Asia’s largest provider of high-definition 360o virtual reality (VR) digital media content for hotels and luxury tourism destinations is setting its sights on southern Africa as its next growth market.
Gecko Digital has created immersive virtual reality tours for almost 1 000 properties from some of the world’s leading luxury hotel groups, including Marriott, One&Only, Ritz Carlton, Kerzner International, Westin and Raffles.
The company has now entered the South African market, partnering with Lanzerac Estate in Stellenbosch to provide a panoramic VR tour of the iconic property.
“We have already experienced great interest in our products, not only from the leading global brands in Cape Town but also some of the iconic groups and companies across the country. Our philosophy is if you can dream it we can create it,” says Jacques Clarijs, South Africa Partner for Gecko Digital.
According to data insights company Technavio, the metaverse market in tourism, comprising augmented reality and virtual reality offerings, will grow at an astounding 26% per year, reaching a value of USD188.24 billion by 2026.
Marisa Calvert, Marketing and Sales Manager for Lanzerac, said the property was looking to leverage the incredible potential of virtual reality, and particularly Gecko’s high-quality offerings, to improve sales.
“According to virtual reality trends, any kind of listing with virtual tours receives over 40% more clicks compared with those using images. More clicks translate into higher traffic stats and increased sales. We see it as a permanent site visit where potential clients are able to access the VR tour at any time, allowing them to look at their room or other parts of the Estate before they book or arrive,” said Calvert.
Calvert expanded on the need for hospitality companies to constantly evolve and keep up with the latest marketing trends to maintain a competitive advantage.
“Embracing new technology helps make Lanzerac more efficient, while in other cases it can assist in improving the overall customer experience – something we are always striving towards. Failure to keep up with the latest hospitality trends can have some serious negative consequences, such as providing rival companies with a clear competitive advantage over us, and we view Lanzerac as the trendsetter.”
Former FEDHASA Chairperson and hospitality industry stalwart Jeff Rosenberg, Relationship Marketer for Gecko Digital Southern Africa, said: “The tourism industry is poised to be at the forefront of the digital marketing technology that leverages high-definition 360 o VR and we at Gecko Digital, as global leaders, are driving that technology. We are excited to bring this technology to Southern Africa.”
