers great possibilities. Buying decisions are often emotional ones and VR again is perfect to support this. At the same time, we always want to offer our clients marketing ideas that are reasonable within a more complex strategy and a step ahead of the competitors. With VRdirect as a proven platform, we can quickly implement our creative ideas in this area and provide our clients with very professional, stable and cost efficient Virtual Reality projects (VR apps and Web Player solutions).”

Stefan Thomsen   Managing Partner at Travel Marketeers

“Virtual Reality / Interactive 360° is a key medium when it comes to tourism and city marketing. Successfully working with hotels, cultural institutions and tourism authorities in Germany and also Spain, edataconsulting is alwaysexploring possibilities in how to add “virtual value” to a campaign. From our experience VR does significantly support the sales process and as an emotional medium can really drive purchase decisions. Our mission is to enable all of our clients to exploit the great potential of Virtual Reality – by offering efficient, scalable and still very stable solutions. As experts in 360° production and marketing we can fully rely on VRdirect here. By using the platform to build and distribute our projects we are saving clients the enormous costs of programming.”

Carlos Ayala Jiménez Head of Sales at edataconsulting

Are you keen to learn more about working with Virtual Reality in the tourism and travel industry?

Download our White Paper for an in-depth view on the various benefits of VR for the tourism and travel industry , as well as a step-by-step guide for how to create your own interactive experience. Learn how to use VR to increase hotel bookings and get to know more about future trends in travel marketing.

Virtual Reality is exploding all over the tourism industry, and as a stakeholder and player you cannot escape its impact!

The VRdirect platform is the easiest solution to create and publish Virtual Reality projects. There are no expert skills needed. Moreover, Virtual Reality projects created with VRdirect can be published instantly via any VR enabled device, smartphone or web-browser and you can update them easily and in real-time.

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360° Panoramic Creations:

We create high-quality stabilized video having 8k and 4k resolution, 48 or 24 frames per second together with high-quality post-processing. Videos are supported by the most advanced technologies, such as virtual reality headsets (including Samsung Gear VR), different electronic devices and YouTube channels.

We use different types of moving and fixed objects (tripods, monopods, cars, helicopters, building cranes, etc.) to record videos. For aerial shooting we usually use drones with fully gyro-stabilized unique suspension. Panoramic video covers up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

360° videos are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the videos are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate with the resolution up to 8k.

360° PHOTOGRAPHY

Our team creates high-quality 360° photo-panoramas with 35000x17500 pixels resolution (in the equidistant projection) and carries out professional post-processing and corrections of any complexity. We develop virtual tours which are suitable for all browsers, support both Flash and HTML5 technologies and are compatible with different mobile devices and virtual reality headsets (including Samsung Gear VR).

We use different types of moving and fixed objects (tripods, monopods, cars, helicopters, building cranes, etc.) to record videos. For aerial shooting we usually use drones with the fully gyro-stabilized unique suspension. Panoramic video covers up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

Ready 360° photo-panoramas cover up all the space around the camera 360x180 degrees without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle.

Info-points (description buttons that can be placed in the panorama), embedded pictures, video and audio can be added to the virtual tour.

360° GIGAPANORAMA

Our team creates high-quality 360° photo-panoramas with resolution from 1 to 3 gigapixel and carries out professional post-processing and corrections of any complexity. We develop virtual tours which are suitable for all browsers, support both Flash and HTML5 technologies and are compatible with different mobile devices and virtual reality glasses (including Samsung Gear VR).

Info-points (description buttons that can be placed in the panorama), embedded pictures, video and audio can be added to the ready virtual tour.

360° TIMELAPSE

We can make panoramic timelapses with the given viewing angle and resolution up to 12k with professional post-processing and without black spots at both nadir and zenith viewing angle. 360° timelapses are supported by the most advanced technologies, such as virtual reality glasses (including Samsung Gear VR), different electronic devices and YouTube channels.

360° timelapses are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the timelapses are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate with the resolution up to 12K.

Content sales:

VIRTUAL TOURS

On the basis of 360° panoramas we create virtual tours of any complexity, branded with logos and design elements of the company’s website together with embedding interactive elements, such as photos, slideshows, videos, descriptions, switch-points to other panoramas, audio descriptions, 3D sounds.

Our clients receive a fully functional virtual tour developed in HTML5 and supported by any computer or mobile device (iOS, Android, Windows Phone).

360° Photo    Price List

STOCK PHOTOS

For almost 10 years of travelling around the world our team has gathered an extensive stock of pictures, taken from both flying devices and the ground.

