Keeping tech-savvy travelers happy presents challenges for the
traditional travel agent, but help is at hand thanks to the emergence of
virtual reality. Soon, there might be no more surprises when you board a
cruise ship or enter a hotel room for the first time because VR will allow
you to take a virtual tour in advance.
In the UK and Belgium, Thomas Cook, one of Europe's biggest
tour operators, has rolled out Samsung Gear VR headsets in a bid to
entice customers back into its stores. The results of the “try before you
fly” scheme revealed that, in the first three months alone, it generated
flights and hotel bookings worth over US$17,000
{
a 40 percent return
on investment. The service was also responsible for a 190 percent surge
in bookings for New York excursions.
Additional trips, excursions, and experience days will also become
much easier for travel agents to sell in advance of a future holiday by
providing “virtual taster sessions” of what it will feel like to take that
helicopter ride through the Grand Canyon, see the Northern Lights, or go
snorkeling around the Great Barrier Reef.
Marriott Hotels has also been experimenting with the first ever
in-room virtual reality immersive travel experience. The Virtual Postcards
program allows guests at the New York Marriott Marquis and London
Marriott Park Lane to experience “intimate and immersive travel stories
that users experience in 360-degree 3D” via a virtual-reality headset in
their room.
Our new sharing economy is empowering tech fans to experience
destinations like a local rather than a tourist. Services like Airbnb not only
beat traditional hotels on room rates, but offer an accommodation
experience that is unique and authentic. At the end of your stay, you are
encouraged to reward a great host with a small gift or handwritten note
rather than leaving a traditional tip. An increasing number of travelers are
also booking walking tours arranged by Airbnb members, allowing them
to experience a city from a local's point of view.
Meanwhile, fast disappearing are the days of arriving in a city
thousands of miles from your comfort zone only to get ripped off by a
local taxi firm. The arrival of Uber means jetsetters can hail a cab from
their smartphone and obtain a fare estimate while they wait for their
luggage to appear on the carousel.
Airbnb / Uber
Digital nomads carrying their technology with them
are able to create their own personalized travel
experiences. Through our devices, we are now
able to tailor services to our individual
requirements, without the need to manually
search for information. For example, Apple Watch
owners now have a Trip Advisor app that can send
a push notification directing them to the highest-
rated nearby restaurant. Meanwhile, Google Now
learns from your past behavior to deliver local
services relevant to your personal tastes.
Apple Watch / Trip Advisor
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF GIROPTIC / TRIP ADVISOR / SAMSUNG / UBER / GETTY IMAGES
Virtual Experiences
47
enVoyage
