“Sit back, relax and travel.” – These are what Japan’s First Airlines offers this 21st century to its customers, as they combine virtual reality with tour and tourism.
As the society improves, people become busier with academics, work or duties and responsibilities in the family. As a result, days to spend for vacation and rest might only be limited. Many would want to travel to different tourist spots but are hesitant to spend too much money and resources. With the rise of VR Holidays, individuals have now an additional option to travel, have fun and relax at the same time.
Virtual Travel: An Overview
Virtual travel allows customers to witness and experience to be in a particular destination without leaving his/her original place. It uses Virtual Reality equipment and combines sound effects, videos, images, etc. to allow users to immerse in his/her dream destination completely while being seated all throughout the immersion.
The concept of virtual travel is virtual reality. Virtual Reality started during the 1900s that began as murals and other artworks and improves after several decades, as it becomes part of the entertainment such as games, simulation devices, etc.
There have been many episodes wherein virtual reality has been used for tourism, but it is only recently that a Japanese firm has made it completely open to the public. Japan’s First Airlines has been considered as the ‘world’s first virtual airline’ that started in 2016. It is based in the city of Tokyo that provides virtual travel to places like New York, Rome, Hawaii, or Paris with real-life related cuisines at an affordable price. First Airlines does not only offer first class seats but even business class as well.
The In-Flight Experience
VR Holidays provided by First Airlines involves unique and amazing experiences. The tour covers from boarding to the plane, take off, up to arriving at the desired destination .The ticket fare is around $62 that is equivalent to approximately 6700 yen.
Customers are provided with a ‘boarding pass’ to make the simulation experience more exciting. The in-flight attendants accommodate guests to relax inside the aircraft-design cabin and sit in the airbus seats. The employees will even demonstrate safety measures similar to a real airplane ride. The engine sounds and views of tarmac are presented to guests to make the takeoff as complete as it can be.
The 360-virtual tour that lasts for 2 hours includes destination such as New York, Rome, Hawaii, or Paris. Famous tourist spots in each of the travel destination are also highlighted such as the Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum and many more.
The experience will never be complete without the food. Four meals are provided to guests that are themed with the cuisine of their destination. This can vary from chopped salad, Manhattan clam chowder, Angus beef steak for the New York experience, dishes such as salmon carpaccio and tiramisu for Italy, to courses such as salmon tartar and onion soup for France. Moreover, there are even cakes provided to guests for those celebrating special occasions.
Upon landing, guests are even offered discounts to local shops as they present their ‘boarding passes.’ A 2-hour journey can accommodate up to 12 guests at a time per aircraft cabin.
Advantages of Virtual Reality Holiday
Technological advancements have made the world of entertainment to a whole new level. Aside from being an evidence of technological upgrades, Virtual Reality Holiday provides other advantages. These include:
- Guests don’t have to spend too much money for a vacation. The ticket fare of the virtual travel is less expensive and yet able to provide thrilling, one-of-a-kind experience for travel lovers.
- With virtual travel, customers don’t need to skip days that should have been spent in performing their tasks and responsibilities. The whole experience only lasts for two hours but is more than enough to provide optimum satisfaction.
- Virtual Reality Holiday is also best suited for the elderly, people with disabilities or those with other health conditions that might hinder them from traveling towards far places.
- Case studies have found virtual travel provided fun and exciting experiences to those who have experienced it. Guests verbalized that they felt they were transported to a different world.
The Future of VR in Tour and Tourism
In 2017, one of the world’s biggest computer chip companies has claimed that virtual reality might complement travel in the future. With the virtual tour, the merging of digital and physical worlds is made possible. VR allows users to have immersive trips in the comfort of their seats.
As time passes by, more and more market leaders invest in the virtual tour. A founder of a trending social media site today said that the future of VR is exciting, he said, “It will be pretty wild. Just like we capture photos and videos today and then share on the Internet to let others experience them too, we’ll be able to capture whole 3D scenes and create new environments and then share those with people as well.”
The aim of the virtual tour is not to entirely replace real-life holidays but rather to improve and promote tour and tourism. Other companies envision VR as part of the future travel. A company that offers global travel search engine said that they believed VR could be a significant influence on touristic experiences. Moreover, a company that serves as a worldwide provider of IT solutions in the travel industry believes that VR will be a standard feature of the in-flight entertainment system in more than a decade from now.
Conclusion
Japan’s First Airlines VR holidays offered in business class indeed provide a wholesome, unique and exciting experience for its customers. It has brought traveling to a whole new perspective. Virtual Reality Holiday is not only a reflection of the technological upgrade but also a reflection of creative minds that believe that every individual deserves a new form of entertainment that is less hassle and is more affordable.
References
http://www.traveller.com.au/japans-first-airlines-offers-virtual-reality-flights-that-go-nowhere-h0whdg
https://www.tripzilla.com/japan-first-airlines-virtual-reality-flights/74395
https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/101737224/japans-first-airlines-offers-all-the-fun-of-flying-without-leaving-the-ground
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/virtual-reality-flight-tokyo/index.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/first-airlines-vr-restaurant-in-flight-dining-experience-first-class-japan-a8217376.html
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2018/02/23/first-airlines-japanese-virtual-reality/
https://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/end-holidays-intel-says-virtual-9570599
http://www.contiki.com/six-two/would-you-take-a-virtual-holiday/
https://www.youvisit.com/insight/travel-destinations/case-study-what-do-people-actually-think-of-travel-based-virtual-reality/
https://youtu.be/6C6xaXegLzs
http://www.virtual-reality-in-tourism.com/overview-future-of-vr/