Any picture presented at our stock can be licensed for any kind of possible use. We can also offer the photos of ultra-high quality (the longer side up to 103,000 pixels).

You can also take a look at the spherical panoramas published on the website www.airpano.ru . Any of the 360° panoramas represented on the website can be converted into a printed image of very high quality.

Photogallery    Price List

STOCK 360° VIDEOS

By filming 360° video since 2011, our team has gathered an extensive stock of clips, taken from both flying devices and the ground.

Any video presented on our website can be licensed for any kind of possible use.

360° videos are available in any format you choose: .mp4, .avi, .mov, etc. All the videos are made and kept in frames, making it possible to encode them into any available format and bitrate.

360° Video    Price List

APPLICATIONS

We are one of the software developers of applications based on 360° photos and videos. Currently, there are 7 applications in our portfolio. One of them was top-rated in 84 countries and listed among the best applications of the year 2014 according to App Store.

These applications can also be used for demonstration of panoramic content with the help of virtual reality devices, such as Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard and analogues.

Exhibition installations:

EXHIBITION INSTALLATIONS

AirPano team has the experience of creating panoramic cinemas and video-walls, making it possible to demonstrate our panoramic content at different kinds of events, exhibitions and in museums. The size is only defined by the premises, the quality of projector and the dimensions of plasma screens. Such solutions usually make a deep impression on visitors.

The control is carried out by a tablet or Kinect devices.

TOUCH SCREENS

We are ready to create applications with panoramic content working on touch screens of any size. Both AirPano panoramas and the client’s material can be the basis for this kind of software.

We create virtual tours of any complexity, branded with logos and design elements of the company’s website together with embedding interactive elements, such as photos, slideshows, videos, descriptions, switch-points to other panoramas, audio descriptions, 3D sounds.

VR HEADSETS

Our virtual tours and 360° videos are supported by all the types of virtual reality headsets (VR): Google Cardboard, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, Sony Morpheus and others.

We can also develop special software for operating on Samsung Gear VR, if required.

AirPano in cooperation with Polden Studio carries out the installation of the binocular usage of the client’s or our own content. With the help of binoculars, the client can present the panoramic content at different kinds of events, exhibitions and in museums. This kind of devices usually attract a lot of visitors and leave a deep impression on them.

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The Rise of Virtual Reality in Tourism: Benefits and Examples

Introduction to Virtual Reality in Tourism

Virtual reality in tourism provides viewers with an immersive tourism experience. There are many different types of virtual tourism services available. They use a combination of virtual reality, still images, video, audio, narration, and other multimedia formats.

It gives users an experience of a destination that they wouldn't get from looking at pictures or visiting a website.

Virtual tourism content can be accessed using a virtual reality headset for the most immersive experience. It can also be viewed on a regular computer or even a mobile device.

Virtual Reality in Tourism

Viewers can take part in activities, travel to different locations, and visit different destinations. They can do all this from the comfort of their own homes. Virtual tourism has many distinct advantages. The most obvious advantage is that viewers can see and experience a destination without having to travel there.

This means they are not restricted by available flights, travel logistics, safety concerns, or whether destinations are open. They aren't even concerned with time zones or weather conditions.

Another advantage for viewers is the cost

Millions of people who otherwise would not be able to afford to travel to these destinations can now do so. Viewers are embracing the rise of virtual tourism destinations to see and experience things they never imagined were possible.

The ability to read the minds of potential customers and highlight a location, amenities, and offerings is a clear benefit for hotels and destinations. Viewers who have been to a hotel or visited a location through virtual tourism are more likely to book a future stay. They also look forward to experiencing the activity in the “real world.”

Virtual tourism technology also provides excellent marketing opportunities. Instead of flat images on a brochure or website, potential guests can see a 360-degree view of a property and its amenities. Viewers who experience a property in this way are more likely to want to return in the future. They can also share the virtual offerings with their friends and family.

How is it used: Virtual Reality in Tourism?

There are many ways for hotels and destinations to enjoy this technology and the growing popularity of virtual tourism.

Virtual tourism has been in use for years to highlight the unique aspects of a location. These aspects can be history and culture to exciting activities, local attractions, and fun trivia.

360-degree VR video is used by hotels and local governments to capture everything about a destination in an immersive way. With the press of a button, viewers can travel to a remote mountaintop, a beautiful beach, a network of hiking trails, or a bustling city.

VR photography combines still images with specialized software

It creates an immersive image that allows the user to look in any direction. This technology is ideal for displaying hotel interiors, artwork, museum exhibits, and anything else that can be fully appreciated without the use of sound or motion.

