Immersive technologies support Dark Sky Tourism

Dark Sky Tourism refers to visiting places with little to no light pollution to enjoy the beauty of the night sky. Typically located in remote and rural areas, these destinations are ideal for stargazing, watching the northern lights, or exploring astronomy. To fully enjoy the dark skies, artificial light at night (ALAN) must be minimal and the night sky clear for viewing stars, planets, constellations, and other celestial phenomena. Since more than 80% of the world’s population and almost 90% of Europe’s residents no longer experience natural darkness where they live (Falchi et. al 2016), darkness itself can be considered a tourist attraction, comparable to other nature-based experiences. Including darkness in tourism marketing also sends a strong message of commitment to sustainable tourism values.

Dark Sky Tourism is weather-sensitive: when it the sky is overcast, it becomes impossible to see the northern lights or the stars. One way immersive technologies can support tourism is by offering a Dark Sky experience to travellers who are at the destination but unable to witness the celestial event due to weather conditions. Linking immersive technologies to storytelling and themes relating to Dark Skies gives can provide compelling content for future XR applications in tourism. Several ready-made applications are available for this purpose, but it is also possible to create a tailored experience. Another way to utilise XR technologies is by producing immersive marketing materials, either to help potential customers make a purchase decision or to present one’s offering at trade fairs and other events.

Tourism operators in rural and remote regions are often small or micro-sized enterprises, and technologies are often perceived as expensive and difficult to implement by them. Do entrepreneurs or their employees have the time to learn how to use new equipment, let alone create or engage in the production of applications? Are the benefits of immersive technologies worth the investment? These are some of the questions this article seeks to explore.

Cooperation is often a precondition for opportunity

Immersive technologies come in many forms, but what they share is the ability to immerse the user in a situation or environment - often by blending the physical and digital worlds.

Virtual reality (VR) creates a fully digital environment where the user can interact with the environment. VR applications are used with VR glasses, but you can also move around in a virtual environment on a computer or phone screen. Augmented reality (AR) combines digital content with the real environment. 360-degree imaging allows the environment to be captured from all angles, providing a realistic way of presenting real objects.

Immersive technologies have a wide range of potential, but their exploitation often requires training, resources and cooperation between different actors. SMEs can learn or be involved in different virtual implementations in different roles and can learn from solutions already on the market from larger companies.

More specific implementations can bring remote sites close to the user. For example, Flyover Iceland (https://www.flyovericeland.com/) in Reykjavik offers the opportunity to experience what it would be like to fly in Iceland, in nature and over villages and cities at different times of the year. Local actors have also been involved in the production of these contents in an expert role.

Photo: Flyover in Vancouver by Pursuit (left), Flyover Iceland after the ride, GLOW2.0 (right)

A lighter production requires, for example, an interior presentation of a hotel room or a building related to tourism, which is more a part of the service than an experience in itself. It is not always necessary to set high expectations for immersive experiences. An example of this is, for example, the basic presentation of Break Sokos Hotels in Nurmes (https://sokoshotels.visualizer360.com/518074950)

Virtual reality can also be used for staff training. Typical examples include preparing employees for different customer situations or for events that ideally should not even occur. For example, the Karelia University of Applied Sciences and the municipality of Liperi carried out exercises in day care settings, where new childcare workers were familiarised with daily routines and potential scenarios to help them respond appropriately in real-life situations. In the tourism sector, for example, guides can practice in virtual environments before actually working with customers.

As take-up of immersive technologies by SMEs is still relatively low, there is room for new business models. For example, companies can offer virtual experiences to consumers and business customers around the world, even if their own destination is not easily accessible due to its location. In marketing, virtual presentations and interactive experiences are still the differentiating factor in marketing materials.