Travel

Pre-Tour
Virtual tours offering 360-degree panoramic views of destinations are now possible. These tours allow travelers to thoroughly check the atmosphere and scenery of their destination before actually visiting. For example, you can virtually experience various places in advance, such as hotel rooms, tourist attractions, and restaurant interiors. Some tours also offer experiences of scenery that changes with seasons and times of day, which can be helpful in choosing the best season for travel.

Smart Guide
Smart guide apps using smartphones or tablets greatly enhance the tourism experience. These apps overlay historical information, cultural background, and interesting facts in real-time on the actual scenery viewed through the camera. For instance, when visiting ancient ruins, you can see the complete structure through AR, or while walking through a city, you can get information about the history of buildings and hidden attractions. Many apps also feature multilingual support and audio guide functions, making them convenient tools for individual travelers. Furthermore, AR guides incorporating gamification elements have emerged, providing experiences where you can learn while having fun by answering quizzes or interacting with virtual characters while exploring tourist sites.

Virtual Travel
Virtual travel enables visiting places around the world without physical movement. This technology is particularly suitable for experiencing remote, dangerous, or difficult-to-access locations. For example, you can virtually experience places that are usually difficult to visit, such as Antarctic icebergs, the depths of the Amazon rainforest, or views of Earth from a space station. High-quality 360-degree video and stereoscopic sound provide a sense of being there, offering a highly educational experience. Additionally, VR experiences recreating historical events or content allowing you to experience future urban landscapes make time-transcending travel experiences possible. Moreover, it’s gaining attention as a new form of travel for environmentally conscious people and those with physical limitations.