Users can get in on the action with immersive VR experiences. They can interact with the environment and learn more through their actions. A curated experience focusing on one aspect of the location, such as the food scene, music, history, or art, is common. Virtual reality yoga classes, nature walks, stargazing, and bird watching are all popular ways to promote a location.

Before landing, passengers can take a 3D tour

Virtual reality can aid in the planning of tourist attractions, when there are delays in the travel schedule, travelers can use vr tech, take a virtual reality tour of the plane, travel planners can use virtual reality to create engaging presentations, virtual reality is a fantastic way to advertise on social media, virtual reality can assist travelers in locating locations on a map, the faroe islands, bristol from home, dubai 360 is a virtual tour of dubai, the great barrier reef, benefits of virtual reality in tourism.

There's nothing quite like knowing where you're going before you arrive at your destination. One of the benefits of virtual reality in tourism is that visitors can take a 3D tour of their destination before arriving. Virtual reality is distinct from traditional photography.

It allows users to immerse themselves in the experience. Tourists can thus sense a city's culture before ever setting foot in the city. It makes them feel less like outsiders when they arrive.

Vacations always seem to be too short because visitors never get to see everything they want while on vacation. A lack of good planning is one of the reasons why key sights go unnoticed by tourists. Virtual reality allows visitors to learn the names and locations of all the town's major attractions ahead of time.

Tourists can also look inside famous landmarks to see if they want to take a virtual tour of them in real-time. Because virtual reality allows visitors to only entertain the locations that intrigue them the most in real-time, they get the most out of their sightseeing experience.

There's nothing worse than getting stranded at the airport for an unknown amount of time. During these times, boredom has a way of creeping in and clouding the vision of the excitement. When unexpected delays occur, the best way to re-establish excitement for the trip ahead is to take a virtual reality tour of the vacation destination.

Some passengers feel more at ease after seeing the plane and knowing where all the emergency exits are located. Virtual reality allows passengers to take a 3D tour of the plane before boarding.

The future of virtual reality in tourism does not completely end the need for actual tours. When it comes to presentations, travel planners should think about the advantages of virtual reality in tourism. Consider the coordinator who can do more than hand out a brochure listing possible locations.

How many more customers could a planner get if he could take them on a virtual tour of the streets of Venice before charging them for a trip they might or might not enjoy?

Virtual reality in tourism removes the element of surprise from travel. Thus ensuring that customers have a good time in their chosen destination.

A vacation planning company that uses social media does more than just post pictures of popular destinations. Virtual reality can help businesses stand out from the competition. It allows coordinators to post 3D tours of cities to entice customers to contact them.

There's nothing more frustrating than getting lost on vacation and wasting time. In tourism, virtual reality can assist travelers in locating simple items. These can be a nearby coffee shop, reducing the time it takes to find something that would otherwise take 30 minutes to find to only 10 minutes.

Some Examples of Virtual Reality in Tourism

The Faroe Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Iceland. Once COVID-19 began, the Faroe Islands launched a virtual tourism campaign. This provides people with an alternative to traveling to the location. This was a blessing for everyone who had been isolated all over the world. It allows visitors from all over the world to virtually tour the islands through the eyes of a local. It also allows virtual tourists to track the locals' movements in real-time.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Visit Bristol created an immersive experience like the Faroe Islands. Bristol From Home is a collection of travelers' favorite ideas, inspirations, and resources. These ideas allow you to continue to enjoy Bristol from the comfort of your own home during social distancing measures.

The website offers a variety of virtual experiences. It provides tours of a luxury Victorian ship, hot-air balloon rides, gin tastings, and more, all in one convenient location.

Tour Dubai's awe-inspiring architecture with Dubai 360. It is an immersive virtual tourism experience that allows users to travel the city from a bird's-eye view. It helps you learn everything there is to know about the various locations.

Virtual tourism is available on the Great Barrier Reef. Legendary broadcaster and historian David Attenborough hosts the interactive journey. The journey takes viewers on a tour of the world's largest coral reef system. This is more than just a substitute for Great Barrier Reef tours. It's an experience in and of itself, demonstrating the versatility of virtual tourism.

Virtual tours can serve as a starting point for alternative tourism during the Corona pandemic and even after it is over. Furthermore, there are those who lack the necessary resources, financial capacity, free time, or access.

People with disabilities and limited mobility will be able to experience the sensation of recreation through a virtual tour.

Virtual tours, besides being cost-effective, can be used to promote tourist attractions to central and local governments. It does, in fact, need technological advancements such as 360-degree software, virtual reality (VR), and panoramic images.

