The Potential Impact of Virtual Reality on Backpacking

THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF VIRTUAL REALITY ON BACKPACKING
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Description of Technology and industry
Although it’s not yet popular in the market today, Virtual reality is the current big thing
in the world today. Virtual reality is a way of creating computer generated environment that
immerses the user into a virtual world. When users put on virtual reality headsets it takes them to
a simulated set-up making them completely unaware of their actual surrounding (Finkelstein et
al, 2011) .The main aim of virtual reality is simulating the vision. Virtual reality headsets aims at
perfecting their approach to creating immersive 3D environment. In every headset a screen is
placed up before the eyes thus disposing of any connection with this present reality. Self-adjust
focal points are put between the screen and the eyes that is balanced in light of individual eye
development and situating. Visuals on the screen are then projected from a mobile phone or
HDMI cable connected to a PC (Witt, 2016).
Besides virtual reality taking over the gaming industry, it also has an impact in various
sectors like business, agriculture, healthcare, education and backpacking (Ludlow, 2015).
Backpacking is a minimal effort autonomous travel which is portrayed by the utilization of
rucksack that can be effectively conveyed for a long separation or significant lot of time. It
additionally include utilization of open transport, shoddy lodgings and longer length on trips
contrasted with regular occupations.
Ways Virtual Reality may impact Backpacking
In backpacking the VR will enable backpackers to download backpacking destinations
VR content to their device (Johnson, Mahajan, Ordu, Sherugar & Walker 2016). This will enable
them to tour their destination virtually before they can decide to go to the places. They can do
this from the comfort of their couch. This will lead to increase in trips in backpacking industry
since the backpackers will try the destinations before travelling.
Virtual reality in backpacking will be a way to enhance customer-centric marketing
which is crucial to success of the industry (Johnston, Olivas, Steele, Smith, & Bailey, 2018). VR
has become a popular method to promote destination image formation since it is can provide far-
reaching sensory information to potential backpackers.
By use of virtual reality the backpackers can book everything from hotel rooms or
hostels, restaurant tables to tents they can use in the trip. In hotel booking for example, a
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backpacker can look around and explore it from different angles, check the window view, the
furniture quality and more prior booking (Alfadil, 2017).). This will provide more realistic
impression and a more clear idea on how the chosen hotel room will look like and also engage
the users throughout the booking process. In comparison to the static content provided for hotel
booking VR content is way better as it provides more information (Zenner, & Krüger,
2017).)Virtual reality will be a great help to backpackers search for places they want to visit and
get their ultimate destination. With VR they will be able to use more than 300 photos or videos
to view their camping site or destination.
Regulation and ethics
Although virtual reality will by far enhance customer-centric marketing in backpacking,
there are factors that will either contribute to marketing blooming or declining. One of the factor
is the price of Virtual Reality hardware and software resources. Most VR resources are too
expensive for backpackers. Due to the high expense involved in using Virtual reality most
backpackers will tend to shy away from using the technology hence marketing using VR will be
so minimal or not possible at all(Larsen et al 2018).
Another setback of virtual reality is that it’s not able to simulate all the five senses of an
individual. For example a VR cannot simulate the smell of the ocean spray and splash of sea
water on someone’s face accurately. With this reason backpackers may prefer to go and
experiment the real world instead of using virtual reality.
Also more backpackers are used to their traditional ways of identifying and booking a
destination. Making them rigid to change. This is because most backpackers may not be willing
to explore the new marketing VR strategies.
Virtual reality experience will influence backpacking travel decision making on
destinations thus making it a powerful marketing tool. Virtual presence will positively affects
post VR attitude change towards backpacking destinations, indicating the persuasiveness of VR.
Although most people speculate that with virtual reality, backpacking will likely decline because
most people are of the notion that if they can see through the VR why should they pay to go?
However instead, VR will encourage more people to go backpacking. The reason for this is
because Partial form of VR of the destination only makes you want to experience more than what
virtual reality can offer like feeling the wind pond on your face(Ronchi et al, 2015).
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