How Augmented and Virtual reality can transform hospitality Industry

Hospitality is one of the growing industry and seeing transformation due to hyper globalization and digital trends. The technologies are changing service landscape of hospitality industry. There is paradigm shift in the way companies interact with its customer.

The social media, mobile technology and online websites has changed the customers behavioural pattern, interactions point and service expectations and thus required to change the advertising and promotion strategy and came up with innovative way to serve the customer.

Many new technologies have grabbed the attention of industry players such as web, augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and call for adoption to improve its services to the customers. Experts believe that AR/VR will serve as key differentiating factor in building brands.

What is virtual reality?

It is computer technology that uses images, sounds and physical sensation to make user feel real view as they are physically present in a virtual manner. Today's most of the application of virtual reality are in entertainment industry but now it is evolving as experimental marketing.

What is Augmented Reality?

It is the computer technology that enhances real world physical view on real time. It totally changes people's perception about physical surroundings. It introduces digital components into reality by adding physical graphics into reality.

People get confused with both the terms but both have different meanings. Where virtual reality replaces physical environment with virtual surroundings augmented reality augment the person's opinion about the physical surroundings.

Transformation that hospitality industry can see with the use of AR/VR

Virtual reality enables consumer to visualize rooms, meetings, functional areas before making decision to take service. It offers realistic feel and assist in more informed decision making.
Integrating augmented reality provide customers three-dimensional view of the hotel rooms and surrounding while online booking.
Customers can access these facility and convenience on mobile devices as well. Also, it assists in geo-tagging and customization of locations and thus more interactive and effective communication on mobile devices.
Virtual reality builds emotional capability to enhance client experience and offer more real deal with service provider.
Virtual reality and augmented reality are growing as powerful marketing and communication to that can provide competitive edge in providing seamless customer experience and brand building.
It can prove very powerful tool in event planning such as destination wedding, honeymoon travels and other special events etc.
Augmented reality offers interactive hotel rooms. For example, the Hub Hotel in the United Kingdom uses AR in conjunction with wall maps in their hotel rooms to enhance customer experience. It helps customers to get more information about different locations.
Big players are using AR to augment hotel environment that ensure more customer engagement. For example, Holidays Inn created such environment which allows customers to see realistic virtual depictions of popular personalities in the hotel itself.
VR delivers user a virtual travel experience and hotel tours with 360-degree view. Sometimes it is available with a headset or without headset on social media.

So, use of augmented and virtual reality is growing in hospitality industry be it hotel services, travel and tour services to enhance user experience and engagement. Many other technologies are that are transforming this industry such as robotics, artificial intelligence, cloud computing etc. with these technologies industry players are seeing growth in their business.

Source: HOB

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