What are the possible uses of virtual reality technology in the travel industry?

The prospect of virtual reality technology has been tantalizing techies for decades – from the 1990’s sci-fi films Total Recall and The Lawnmower Man to Nintendo’s Virtual Boygaming system. But along the way virtual reality tech fell to the wayside as mobile took center stage. That’s all changed now with Sony’s Project Morpheusand Facebook’s recent acquisition of immersive virtual reality technology firm Oculus.

Imagine being able to visit a hotel room from your couch before you even make a booking – thus rendering fish eye cameras useless. Maybe you would prefer to test an airline’s Business Class experience beforehand. Perhaps you just want to explore an unfamiliar airport before arriving so you can breeze through to your departure gate. If you’re looking for the perfect beach – then how nice would it be to explore the shoreline prior to planning your holiday?

The applications of virtual reality technology for travel players are limited only by imagination.

What do you think? How can the travel industry create better connected experiences with this technology? Leave a comment, send us a tweet, and vote in our pollto let us know what key initiative is needed to make the travel experience more connected.