No need to travel. It’s time to go virtual…
Australian airline Quantas has teamed up with Google and Samsung to provide customers with a 360Ëš virtual tour of Hamilton Island, a popular tourist hot spot located on the Great Barrier Reef. The video takes viewers from plane to the luxurious Qualia Resort, followed by a swim with sea turtles on the Great Barrier Reef, a game of golf and a helicopter ride. Viewers are able to flip/move the screen – similar to Google street view – which provides 360Ëš views of the island. If you feel like taking a break from reality from the comfort of your desk, you can explore Hamilton Island for free on a Google Chrome browser now.
In more virtual reality news, hotel brand, Marriott International launched a one minute hyperlapse video this week of London’s top tourist spots, giving people from all around the world the chance to become a virtual tourist. ‘Through the Lens’ viewers are given an authentic day-to-night tour of London’s most famous landmarks including the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and the London Eye.
And finally, online travel agent Booking.com is urging people to get out there this summer by "Winging Everything" through its new integrated campaign. The #wingit campaign is all about living in the moment and booking a holiday before real life gets in the way. The team has partnered up with YouTube travel sensation and king of the spontaneous travellers, Louis Cole to promote its social media activity. Booking.com has created an online Wing It hub collating user generated and campaign content in real time. Watch the video online now for a taste of this exciting new campaign.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports