Imagine traveling all over the world
and seeing famous sites in an entirely new way from the comfort of your home.
Soar up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, fly over the Roman Colosseum or look
down at the world from the top of Mount Everest without ever leaving your sofa.
This might
sound like fanciful thinking, but thanks to new drone and virtual reality
technology, this kind of travel could change everything, making tourism more
accessible than ever.
Forecast to generate $6.7bn in 2016 and as
much as $70bn by 2020 (Tsai, 2015/12/04), now is arguably the time to get
on board with VR and, by extension, 360-degree video technology.
Naturally, the Oculus Rift owning
Facebook has been quick on the uptake, announcing direct support for 360-degree
video. And this is indicative of a trend that is set to continue into 2020 and
beyond; YouTube is also rolling out support for the technology.
Source: Youtube
The travel and tourism industry is
all about selling an experience; a feeling, a landscape, the history of a
particular destination. Traditionally, this has been accomplished through
compelling imagery, storytelling and user accounts, among other approaches.
But while those mediums have proved
effective in the past, there’s a sizeable problem it’s been difficult to
overcome. That is, until now. Namely, that they don’t literally give
prospective holidaymakers those experiences; what it means to actually be in a
location remains in the imagination.
That’s why VR is definitively the
most exciting innovation in travel and tourism marketing today. It enables
people to live and experience, albeit for a short time, directly from their
living rooms or your experiential hub.
Reference:
Tsai, j. (2015/12/04). TrendForce Forecasts VR Market Value to Hit US$70 Billion in 2020 as Innovative Apps Enrich This Industry. trend force.
Tsai, j. (2015/12/04). TrendForce Forecasts VR Market Value to Hit US$70 Billion in 2020 as Innovative Apps Enrich This Industry. trend force.
No comments:
Post a Comment