Hotels.com’s glimpse into the future of online travel
August 17, 2010 |
According to Hotels.com, the future of online travel is virtually visiting cities before traveling to them. In this article, the company discusses its recently launched augmented reality website, dubbed "Virtual Vacation," and the impact it had on its revenues.
Earlier this year, Hotels.com set up the microsite, which allows people to use their web cameras and computer microphones to convert a special "glyph" or marker on print and email advertisements into 3D-animated versions of 10 U.S. cities, including New York City, Denver, New Orleans and Las Vegas.
The AR program uses Hotels.com's claymation character "Smart" to guide people through the cities. While touring, users can take part in various activities, such as getting married in Vegas or riding a bull in Denver, Walia said.
Since the AR website was launched in May, Hotels.com said it has generated the following results for the brand:
- Traffic to Hotels.com increased 26 percent;
- Transactions were up 36 percent; and
- Registration to its "Welcome Reward" program increased 32 percent.
Get the full story at eMarketing & Commerce
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