While the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the travel and tourism industry in many ways, one particular impact has been the rising need for and importance of virtual content. Attractions and destinations alike hit the ground running to find immediate virtual solutions early on and are now in the position of incorporating virtual opportunities as a permanent fixture in long-term strategic planning.
In recent years, Experience Columbia SC has been looking at ways to offer our business and leisure visitors the opportunity to experience the region from the comfort of their own homes. The COVID-19 pandemic expedited this process and we partnered with SKYNAV to obtain advanced premium 360-degree virtual reality tours, as well as an array of 3D and virtual experiences for the destination.
This platform is the first sky-to-ground virtual tour of the city and allows users to get a taste of the connectivity, vibrance and appeal of Columbia SC before being here in person. These tools are especially important in today’s climate when travel hesitations and restrictions are still our reality. Meeting and convention planners may be unable to travel at present for site visits or property inspections, but need to book a live meeting for a year or two down the road.
Virtual site visits allow the user the ability to view the Columbia region at your own pace and for as long and as often as you wish, which is an undeniable convenience. Planners can tour a location at any time of day or night and do so comfortably and safely. You can see a site several times before making a decision to book, which leads to more confident decisions.
An effective virtual tour provides experiences our guests can’t get in person – like aerial views of the destination. No viewpoint should be inaccessible. You can act like you’re physically walking down the street, popping inside and back out of attractions and venues with ease, or you can take things to the sky and soak in the bigger picture. We wanted this to be an exciting experience that makes the user want to keep clicking, keep exploring and keep coming back.
With almost 200 photos in the virtual tour, users are able to walk down Main Street, tour the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, experience our riverwalks and Lake Murray, see a guest room in a downtown hotel and more. This is SKYNAV’s most comprehensive tour to date and each tour is full of interactive elements, including image galleries, YouTube videos and trackable actions. Beyond seeing the destination, you can even hear specific areas, creating a layered and more realistic experience.
Experience Columbia, SC for yourself here.
