Imagine walking into a travel agency and being transported virtually to your dream destination. You are completely immersed, poolside, watching the sunset and completely sold. You book the trip, leave the store and start counting the days. It’s not science fiction, it’s the power of virtual reality right now, and the only glasses involved are those containing freshly made Mojitos.
This exciting technology was at the center of a recent Spark academic project which saw first-semester MBA students work alongside Swiss tech company Inside Reality. The project was called “Travel Agency 5.0” and explored the customer experience of using immersive virtual reality at the pre-purchase stage.
“We specialize in glasses-free virtual reality,” says CEO Jürgen Debusmann. “Through our immersion rooms, consumers can experience a place in different seasons. They can virtually explore destinations and be completely reassured that they are making the right purchase. For travel agents, this technology can help them identify potential services and business opportunities, and better understand purchasing decisions. Moreover, the software is completely web-based and works on most mobile or stationary devices without any installation.
Research. Analyze. Reportage.
Across all areas of the diverse hospitality industry, from tourism and events to luxury travel and hotel real estate, virtual reality has the potential to improve guest experience, while reducing carbon emissions. For the MBA students involved, the task was to sound out opinion on the potential of the technology, before presenting the results to Jürgen and his team, as explained by Dr. Brendan Cronin, guest speaker and supervisor of the project.
“Some of the steps we took in the project were first for students to do in-depth research, often for the first time. We then widened the scope of the research to several countries and analyzed the data to discover the results. The final step was to present the results to Inside Reality. The students were nervous, but they had solid data and the team was impressed. I got to see new technologies from both the developer’s and the end user’s perspective. »
Spark Academic Projects allow undergraduate and postgraduate students to apply their learning, working on real projects with real companies. Participants work together to produce results that are highly valued and relied upon. Moreover, the nature of the real world presents a depth of learning that cannot be achieved by theoretical studies alone.
“The project helped me develop both technical and soft skills,” says MBA student Saurav Kumar. “I got to see new technologies from both the developer’s and the end user’s perspective. In terms of soft skills, I learned a lot about project management and how to deal with a business external, because we were acting as consultants.
Virtual reality is a future reality. Undoubtedly, hospitality is at the start of its journey in terms of using virtual reality, with projects such as Travel Agency 5.0 helping to connect technology with consumers and uncover use cases.
“While this whole concept of using virtual reality in tourism is something very new,” says Saurav, “our research found that around 73% of respondents were inclined to use this technology. “It has great potential in the future for all businesses. It helps us to dream more and discover a destination before we can go there and live it.
For Jürgen, it’s only a matter of time before immersive virtual reality becomes the preferred way to choose your next resort, hotel, cruise or home. “One thing we know for sure is that industry expectations are changing when it comes to immersion and sustainability. Virtual reality can help businesses reach new markets and customers through a seamless, exciting and ethical.”
About the Rocks
Les Roches is a Swiss institution focused on creating the innovative and entrepreneurial minds of tomorrow. Founded in 1954, Les Roches offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in hospitality and tourism management according to the Swiss education model. With campuses across Switzerland and Spain; A student body of over 100 different nationalities, the institution offers students a unique culturally diverse experience. Since 2021, Les Roches also has an academic alliance with the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) with a partner campus in Gurugram (Delhi NCR).
Les Roches ranks among the top 5 higher education institutions in the world for hospitality and leisure management and employer reputation (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2022). Part of Sommet Education, the world leader in hospitality education, Les Roches is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).
For more information, go to Les Roches.
Anouck Weiss
Director of Communications, Education Summit
The rocks
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