TORONTO — Virtual reality has finally arrived as an exciting new sales tool for travel agents with the much-anticipated launch of Explor VR – Travelweek’s brand new app-based virtual reality technology specially created for travel agents.
Agents across Canada are urged to look for their Virtual Reality Starter Kit in the mail this week, delivered with their Oct. 20 issue of Travelweek magazine.
“Travelweek is hoping this new sales tool will give agents a sense of the amazing potential of VR technology – as a tool to help close sales, as a tactic to grab attention, as a means to bring more foot traffic through your agency door, and much more,” says Devin Kinasz, Director of Digital Strategy, Travelweek. “Virtual reality technology can be used to engage and ‘wow’ clients, and we want agents to benefit from this technological development, bringing more to agents’ clients that online booking websites can’t.”
Travelweek is sending out a free Virtual Reality Starter Kit as a gift, with the hope that agents will take the opportunity to learn about the new VR technology. The headsets are cardboard, modelled after Google Cardboard, Google’s entry-level VR viewers, for a basic introduction to the VR experience. Agents can also upgrade to a professional headset.
The free Explor VR app can be downloaded from Google Play or the App Store. Once downloaded onto your smartphone, simply slip the phone into the headset, and put the headset on your head to start view different destinations in full virtual reality.
“We’re trying to disseminate this technology to agents as quickly and as cheaply as possible,” said Kinasz. “The app is available to download for free. We are distributing headsets to 5,000 agencies across Canada for free. And we are selling professional upgraded headsets for $159. Clients will be blown away!”
There are instructions on how to assemble and operate the Virtual Reality Starter Kit on the back of the box. There is also a wealth of additional information, training material, marketing collateral, videos and more on the website at XplrVR.com, which is where you can also order the upgraded professional headset. Agents can also sign up for webinars to learn more about the VR tool.
There are about two dozen virtual reality experiences available in the Explor VR app, with more always being added. Make sure to check out ‘Experience India by G Adventures’ and ‘A Day in St. Pete Clearwater’.
“This is only the very beginning of the relationship between the travel industry and virtual reality technology, and we hope travel agents support our effort to bring this exciting technology into agencies across Canada,” said Kinasz. “We truly believe agents can benefit from VR technology, most notably as a powerful sales tool, and hope they will let us help them take advantage of the future of travel marketing.”
For more information, visit explorvr.com/.
