Hi
Now I ain’t about to start decrying Video production, because Videos have their rightful place and benefits for many projects, but I think when it comes to properties that Virtual Tours have definite advantages.
OK – so you own a Holiday property or Hotel and decide to have something more graphic than single images on your Website…..do you choose Video of Virtual Tour? Well … on the Video the gates to your property swing open and the Video pans around the entrance, then the front door opens in slow motion ….. all very nice…..
BUT!!…
what happens when you decide to completely refurbish a couple of rooms, or have a swish new kitchen installed? Do you have a complete new Video filmed? Expensive!
With a Virtual Tour the replacement scenes can be photographed and edited quickly and seamlessly into the Virtual Tour, at far less cost. Also I think Virtual Tours are far more interactive for the viewer, they can scan, zoom in and out, quickly change scenes from one room to another etc etc. We have done several reshoots for clients when they have upgraded an aspect of the property – one recently had a hot tub installed into the garden – a major attraction for guests and it was so easy to add into the Virtual Tour, but what if they had had a Video instead? Another advantage is that with a Virtual Tour you are showing your prospective customers EVERYTHING from floor to ceiling AND wall to wall, how many Videos do that?
Anyway – I am biased! LOL :o)
Interesting post. What you offer is perfect for the small tourism operator. Video would be far too expensive for me.
One positive aspect of virtual tours that I didnt anticipate is that children and young people love to study the tours in detail before their visit, so that they can decide which bedroom they would like to sleep in. Their parents may decide on the cottage but the kids have their say on the sleeping arrangements. This adds to the anticipation and the excitement of the holiday. Happy kids mean happy parents mean happy operators!
good article and agreee with you that in some cases 360 virtual tours are better than video, certainly for marketing purrposes for businesses