How cities can fix tourism hell Techcrunch.com
Well – it didn’t take long for the phrase “overtourism” to get overused. The popular buzzword describes the influx of tourists who flood a location and damage the quality of life for full-time residents. The term has become such a common topic of debate in recent months that it was even featured this past week on Oxford Dictionaries’ annual “Words of the Year” list. But the expression’s frequent appearance in headlines highlights the growing number of cities plagued by the externalities of rising tourism. READ MORE
I ate at a virtual reality restaurant and ... It's the future? Foodandwine.com
Aside from using and abusing the failed portable gaming console Virtual Boy in 1995, I've never been excited by virtual reality and its many promises. My reality is vivid, and grotesque, enough—why would I seek out extra reality? But when I visited Tokyo in October, a city known for its exceptional, wildly diverse dining (and the most Michelin stars of any city in the world), I put one restaurant on the top of my to-eat list that I suspected would pull me out of my comfort zone: Tree by Naked yoyogi park, the new virtual reality dining concept from artist Ryotaro Muramatsu. READ MORE
Rome reborn: Virtual reality project takes visitors on a tour of ancient Rome Thetravel.com
All roads lead to Rome. And we're not just talking about the brick and mortar pathways that guided the likes of Marcus Antonius and Gaius Marius to conquer new territories and expand the empire. Nope, the digital frontier has also paved a few routes to the legendary hub of civilization. Such was the case on Wednesday, November 21st, when scholars announced the launch of a new virtual project called Rome Reborn, one of the most ambitious digital reconstructions of an ancient community ever undertaken. READ MORE
A new virtual reality experience takes you inside a black hole Astronomy.com
Have you ever wanted to travel to the center of the galaxy and witness the power of a supermassive black hole in person? With current technology, humans couldn’t travel the 25,640 light-years from Earth to the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole in a single lifetime. Nor could we survive being so close to the extreme gravitational forces of a singularity. But a new virtual reality simulation gives us all the chance to swoop close by a black hole and experience the time and space-warping effects of their immense pull. READ MORE
Catalonia campaign disrupts tourism with video game to promote destination: “Legends of Catalonia” The Land of Barcelona Apnews.com
Catalonia, a region with a historically rich past, is taking a futuristic step in tourism marketing: launching a video game created specifically to promote a destination ,. Developed in partnership with Sony, the video combines Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) to create an interactive, immersive and personalized experience that transports you instantly to Catalonia, to discover and explore, as if you were actually there. READ MORE
This Virgin Holidays store has a spa, free bubbly and a virtual rollercoaster ride to Vegas Independent.co.uk
Virgin Holidays has launched a new store in Milton Keynes featuring a spa, virtual reality rollercoaster, complimentary prosecco and business class seats that enable holidaymakers to “try before they fly”. The shop, which aims to recreate the experience of an executive class airport lounge, enables prospective Virgin fliers to get into the holiday spirit early by enjoying a glass of fizz, VR ride to Vegas and a hand massage or manicure while they browse the different holiday packages available. READ MORE
And then there’s this:
Love in the time of virtual reality. Japanese man ties knot with a hologram Akihiko Kondo's mother refused an invitation to her only son's wedding in Tokyo this month, but perhaps that isn't such a surprise: he was marrying a hologram.
"For mother, it wasn't something to celebrate," said the soft-spoken 35-year-old, whose "bride" is a virtual reality singer named Hatsune Miku. In fact, none of Kondo's relatives attended his wedding to Miku, an animated 16-year-old with saucer eyes and lengthy aquamarine pigtails, but that didn't stop him from spending two million yen ($17,600) on a formal ceremony at a Tokyo hall. READ MORE