The travel and hospitality industry is dynamic in the sense that there is always something new happening in the industry, whether it is a new and exciting destination or a new airline offering more services for a lower price. Anyone who understands tourism and hospitality knows that change is the only constant in this exciting Industry. One recent invention that will affect the future of travel and hospitality is virtual reality technology; we will examine some ways in which this new phenomenon will impact the industry going forward.
You can travel while staying at home!
Google’s street view is an exciting way to explore different destinations that you have an interest in visiting. This technology allows you to see 360-degree views of different places by just typing in the name of the city that you want to visit, and you will be able to zoom in on different streets and attractions in that city, literally experiencing what the city has to offer from the comfort of your home! This technology allows you to plan your trip in terms of where you want to visit ahead of time, resulting in your travels being more worthwhile and efficient. This technology is available to everyone through applications such as Google’s street view and will have a significant impact on the decisions people make about travelling soon.
The rise of virtual reality booking engines
Imagine being able to book your vacation of choice while wearing VR glasses and gloves! This is already a reality with companies such as Navitaire – a subsidiary of Amadeus offering the service. You will be able to select a destination from a virtual globe and book directly; you can also book flights, rent cars and book tours on this booking engine in a fun and exciting way. The rise of booking engines like these will make travel planning an enjoyable experience and travel companies that are first to adopt technologies like these will gain a distinct competitive advantage.
Virtual reality will revolutionise in-flight entertainment
A major deterrent to travel for several people are long flights, some people would visit far away, and exotic destinations, but choose not to because of the long and gruelling flights. This will soon be a thing of the pass since airlines are now implementing virtual reality entertainment systems in their aircraft! This allows you to get immersed in a world of your choosing and you will not feel like you are on a flight at all! This helps people with anxieties about flying and makes long-haul flights much more bearable. The Australian airline Quantas Air is a ground breaker in offering this technology on its flights.
Virtual Vacations
Virtual vacations are now a reality with innovative companies using the power of virtual reality technology to create actual vacation experiences that you can enjoy without visiting the destination. You can take a virtual cruise to the Bahamas or a trip to Paris using these technologies; this will only get better in the future as more companies amass amazing virtual content about a wider variety of destinations. This technology will indeed make the world seem much smaller, and a more friendly and accessible place and will surely have a profound impact on the hospitality Industry.
Virtual Cultural and Art Displays
One of the reasons why people travel is to experience the unique art and culture that different destinations have to offer by visiting places such as museums. Virtual reality technology will allow for the display of the artwork in these museums in the form of online galleries, with the addition of commentary in such a way that art enthusiast can appreciate and enjoy without having to visit the museums or galleries. This is a great way for museums to get more visibility for their priced artwork and is a trend that will be more pervasive in the coming years.
Finally, virtual reality technology is already having an impact on the travel industry and will continue to do so in the future, the technology will allow for more comfortable and exciting travel for individuals and will also present innovative entrepreneurs with great business opportunities.
