Over the last two decades, virtual reality therapy (VRT) has gained wider acceptance in the treatment of mental health issues. VRTs are helping treat things such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, phobias, eating disorders, and substance abuse. Institutions like the <a href="https://www.cuanschutz.edu/centers/national-mental-health-innovation" title="https://www.cuanschutz.edu/centers/national-mental-health-innovation" data-renderer-mark="true">National Mental Health Innovation Center</a> at the University of Colorado as well as startups are innovating treatments using VR therapies.
What makes VR therapy distinctly different from traditional “talk therapy” is that people respond physiologically to their virtual experiences. Virtual reality therapy can be another tool to traditional therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy and it could be an alternative to drug therapy for some patients.
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6659125/#:~:text=VR%20exposure%20therapies%20are%20particularly,posttraumatic%20stress%20disorder%20(PTSD)" title="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6659125/#:~:text=VR%20exposure%20therapies%20are%20particularly,posttraumatic%20stress%20disorder%20(PTSD)" data-renderer-mark="true">Several studies </a>have found VR therapies to be highly effective because of the way simulated images provoke fears in controlled environments. The <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2018/02/virtual-reality" title="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2018/02/virtual-reality" data-renderer-mark="true">American Psychological Association</a> (APA) has reported that a growing number of psychologists are using this innovative technology. Researchers are also using it in labs and clinics.
<h2 id="How-It-Works:-Exposure-Therapy" data-renderer-start-pos="1185">How It Works: Exposure Therapy</h2>
VR therapy helps treat patients safely through exposure therapy. Virtual reality creates the conditions that can trigger fears in a safe space. Imagine the client viewing scenes through VR goggles, feeling the fears and traumas but with the help of a therapist who adjusts the scenes.
Dr. Albert "Skip" Rizzo is a psychologist who researches VR systems in clinical assessment and treatment at the University of Southern California. "At its core, virtual reality is essentially a controlled stimulus environment," Rizzo told the APA.
Rizzo has worked with US military troops experiencing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from combat operations. He uses software, Full Spectrum Warrior, created at the <a href="https://ict.usc.edu/prototypes/pts/" title="https://ict.usc.edu/prototypes/pts/" data-renderer-mark="true">University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies </a>that simulates virtual scenarios of combat operations. Patients wear VR headsets and play out scenes.

![B445ADB1-9DC4-4A03-9D52-55DDC777E815.jpeg](https://codazen-website-cms-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/B445_ADB_1_9_DC_4_4_A03_9_D52_55_DDC_777_E815_db13ce2dd0.jpeg)

Source: <a href="http://shutterstock.com/" title="http://Shutterstock.com" data-renderer-mark="true">Shutterstock.com</a>
The VR exposure therapy can include Middle Eastern-themed villages, deserts, and cities—much like what troops may have experienced in Iraq. The visual stimulation is accompanied by 3D audio, vibrations, and smells. Meanwhile, Rizzo and other clinicians control the scenarios.
By carefully immersing a patient in virtual scenarios that caused the trauma, patients begin to heal. And it’s not only PTSD that’s treated with VRT.
In the US, <a href="https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics" title="https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/facts-statistics" data-renderer-mark="true">40 million adults suffer from depression and anxiety</a>. VRT is now more accepted as a way of treating clinical depression and anxiety disorders. In one study from <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-open/article/embodying-selfcompassion-within-virtual-reality-and-its-effects-on-patients-with-depression/1A1217651159D085145A7999CFFFF772" title="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-open/article/embodying-selfcompassion-within-virtual-reality-and-its-effects-on-patients-with-depression/1A1217651159D085145A7999CFFFF772" data-renderer-mark="true">Cambridge University</a>, researchers used VRT on patients diagnosed with depression. They developed an 8-minute scenario in which 15 patients delivered compassion to a virtual body and then experienced receiving it from themselves in another virtual body. They repeated the scenarios three times.
Researchers reported “significant reductions in depression severity and self-criticism, as well as a significant increase in self-compassion, from baseline to a 4-week follow-up. Four patients showed clinically significant improvement.” While this trial is very small, there is reason to believe that VRT may have the potential to help patients heal from depression and anxiety.
The promising treatment is also being studied to treat other types of fears. A recent study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders reports that 45 percent of children with autism treated with VRT were freed from their fears and phobias—and that the treatment lasted.
Another study in JAMA Psychiatry found that adults with a fear of heights significantly reduced their symptoms in a fully self-guided treatment using virtual reality. Are you suffering from <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/aayushipratap/2021/03/23/virtual-reality-startup-raises-29-million-to-help-with-chronic-pain/?sh=3635caf519dd" title="https://www.forbes.com/sites/aayushipratap/2021/03/23/virtual-reality-startup-raises-29-million-to-help-with-chronic-pain/?sh=3635caf519dd" data-renderer-mark="true">chronic pain</a> or have a fear of <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/10/031031062843.htm" title="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/10/031031062843.htm" data-renderer-mark="true">spiders</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029152047.htm" title="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029152047.htm" data-renderer-mark="true">driving</a>, or <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12556117/" title="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12556117/" data-renderer-mark="true">public speaking</a>? VRT can help.
<h2 id="Codazen-Solutions:-Supporting-VRT-Technologies" data-renderer-start-pos="3975">Codazen Solutions: Supporting VRT Technologies</h2>
Innovative technologies, <a href="https://blog.codazen.com/virtual-reality-travel-is-ready-for-takeoff" title="https://blog.codazen.com/virtual-reality-travel-is-ready-for-takeoff" data-renderer-mark="true">like virtual reality</a>, are expanding into many industries and mental health is only one of them.
VR therapies are successful when they have well-built software and <a href="https://blog.codazen.com/nlp-helps-doctors-save-more-than-just-time" title="https://blog.codazen.com/nlp-helps-doctors-save-more-than-just-time" data-renderer-mark="true">digital tools to help clinicians effectively treat patients</a>. Codazen helps companies using VR technologies to develop, create, and sustain their digital capabilities. We build websites and digital products that can help organizations keep their VR therapy technologies aligned with their mission.
We understand what it takes to sustain the technology and leverage its capabilities. Our teams of designers, engineers, and product managers have embedded with global brands at the helm of VR to help them succeed in their digital products.
Codazen Labs works with<a href="https://www.codazen.com/labs/" title="https://www.codazen.com/labs/" data-renderer-mark="true"> innovative technologies. </a>We know how they're transforming our everyday lives and the way we approach our mental health.
<a href="https://www.codazen.com/contact/" title="https://www.codazen.com/contact/" data-renderer-mark="true">Contact us</a> to find out how we can help elevate your brand with virtual reality.