With this advancement in technology, virtual tours can now be visualized in 3D, making them more realistic and futuristic. A virtual tour can act as an entrance to entice people to visit these tourist attractions in person.

You may also like to read: VR And AR In Food Business: Their Impact and Benefits

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VR Tourism; Top Virtual Reality Examples in the Tourism Industry

VR tourism has been a trend among the tech-savvy for some time now. But what was once a niche interest has become a new standard among various companies. Travel agencies, hotel chains, and destinations have incorporated virtual reality into their services. As you’ll soon see, the result is a breathtaking worldview.

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What is virtual reality, how is the tourism industry defined, why is vr tourism gaining popularity, virtual reality gear for vr tourism, virtual booking interfaces, vr travel experiences, vr hotel tours, first airlines, visit wales, from vr tourism to tourism in the metaverse, vr tourism as a metaverse trend.

Defining and examining virtual reality before looking at VR tourism is essential. Virtual reality might seem like a fairly self-evident subject at first glance. You put on a headset and then find yourself in a digital world. But metaverse companies have created a rich ecosystem that gives you a lot of options for virtual experiences. When you think about VR, you probably imagine its fully immersive form. You experience this when using a VR headset and appropriate accessories like gloves or treadmills.

There are also non-immersive forms of VR that are experienced through traditional interfaces like computer monitors. And semi-immersive forms give you an immersive visual experience but limit your autonomy within the digital space. You can delve into a larger examination of the nature of virtual reality and the metaverse in the article “Virtual Reality; Discover VR, Its Components, Technology, and Players” .

Now that you’ve seen the VR part of VR tourism, it’s time to look at tourism as a whole. The tourism industry can be defined as the primary and tertiary economic entities surrounding and facilitating recreational travel. That description might make you think about travel agents or hotels. But you should broaden your view of it and consider how money flows into travel destinations. The tourism industry is often a subset of many other business concerns.

For example, conferences often have ties to the tourism industry. And the same holds for paid travel options in tourist destinations, restaurants frequented by travelers, etc. But not all travel falls under the label of tourism. The length of your stay essentially defines it. If you’re sticking around for more than a year, it’s not considered tourism anymore. And the same generally holds true for international students who are studying abroad.

The combination of tourism and virtual reality has taken the world by storm. And there’s good reason for that fact. The larger metaverse meaning has always focused on experiential factors. People certainly buy equipment to access the metaverse. But the real product is the experience of being in a magical new environment. And the same is true of the travel industry. When customers book flights or hotels, it’s a means to an end.

Just as with the metaverse, travelers are really buying an experience. But until recently, people couldn’t really get a taste of those experiences beforehand. Pictures and videos helped people get some ideas about what their vacation might be like. But VR provides a far more immersive experience. For the first time, people can look around and get an idea of what it’d be like to stand on distant shores or watch another land’s sunsets.

While VR tourism is mainly focused on an experience, that doesn’t mean you can neglect your gear. Just as traditional tourism requires you to pack for the journey, so will VR tourism. This essentially means matching virtual reality gear to your particular needs. A VR headset is a given. But you should also consider whether your headset needs augmented reality or mixed reality support. VR interface controllers are also an important consideration. You can find the most important aspects of VR gear in the article “VR Headsets; Your Complete Guide to the Top Virtual Reality Gear” .

3 Examples of VR Tourism

Now that you have a good idea of the theory, it’s time to look at the practice. Technically, VR tourism can encompass almost anything. Part of what makes virtual reality so exciting is the fact that it’s only limited by imagination. But with that in mind, VR tourism techniques and technologies can largely fit into three different categories.

Virtual booking interfaces are what you experience when working on the logistics of your vacation. You can think of it as a “hub world” of sorts within the larger VR tourism experience. The virtual booking interface lets you choose hotels, consider different destinations, and even make payments. These interfaces are still in a relatively early stage of development. But if metaverse events are any indication, virtual booking interfaces will continue to grow in overall functionality. Metaverse hubs let you move from world to world. And booking interfaces will one day let you explore individual hotel facilities or compare rooms.

Video: The world’s first Virtual Reality travel search and booking experience

Most people think of VR travel experiences when they hear about VR tourism. It’s an experience that begins when people boot up VR gear from their favorite metaverse brands . From that point, they can sample some of the local flavors from around the world. It’s a chance to get a VR-based version of real-world locations. For example, you could instantly jump into a recreation of some famous landmarks to get an idea of their true size and majesty. Many companies also let you take a look at everything from hotels to their facilities before booking a trip.

