The many Christmas markets held around Germany in the weeks of Advent bring people out and together on cold winter days, communally sharing the Yuletide spirit.
Advent Magic on Lake Tegernsee
The Christmas markets held along the shores of Lake Tegernsee, 50 km from Munich in the Bavarian Alps, are as traditional as they come, but with their own uniqueness. The challenge for tourism is to present that uniqueness in a compelling and memorable way that attracts visitors.
There are three main markets held around Tegernsee. One way of getting between them is by public boat. Pretty unique, right? You could promote this to tourists with static images, or offer a video of a boat journey for people to watch. Both are passive that are often soon forgotten. Using the VRdirect platform however, you can create a virtual reality experience that puts the person on the boat-ride, able to look around freely in any direction, leaving them with the feeling that this actually happened to them.
Creating the Tegernsee VR Experience
The first stage of fashioning an experience is creating the storyboard. This maps out the paths you want the virtual visitor to explore, the transitions between locations, and the interactive events that they can trigger. Events in the Tegernsee experience include listening to a Bläser band, watching a video of waffles being made, and feeling like you are surrounded by companions at a Glühwein stall. Let’s have a quick look at the different stages of the 360° experience production:
1. Storyboard
Visiting the Tegernsee markets was a must, to give ideas of what to highlight, and to plan where filming and sound recording should take place.
2. Produce 360° Footage
Once storyboarded, stage two is to take a 360° camera and other recording equipment on location and collect the digital files that will be built into the experience.
3. Drag & Drop your scenes and add interactivity
Then, using VRdirect’s easy-to-use drag-and-drop authoring tool, the storyboard can be mapped against the digital files to quickly and easily build the 360o experience.
Watch the Tegernsee Christmas Markets in our WebVR Player
Whether you have already been at the Tegernsee Christmas Markets or not, you now have the chance to experience it from wherever you are right now. Lean back, enjoy the christmas atmosphere and watch the beautiful scenery of the Bavarian Alps while riding the boat across the lake. If you want to get the full immersiveness, watch the experience in the VRdirect Player App.
Uses and Advantages of 360o Experiences in Tourism
In our example of the Tegernsee Christmas markets, the aim was to attract visitors to a singular event. This was done by presenting a VR trip around the markets which makes people feel almost as if they were there. This concept is extendable to other areas of tourism; immersion in panoramic landscapes; demonstrating local produce being made; showcasing local places of interest ; a virtual tour around art galleries. The opportunities are limitless. The VRdirect platform allows you to quickly and cost-effectively realize your visions.
The advantage of VRdirect interactive 360o / VR experiences compared to other media is that they take the visitor away from a passive information event to a memorable autobiographical one. That is, experiencing, rather than just inviting to look. By planting a memory in the viewer’s mind that is almost like they were actually there, the experience creates a wish to return to the area and explore it more fully.
Do you have an idea how to use interactive 360° experiences for your region or company? Sign up now for a free trial license or have a look at our solutions page, to learn how to use VR for events.