Virtual reality therapy is providing clients with effective and long-lasting treatments.

large_40A1879E-11B8-45CD-91E9-0C4E05FEBDC5_1_105_c.jpeg

medium_40A1879E-11B8-45CD-91E9-0C4E05FEBDC5_1_105_c.jpeg

small_40A1879E-11B8-45CD-91E9-0C4E05FEBDC5_1_105_c.jpeg

thumbnail_40A1879E-11B8-45CD-91E9-0C4E05FEBDC5_1_105_c.jpeg

Virtual Reality Is Helping Heal Traumas

Imagine a future where you can try on clothes without even touching them. A tomorrow where you won’t need to buy three different sizes online to figure out the perfect fit, only to return two of the sizes. That tomorrow is already here.
Augmented reality (AR) is revolutionizing how we shop for clothes. According to a 2019 <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/617470695/npr-marist-poll-amazon-is-a-colossus-in-a-nation-of-shoppers" title="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/617470695/npr-marist-poll-amazon-is-a-colossus-in-a-nation-of-shoppers" data-renderer-mark="true">NPR/Marist Poll</a>, 84% of online shoppers have purchased clothes or shoes from a digital retailer. With hundreds of big-box retail stores having closed their doors for good, the fallout has opened the door wider for shoppers to spend money online.
It’s no wonder that emerging technologies, like AR, are finding a stronger niche in consumers looking for at-home retail therapy. This rising trend will transform the customer journey and decrease return rates, which has been a constant pain point for retailers.
<h2 id="The-Right-Fit:-Expectation-vs.-Reality" data-renderer-start-pos="1019">The Right Fit: Expectation vs. Reality</h2>
We’ve all been there: those pants that looked great on the model chopped us in half in real life. Online shopping is a tug of war between expectation and reality. It can be fraught with uncertainty as we purchase clothes based on how we project ourselves onto a 2D image. But with AR, online shoppers can see whether those trendy harem pants or neon orange socks are bad ideas before buying them.
Augmented reality apps on phones and tablets allow users to scan a 3D image of their body and face, or take videos and photos of themselves to upload onto a retailer’s website. By capturing image data of a <a href="https://streetfightmag.com/2020/05/12/augmented-reality-for-ecommerce-the-why-and-the-how/#.XtGhZZ5Kj6A" title="https://streetfightmag.com/2020/05/12/augmented-reality-for-ecommerce-the-why-and-the-how/#.XtGhZZ5Kj6A" data-renderer-mark="true">customer’s measurements</a>, AR apps can reproduce an accurate silhouette of the user, making it easy to virtually try on clothes and find the perfect fit.
And it’s not just for clothing. Online jewelry retailer Kollectin’s app provides an augmented reality feature that lets customers <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/10/23/238473/augmented-reality-in-retail-virtual-try-before-you-buy/" title="https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/10/23/238473/augmented-reality-in-retail-virtual-try-before-you-buy/" data-renderer-mark="true">try on jewelry</a> through their device.
Need a pair of glasses but can’t make it out to a shop? Eyeglass maker Warby Parker’s AR app lets you try on frames before making a purchase. The glasses are rendered on a person’s face in live 3D, so potential customers can turn their heads to see how the glasses look from various angles.
Seeing how products fit go all the way down to your feet. Luxury brand <a href="https://venturebeat.com/2019/06/26/guccis-ios-app-lets-you-try-shoes-on-remotely-in-ar/" title="https://venturebeat.com/2019/06/26/guccis-ios-app-lets-you-try-shoes-on-remotely-in-ar/" data-renderer-mark="true">Gucci’s Ace sneakers</a> collection uses an augmented reality app that lets users see how shoes look on their feet just by pointing the phone’s camera down. The app tracks movements so customers can walk around to get a sense of style, just like what shoppers commonly do in brick-and-mortar stores.
In 2019, 100 million people used <a href="https://observer.com/2020/02/augmented-reality-retailers-asos-gap-smart-mirrors-mobile-apps/" title="https://observer.com/2020/02/augmented-reality-retailers-asos-gap-smart-mirrors-mobile-apps/" data-renderer-mark="true">augmented reality technology</a> to try on clothes and accessories while shopping for new outfits. According to market research firm IDC, the <a href="https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS45679219" title="https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS45679219" data-renderer-mark="true">retail sector</a> is expected to spend $1.5 billion dollars on AR/VR technology in 2020.

