Why is Virtual Reality the Next Big Thing in Hospitality?
How about living in a world where you can see the sun setting in Cairo from within your hotel room in California? Virtual reality is changing the hospitality industry as we know it. Now, you can hear waves crashing in any location. You can create an alternative world sitting in any location. Thus, VR is changing how customers travel. VR has become a crucial aspect because a customer considers various facts before buying family packages from hotels and resorts. Rather than scanning through hyped, untrustworthy descriptions, VR offers the customers to experience things virtually. The hospitality industry is trying to ride the wave directly into VR because the VR is likely to become a $30 billion industry by 2020.
The increasing adoption of virtual reality technology is fueling branding opportunities for hotels by providing a cutting edge and a deeply immersive way to engage with the customers.
Virtual Reality Augments the travel experience
One of the leading ways virtual reality is creating ripples in the hospitality industry is through 360-degree video technology. Through 360- degree video, your customers will experience unexplored aspects of hotels, rooms, travel. The video provides a high level of detail which is missed even by a digital camera, allowing the customers to float around their hotel and experience the services virtually. Furthermore, VR advocates virtual tours which are made available on the website allowing the potential guests to look at the hotel or room even before arriving at the destination. It is enhancing the customer experience and shifting the paradigm of the hospitality industry to truly “look before you book”.
Virtual reality is an Authentic marketing and sales tool
Making a premium hotel room stand out from the crowd and distinguish it from rival offerings is a challenging task in the hospitality industry. However, VR provides inspiration and innovation when selling premium room and hotel packages to the target audience. Putting the guests at the center of every story is changing the way your customers interact with the hospitality industry. Furthermore, hotels can provide event planners and travel agencies with VR kits which are designed to create an immersive experience. Rather than using the traditional tactics hotels can use virtual reality to deliver the experience of a lifetime. In the coming years, physical VR booths will be used as a sales tool by the hospitality sector. The future of hospitality is undoubtedly in excellent hands.
Using VR as a value-add
Even with the increasing rise of VR technology, not a lot of places offer VR headsets and experiences. The hospitality sector can creatively incorporate VR to enhance the appeal and attract Millennials. For example, hotels can provide VR rooms where your guests can try VR headsets and watch 360-degree videos. It is a unique way to appeal and sell the hotel rooms to the tech-savvy customers.