TORONTO — Churches all across Germany and around the world are gearing up to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation and its famed leader Martin Luther, who in 1517 famously nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. To commemorate this historic event, the German National Tourist Office (GNTO) has launched an integrated marketing campaign that includes a virtual reality experience starring a Playmobil Luther, now available to travel agents on Xplr VR.
“The GNTO has received many questions regarding Luther from all over Canada – what the Reformation is all about and where to travel. Our four-minute, 360° virtual reality video makes answers easy!” said Antje Splettstoesser, Director of the German National Tourist Office, Canada. “The Playmobil Luther figure takes you to all the spectacular places not to be missed while also learning about Luther’s intriguing life in an engaging and fully immersive way.”
Watch the video now. Use your mouse to view full 360 degrees:
Agents can get a virtual reality headset, download the Explor VR app from Google Play or the App Store, and access the ‘Germany – Martin Luther’ experience to showcase to their clients a fully immersive journey through the country and time period. This should spark their interest in Martin Luther and get them excited about travelling to Germany, adds Splettstoesser.
“Be careful though, the video is very persuasive – the agents might just want to travel to Germany too!” she jokes.
Splettstoesser notes that the miniature Playmobil Luther introduces select places from his life as both sites of historical interest and tourist destinations. “This allows viewers to ‘virtually’ immerse themselves into Martin Luther’s world without actually having been there in reality (yet!). It helps travel agents better understand the product before selling it to their clients.”
GNTO’s ‘Luther 2017 – 500 years since the Reformation in Germany’ marketing campaign highlights the legacy of the Reformation, which touches the lives of over 800 million Protestants all over the world. Martin Luther, the theological founder of the Reformation movement, will be at the centre of a host of events and exhibitions in 2017 across Germany that mark the anniversary, which can be included into travel itineraries to the country. Splettstoesser notes that a particular highlight will be Luther’s wedding re-enactment in Wiitenberg.
Culturally minded travellers can retrace important waypoints in Luther’s life in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, Hessen, Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate on a clearly laid out interactive map. In addition, eight Luther routes, available in 30 languages, highlight important places in the reformer’s life.
To get a taste of what Germany and the Reformation have to offer your clients, check out the 360° virtual reality video now on the Explor VR app. You can order a headset at xplrvr.com/headsets. Use promo code Luther to get an extra 10% off.
Explor VR by Travelweek, the first of its kind, is a customized travel app available for free download. It allows travel agents and their clients to fully immerse themselves in destinations via virtual reality headsets, a ‘try before you fly’ technology that is revolutionizing travel marketing.
For more information, visit xplrvr.com.