![A18DCE52-410E-4247-93DC-248B5B51A58E.jpeg](https://codazen-website-cms-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/A18_DCE_52_410_E_4247_93_DC_248_B5_B51_A58_E_21a3ef371b.jpeg)

Source: <a href="http://shutterstock.com/" title="http://Shutterstock.com" data-renderer-mark="true">Shutterstock.com</a>
<h2 id="The-Expensive-Costs-of-Free-Returns" data-renderer-start-pos="2933">The Expensive Costs of Free Returns</h2>
One of the biggest financial downsides of e-commerce is returns. It’s a burden to the consumer, retailer and environment.
According to a <a href="https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2020/05/augmented-reality-can-improve-online-shopping-study-finds" title="https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2020/05/augmented-reality-can-improve-online-shopping-study-finds" data-renderer-mark="true">Cornell University</a> research team, online shoppers tend to practice “bracket shopping,” which is ordering multiple sizes and colors of an item with the intent of sending back the ones that don’t fit correctly or aren’t the right color. Fatma Baytar, Assistant Professor in the Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design at Cornell, says that “bracket purchases increase shelving and shipping costs.” She’s hoping that AR tech, with its ability to help online shoppers accurately and confidently confirm size and fit, will be able to reduce these costs.
VNTANA, a 3D design company, found that AR <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2020/05/29/three-ways-technology-can-help-save-retailers/#5e702d8e61a3" title="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2020/05/29/three-ways-technology-can-help-save-retailers/#5e702d8e61a3" data-renderer-mark="true">decreases returns</a> from online shopping purchases by 40%. And when <a href="https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2020/05/augmented-reality-can-improve-online-shopping-study-finds" title="https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2020/05/augmented-reality-can-improve-online-shopping-study-finds" data-renderer-mark="true">online shoppers</a> return 70% of the clothing they order, a 40% drop is significant. This would drastically help <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/13/returned-goods-are-a-problem-for-retailers-resellers-are-cashing-in.html" title="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/13/returned-goods-are-a-problem-for-retailers-resellers-are-cashing-in.html" data-renderer-mark="true">online clothing retailers</a> like Revolve, which made $400 million dollars in net sales in 2017, but incurred $385 million in cost for returns.
A 2019 <a href="https://see.narvar.com/2019-09-GLO-WebContent-Consumer-Report-Returns_2019-Report-The-State-of-Online-Returns-EN---PDF-LP.html" title="https://see.narvar.com/2019-09-GLO-WebContent-Consumer-Report-Returns_2019-Report-The-State-of-Online-Returns-EN---PDF-LP.html" data-renderer-mark="true">Consumer Report</a> by customer experience platform Narvar shows that 48% of U.S. consumers bracket their online purchases, with Gen Z shoppers incurring the most costs at 71% and Baby Boomers the least at 36%. With numbers like that, bracket shopping is hurting retailers.
The environment is also taking a hit. Trucks delivering items to your house only to pick them up at a later date increases the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere with each trip. In 2016, for the first time since 1979, <a href="https://www.vox.com/2016/6/13/11911798/emissions-electricity-versus-transportation" title="https://www.vox.com/2016/6/13/11911798/emissions-electricity-versus-transportation" data-renderer-mark="true">transportation overtook power plants</a> as the number one producer of carbon dioxide emissions.
According to Sharon Cullinane, a Professor of Industrial and Financial Management and Logistics at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, “the returned goods make journeys of thousands of miles” with most <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/online-shopping-carbon-footprint-1.4914942" title="https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/online-shopping-carbon-footprint-1.4914942" data-renderer-mark="true">returned items</a> not directly going back to a local store, but being shipped for processing in another country where labor is cheaper. Or worse, to a landfill.
With 3.5 billion products being returned each year in America, 5 billion pounds of those returned items <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/02/as-americans-send-back-millions-of-holiday-gifts-theres-a-hidden-environmental-cost" title="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/02/as-americans-send-back-millions-of-holiday-gifts-theres-a-hidden-environmental-cost" data-renderer-mark="true">end up in landfills</a>. This waste pumps 15 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
A decrease in bracketing through AR fitting would not only save retailers money on return shipping, but lessen the negative impact on the environment.