Video: Ancient city of Petra, Jordan. Aerial 360 video in 8K

Hotels are often included in the larger VR travel experiences. But some hotels take VR tourism to the next level by opening up their services’ breadth. Hotels are able to take incredible high-quality photographs of their grounds since they have total control over them. This allows them to recreate areas in perfect detail essentially. The resulting model is often integrated into monoscopic views that can be used outside of virtual reality setups. For example, you can load a hotel’s monoscopic model on your phone while still having the option to use virtual reality headsets.

Video: Shangri-La Hotels Virtual Reality Tour

3 brands already investing in vr tourism.

Now that you’ve seen the tools used within VR tourism, it’s time to look at some of the best options. While many companies use VR tourism, the following are some of the most innovative and popular.

Marriott has taken on the challenge of VR tourism from two different angles. People on-site can borrow a Samsung Gear VR headset to explore the company’s Milk VR platform. Meanwhile, people can also take a look at what Marriott offers from the outside as well. This is accomplished in part through “VR Postcards” . The postcards system allows people to link their experiences to form a visual storytelling experience. Marriott’s VR isn’t just about putting yourself into an exotic environment. The platform also helps you share those experiences with loved ones back home and for posterity.

Video: VR Postcards | Behind the Scenes

First Airlines is often described as the first virtual airline. It takes VR tourism to the next level by mixing real-world and digital simulations to create a fully immersive experience. People board a perfect recreation of an A310’s cabin. The recreation even uses authentic seats from decommissioned planes. Once they board, a passenger can enjoy authentic meals based on the culinary tradition of their destination. And when that moment of arrival comes, the passenger dons a VR headset to enjoy the sights. Flight attendants are even on hand to help with meals and offer various beverage options.

Video: Japanese company First Airlines launched world’s first virtual airline

Visit Wales aims to do exactly what its name describes – help people visit Wales. Visit Wales uses VR tourism to bring the experience of visiting Wales to people worldwide. The system leverages 360° photography to capture the sights of Wales in pristine clarity. And a variety of parties have added their own resources and expertise. This allows users to sample experiences as varied as museums, countryside, castles, and courtyards. On top of the visual element Visit Wales also opens up the full scope of the region’s history through learning experiences and art collections.

Video: Zip World Velocity 360º VR Adventure – Visit Wales

VR tourism is a fantastic way to see the world. But virtual reality is itself a metaverse-related technology. Virtual reality is tied to the metaverse, so your digital travel isn’t limited to earth. You can explore an entire universe of digital sights and sounds within the metaverse. Every metaverse instance is a new world or even galaxy unto itself. Metaverse explorations provide rich experiences, fascinating people, and even opportunities to earn or win real money. You can learn more about the metaverse in the article “Metaverse Guide; Understanding The Basics Will Open Up a New World” .

VR tourism might seem like it came out of nowhere. One minute it’s just an idea, the next, there’s an entire industry built up around it. But that’s fairly common with extended reality and the metaverse in general. Metaverse companies tend to grow alongside the technologies they’re using. And make no mistake, these technologies are growing at an amazing pace. That’s why trends like NFT support in applications or metaverse games have rapidly grown. Tech development often grows exponentially. You can get a broader view of metaverse-related trends in the article “Metaverse Trends; Upcoming Milestones for the Digital Frontier” .

You might have thought of VR tourism as a futuristic concept. But as you’ve seen, you can now explore and enjoy virtual reality tourism. The call to a new adventure has begun, and you can be part of it.

Did You Like This Article About VR Tourism?

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New Moscow VR tour offers a glimpse of the city's never-built projects

"The Moscow That Never Existed" is a new tour arranged by the agency Moscow Through Engineer's Eyes. With the help of VR glasses, 20th century projects that were never built come to life right on the sites where they were planned to be.

Among the main features of the tour are:

• A Palace of the Soviets that was planned to be built instead of Christ the Savior Cathedral. This 495-meter high skyscraper with a giant figure of Vladimir Lenin at the top should have been the culmination Soviet power.
• The “eighth” of Stalin’s so-called “seven sisters” was due to be built next to the Kremlin, where this year Zaryadye Park was opened.
• A Ministry of Heavy Industry building instead of the beautiful GUM department store. Actually this building could have turned Red Square into a futuristic box surrounded by glass skyscrapers.
• A Constructivist Palace of Labor instead of the Moskva Hotel (currently the Four Seasons).
• An alternative look to Lenin's mausoleum and several other unique features are also on the tour agenda.

Tickets are available for booking here (website in Russian).

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