Lauren Papworth, a social networking strategist, told the Australian Tourism Futures conference that travelers will increasingly use virtual worlds to help plan their next vacation according to the Brisbane Times. The talk was targeted at the Australian tourism community, but has relevance to the entire global business.
Papworth told the travel industry that as technology moves forward at a rapid pace, the industry needs to keep up with the times. As augmented reality and Google Maps move forward, virtual worlds will be a space where potential customers will research hotel rooms, views, amenities, attractions, and new cities all from the comfort of a 3D world.
"So you could navigate your way around the hotel, have a paddle, go upstairs, go downstairs and then talk to someone who probably looks like a Barbie doll, because that's what all the avatars look like at the moment," she said at the conference.
"But depending on the hotel's sense of humour it could be a green blob or an alien and you could talk to them and say: 'I want to know if there's any bookings available.'"
She also noted that iPhone apps and GPS chips would have a huge impact on business. The convention convener, Tony Charters, echoed this sentiment.
"If the industry does not embrace this it will just be left out in the dust," he said.
(via Brisbane Times)
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