VR/AR technology revolutionizes the tourism industry, creating a travel experience that balances immersion and technology.
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Editor-in-chief | Yang Ming
Editor | Jing Xiangyuan
Source | City Light Network
Driven by the digital wave, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies, with their unique immersive experiences, are empowering tourist attractions such as scenic areas, historical sites, and museums, breaking through the time and space limitations of traditional tourism and bringing tourists an experience that combines immersion and technology, bringing revolutionary changes to the traditional tourism industry.
Application of VR/AR Technology in the Tourism Industry
The introduction of VR/AR technology means that tourism experiences are no longer limited to physical space. Tourists can use various devices to "be present" in any corner of the world from home. This technology not only provides tourists with a new way to travel, but also brings new growth points to the tourism industry.
VR technology can create 360-degree panoramic videos, making tourists feel as if they are in the actual scene. This immersive experience allows tourists to interact in a virtual environment, enhancing the fun and participation of tourism.
For example, the Datong City Scenic Area VR Roaming Platform is a panoramic virtual tourism project launched using VR virtual reality technology. It has 720-degree video materials of well-known scenic spots in the city, allowing you to browse various scenic spots freely. The platform uses the visual sense of three-dimensional space to allow people to wander among the city's mountains and rivers, stroll through various scenic spots, and create a browsing experience of "being in Datong".
Players can virtually enter their travel destination with a flick of their fingers, showcasing the overall view of the scenic area and classic landscapes from an aerial perspective.
Cultural Heritage Protection
For many cultural relics and historical sites, VR technology can be used for digital reconstruction, allowing tourists to learn about their historical and cultural value in depth without damaging the cultural relics.
The exhibition "Echoes of the Past - Digital Restoration Exhibition of Xiangtangshan Grottoes" uses digital images, 3D printing of cultural relics lost overseas, and VR panoramic grotto experiences as exhibition content and forms to comprehensively introduce the Buddhist culture in the process of spreading along the Silk Road, and the "Northern Qi statue model" formed in Xiangtangshan, which bridges the past and the future and integrates Chinese and Western cultures.
At the same time, it introduces the data collection results of Xiangtangshan Grottoes on cultural relics lost overseas in recent years. For the first time in China, digital technology is used to digitally restore and reproduce seven lost overseas cultural relic statues with the original grottoes as a whole.
New Approaches to Tourism Marketing
Tourism enterprises and scenic areas can use VR technology to produce promotional videos, allowing potential tourists to experience the beauty of their destinations before booking, thereby increasing conversion rates.
Jilin Province's first virtual digital human ice and snow tourism promotional video, "Changbai Snow, Snow Region Encounter," was released. It combines virtual reality production technology with actual shooting in Changbai Mountain, allowing tourists to view Jilin's ice and snow scenery in advance.
Innovative Cases of VR/AR Tourism
The Sanxingdui Museum uses AR technology to provide tourists with a new experience of visiting cultural relics. Through AR glasses, tourists can see the three-dimensional presentation of cultural relics and even interact with them, gaining a deeper understanding of the historical stories behind them.
The Sanxingdui Museum also launched the "Sanxingdui Youth VR Elf Guide" function using VR technology. New online ways to appreciate and learn about exhibits can be unlocked through WeChat.
Suoxi Lake Wonderful Night AR Night Tour
With the support of AR technology, a dreamy and magical experience has been integrated into reality. In Suoxi Lake Scenic Area in Huaibei, Anhui Province, tourists wearing AR glasses can instantly travel through a fantasy drama and enjoy a cool night tour experience.
The entire night tour is divided into four sections: "Bei Zhou Edict," "Xi Huang Plain," "Donghai Fantasy Forest," and "Nan Yu Ling Island." "Xi Huang Plain" uses the fantasy scenes from ancient myths as the main line, while "Nan Yu Ling Island" uses traditional Chinese mythological cute animal characters as the main line. The night tour project combines on-site lighting effects, and once tourists enter, they feel as if they have entered the world of a fantasy fairy tale.
“Digital Tour Xicun” Project
The "Digital Tour Xicun" project uses real-scene three-dimensional reconstruction and spatial computing technology to provide tourists with a new tourism experience. Tourists can tour Xicun in a virtual environment and experience the local natural scenery and cultural characteristics.
“Digital Tour Xicun” breaks through the traditional marketing and promotion models of cultural tourism, business districts, exhibitions, and parks. The application of digital twin + XR technology, through technologically advanced visual effects, efficient and convenient experiences, and innovative expression concepts, is more easily accepted and recognized by young people, helping traditional cultural tourism and the real economy break through the limitations of time and space, expression methods, audience reach costs, experience thresholds, conversion rates, and stickiness.
“Ming Jian Wanli” VR Immersive Experience Space
China's first world cultural heritage digital experience project, "Ming Jian Wanli," an immersive VR large-space experience exhibition, debuted at the Mingdingling Museum, a national 5A-level scenic area. Experiencers only need to wear VR glasses to experience the prosperous Ming Dynasty from a first-person perspective with the Qintianjian, and jointly explore the mysteries contained in the Ming Dynasty imperial tombs.
“Ming Jian Wanli” digitally replicates Ming Dynasty national treasures such as the gold-threaded winged auspicious crown, the twelve-dragon nine-phoenix crown, and the jade jue cup. At the same time, referring to historical records, it uses digital technology to reproduce the already disappeared Ming Dynasty buildings such as the Biaoen Gate and Biaoen Hall of Mingdingling. The digital presentation of these cultural relics and buildings makes history no longer cold pictures and texts, but a tangible "real world".
Market Potential of VR/AR
With the continuous maturity of VR technology and the expansion of its application fields, the VR tourism market shows huge potential. The market size of China's VR tourism industry is continuously expanding and will achieve rapid development in the next few years.
Market Size Growth: As VR equipment prices fall and user experience improves, more and more consumers are willing to try VR tourism, driving market size growth.
Policy Support: The government is also actively promoting the application of VR technology in the tourism industry, encouraging enterprises and institutions to develop and promote VR tourism projects through financial support and tax incentives.
▼ Recommended Key Events in the Tourism Industry Recently
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upgrade the new scenes and experiences of cultural and entertainment tourism!
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To further study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and directives on tourism work, implement the relevant work arrangements of the National Tourism Development Conference, promote the steady innovation, quality improvement, and efficiency enhancement, and deep integration of the tourism, leisure, and entertainment industry, and contribute to the modernization and high-quality development of the tourism, leisure, and entertainment industry, the China Amusement Machine and Amusement Park Association will hold the 2024 China Tourism, Leisure and Entertainment Industry Development Conference in Zhengzhou from October 23-25!
