GEORGE TOWN: Penang is the first state in Malaysia to launch virtual reality (VR) tourism experience through Google Platform.
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin, said that technologies in tourism can provide an immersive and engaging VR experience for tourists, creating a competitive advantage for Penang.
“VR can serve as a powerful and dynamic marketing tool in promoting the state’s tourism industry with easy-to-use dynamic information overlay system.
“The immersive and interactive experience provided by VR that is integrated with the Google platform will provide more accurate information about the local points of interest and businesses,“ he told reporters at the VR launching here today.
Moreover, Yeoh added that since the borders reopened in April 2022, Penang has experienced a recovery rate of 64.34 per cent with a total of 184 flights in Dec 2022 compared to 286 flights in July 2019.
“These exciting numbers are the result of the unremitting efforts and initiatives where the recovery is progressing on an unyielding motion even when most of the Asian countries have only loosened up their borders in quarter four (Q4) of 2022,“ he said.
Thus, Yeoh said that this VR project is an effective tool for promoting tourism as it provides potential tourists with a glimpse of what the state has to offer.
He stated that people can experience VR in Penang by downloading the ‘Welcome To Penang’ application on Google Play or App Store and they can also view it on ‘streetview.my/welcometopenang’ website.
“Smart tourism initiatives, such as the use of VR and Augmented Reality (AR) can revolutionise the way tourists explore and experience Penang by providing teaser views, maps, and virtual experiences of popular tourist destinations...visitors can preview the attractions and plan their trip accordingly.
“I hope that this VR product will help to promote Penang and increase visibility, encouraging more visitors to explore this beautiful destination,“ he said. -Bernama
