Digitalization is not stopping any industry, not even tourism! One possibility is to improve or make physical experiences more intense with virtual support. Another possibility is to create your own virtual experiences so that you can consume them regardless of location.
Over 30 tourism professionals from Austria and Germany were part of the first Mixed Reality Tourism Jam. An event organized on November 17, 2023 as part of the EDIH “Crowd in Motion” project by Innovation Salzburg GmbH – in cooperation with Mixed Reality I/O and the Austrian Tourist Board. The aim was to bring together creative minds from the Austrian tourism industry and to explore, try out and apply the possibilities of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and extended reality (XR) in tourism.
What was the added value for the participants?
#1. Raising awareness of innovative technologies such as AR/VR in order to be up to date with the latest technology and to be able to assess future possibilities for use in your own company.
#2. Exchange of experience on successful practical examples in order to understand the approach to the initial use of innovative technologies such as AR/VR and to be able to estimate the rough use of resources.
#3. Testing innovative technologies such as AR/VR in order to gain personal experience and form an opinion about them.
#4. Conceptualizing your own application examples with innovative technologies such as AR/VR in order to develop and implement customer-oriented and value-added AR/VR experiences.
How did the event go?
The day began with a master class by Andy Gstoll, who introduced the participants to the current state of mixed reality technologies. A panel discussion moderated by Barbara Prodinger provided insights into the innovative projects of the experts Ingrid Frank, Markus Wiesenhofer and Dalila Cataldi. Afterwards, the participants had the opportunity to test VR glasses and AR applications – including immersive trips to Machu Picchu and the Grand Canyon, a virtual hot air balloon ride over Austria and a 3D walk across Salzburg’s Mozartplatz. Another highlight was the creation of their own 3D models by scanning objects, such as a bust of Mozart, which could then be viewed in a webAR experience. The day ended with a workshop in which the participants jointly designed and presented their own topic-specific AR/VR applications.
Outlook: The second edition of the Mixed Reality Tourism Jam is scheduled for 2024.
All highlights from the Mixed Reality Tourism Jam are shown in the video summary by CTA (Change Tourism Austria) – an initiative of the Austrian Tourist Board. Link to the Video: „Mixed Reality Tourism Jam” am Salzburger Flughafen: „Mixed Reality Tourism Jam” am Salzburger Flughafen