advertisement
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Reddit

Tour operator uses virtual reality to promote trips

Forget checking out a potential holiday destination using Google Maps and Street View – Contiki is making use of VR to give tourists an incredibly close-up view of the kinds of holiday packages it offers.

We were recently paid a visit by one of the company’s local representatives, who had Samsung’s Galaxy Gear VR headset attached to an S6 in tow. The S6 was loaded with a virtual reality experience that showed off several of the company’s popular packages with an impressive collection of 360-degree videos.

Upon strapping the headset to our heads, we were immediately transported to a slightly blurry yet beautiful scene, where augmented-reality text sat atop a main hub with a beautiful vista as its backdrop.

We pointed the cursor located in the middle of our viewing area at one of three categories of destination – Europe, South America and North Americ – and were whisked away to spots where Contiki tourists would visit.

From a stationary position, we could look at anything, as if we were standing in the exact spot the 360-degree camera occupied. It was marvellous.

Contiki VR Headset Deon
So marvellous, tongue-pulling was necessary.

The experiences took us through some absolutely breathtaking vistas, underpinned by soothing music and narrators who told us about each destination. As a marketing gimmick it’s genius; those of us who tried it in the office put the headset down just itching to go to the places we’d just seen.

This, despite the fact that the scenes we experienced weren’t exactly crystal clear. That’s down to the current state of VR technology, where a slight blurriness is the norm as even screens running at 2560 x 1400 don’t appear razor sharp when they’re an inch from your eyes. Even so, the feeling of actually being there was quite convincing, far more so than any brochure could hope to achieve.

Contiki is making use of a new technology to give people more of a taste of what they can hope to see on the tours they offer, and for that they should be applauded. It’s novel, it’s clever and, most importantly, it works.

If you’ve been considering a holiday, we’ve been told people are welcome to contact the company to set up a Gear VR demo at the Contiki head office in Rosebank, Johannesburg to experience the virtual tour for themselves.

Check out this video that shows off a Contiki tour to see what you’re in for:

If you’re interested, the below video shows a behind-the-scenes, making-of production that includes mention of VR tech at around the 7:50 mark:

Feeling inspired to book a trip yet?

advertisement

About Author

advertisement

Related News

advertisement