Note From The Editor
When we started VRTourism News in early 2016, "cognoscenti " were saying that 2016 was going to be THE year for virtual reality! Now, " they're" saying that 2017 is THE year! Huh? Both are right. Last year we saw a huge move in public awareness of VR with new headsets upgraded from Google Cardboard that teased us with what VR could be with real ( approaching affordable) mass produced equipment. Many industries dove in with intention and investment. For tourism, it was all about the 360 video for hotels and destinations and for attractions a very speedy adoption of VR interactive experiences and amazing new jacked up roller coasters. To help us see where are, we start off this issue going back to defining our terms since as the technology expanded last year, so did the possibilities. It's clear that both AR ( remember Pokémon?) and VR will be expanding exponentially in travel and tourism. Read on and enjoy the future!
VR? AR? MR? I’m sorry. I’m confused.... Thefoundry.co.uk
Since the beginning of time, most new and emerging technology has nurtured an unhealthy attachment to acronyms, and virtual reality is no different. To help you get your head around the jargon du jour, we’ve pulled together this handy guide to what all these acronyms actually mean, and why they are not the same thing. READ MORE
Here's A Virtual And Augmented Reality Check From CES 2017 Yahoo.com/tech
Note: CES is a global consumer electronics and consumer technology tradeshow that takes place every January in Las Vegas, Nevada. If you’re like me, you’re waiting for the day when virtual and augmented reality aren’t just fun buzzwords, but a very real part of our daily lives. A time when they’re not just for gaming, but something that will allow you to have experiences that transcend the time and space of where you are. Don a headset and swim with sharks in the Maldives? Check. Walk through a new apartment without schlepping across Midtown? Sure, why not. Canoodling with strangers on a beach in Ibiza? READ MORE
Virtual reality and travel – fully immersive, next-level developments TNooz
Virtual reality videos in travel, until now, have mostly focused on allowing users to experience a 360-degree view of a product or destination. Although the functionality can often be pretty good, where the camera goes is usually pre-set and the direction is what the user controls with a headset.The annual CES extravaganza in Las Vegas saw IT giant Intel showcase what it claims will be the next-level of virtual reality and video, helpfully demonstrated using a travel destination example. READ MORE
Foreign & Commonwealth officeunveils VR film for 'Travel Aware' campaign Eventmagazine.co.uk
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has unveiled a virtual reality (VR) film to encourage safety whilst travelling. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office film features fictional explorer, Phileas Fogg, attempting to travel around our modern world in 80 days, bringing to life a contemporary imagining of the famed Jules Verne novels. Fogg quickly realises that he can’t simply set off as he is informed of the critical preparation he needs to make before he starts. READ MORE
Travel To Space From the Comfort of Your Living Room With Space Visor Virtual Reality Headset Spacecoastdaily.com
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER – Experience space as only NASA astronauts have before with the new, custom-designed Space Visor virtual reality headset and mobile applications available exclusively at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Available for purchase at visitor complex gift shops and online at TheSpaceShop.com, the Space Visor transports users to a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS), where they can explore inside and learn about each module, and then to the surface of the moon on a rocky lunar rover ride. READ MORE
To hide the dismal reality of flying, airlines are trying virtual reality on passengers Qz.com
Unless you are swimming in frequent-flyer miles or money, there is little to love these days about commercial air travel. Seats have gotten smaller, legroom is scarce, and at least one airline this year will restrict overhead bin access for some fare classes. But better entertainment options could distract cramped passengers from the pains of traveling economy. Airlines’ latest offering: virtual-reality headsets. READ MORE
IMAX CEO Talks Virtual Reality and His Plans For High-Tech Arcades Fortune.com
IMAX has virtual reality fever. The big-screen theater giant opened its first VR hub this month in Los Angeles. People will pay $10 to strap on a VR headset inside one of 15 soundproof rooms to experience either VR video games or films for roughly seven minutes. The VR arcade in Los Angeles is one of six VR hubs that IMAX (IMAX, +0.46%) will debut worldwide this year. For many people who have yet to fly spaceships in VR or stood next to their favorite actors in hit films, IMAX's new arcades could be their first experience. READ MORE
The first Permanent Augmented Reality experience set for Messukeskus Helsinki Convention Center Exhibitionworld.co.uk
Messukeskus Helsinki will launch the ‘world’s first’ large-scale AR application intended for the general public. Starting from the MATKA Nordic Travel Fair this month, Augmented Reality (AR) will be a permanent part of the customer experience at Messukeskus Helsinki, Expo and Convention Centre. The AR solution introduced by Messukeskus is also the first fully immersive AR solution in the world to be executed in such a large-scale environment. READ MORE
Why 2017 could be THE year of virtual reality theweek.com
Virtual and augmented reality have been featured in sci-fi movies for decades, but it wasn't until 2016 that a lot those concepts actually became a reality and were placed in consumers' hands. Last year, we had a plethora of headsets that used virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), including the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear, Google's Day Dreamer, and Sony's PlayStation VR. But they were still mostly used by tech enthusiasts. In 2017, this technology might truly become more broadly adopted by the mass-market. READ MORE