![1A5E6CDB-338E-4621-BF2C-426C0F965177.jpeg](https://codazen-website-cms-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/1_A5_E6_CDB_338_E_4621_BF_2_C_426_C0_F965177_2667909471.jpeg)

Source: <a href="http://shutterstock.com/" title="http://Shutterstock.com" data-renderer-mark="true">Shutterstock.com</a>
<h2 id="Augmented-Advertising" data-renderer-start-pos="5391">Augmented Advertising</h2>
In 2019, the <a href="https://www.voguebusiness.com/technology/forced-cancellations-remote-working-jumpstart-virtual-vr-ar-fashion-technology" title="https://www.voguebusiness.com/technology/forced-cancellations-remote-working-jumpstart-virtual-vr-ar-fashion-technology" data-renderer-mark="true">London College of Fashion</a> livestreamed its Womenswear Show in augmented reality. Broadcasting to each remote viewer’s smartphone made it seem as though the models were walking in the viewer’s own living room. With this technology, celebrity brand ambassadors can promote new clothing lines by appearing right next to a potential customer’s couch.
The fashion show is part of a growing trend: fashion advertisers are embracing AR to reach their audience with next-gen tech.
E-commerce fashion retailer Asos has been using an AR system to <a href="https://www.thedrum.com/news/2020/05/18/asos-using-ar-promote-and-sell-fresh-products-lockdown" title="https://www.thedrum.com/news/2020/05/18/asos-using-ar-promote-and-sell-fresh-products-lockdown" data-renderer-mark="true">promote new products</a> since last year. The “See My Fit” tool digitally fits models with new clothes, providing multiple images of garments digitally mapped onto the model with different sizes, cuts and fits to ensure product presentation is as realistic as possible.
Shopify found that when potential customers view products in AR, <a href="https://www.voguebusiness.com/technology/fashion-beauty-brands-taking-ar-seriously" title="https://www.voguebusiness.com/technology/fashion-beauty-brands-taking-ar-seriously" data-renderer-mark="true">conversion rates increase</a> by up to 250%. Global fashion brand Rebecca Minkoff reports that visitors on its site who interacted with a 3D model of an item were 44% more likely to add that item to their cart and 27% more likely to actually place an order.
<a href="https://www.mobilemarketer.com/news/nike-aims-phones-at-the-sky-in-search-for-sneaker-shaped-ar-cloud/577523/" title="https://www.mobilemarketer.com/news/nike-aims-phones-at-the-sky-in-search-for-sneaker-shaped-ar-cloud/577523/" data-renderer-mark="true">Nike took AR advertising</a> to the sky to promote its Air Max 2090 sneakers. As part of its mobile campaign, Nike urged customers to point their phones up to find an augmented reality cloud in the shape of the Air Max sneaker to unlock exclusive content. Luiza Baffa, Strategy and Business Innovation Director at digital agency AKQA, talks about the AR cloud advertisement:
<blockquote>
For times like this, people are eager for something different. But most of the brands remain doing the same advertisement formula and delivering content in the same way as always. So we understood that we should surprise the consumer. How can we deliver content in a way that also responded to people's expectation on innovation and newness? And that was how the idea came. The interaction changes the way of how people connect and relate themselves with the content.
</blockquote>
This wasn’t Nike’s only play in the AR advertising game. During the 2019 Christmas season, the sportswear giant ran its <a href="https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2020/05/06/always-ar-changing-the-game-retail" title="https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2020/05/06/always-ar-changing-the-game-retail" data-renderer-mark="true">AR Gifting campaign</a> where consumers could use their phones to shoot hoops in Nike’s Augmented Reality Basketball Game to unlock prizes, boosting NikePlus Membership and brand experience.
As AR technology evolves and gives consumers increasingly accurate renderings of digital objects in physical spaces, the greater benefit AR marketing can provide to brands. From clothing and accessories to fashion models and footwear, augmented reality has the potential to transform the shopping experience. AR can help retailers better connect to their customers and empower shoppers to make more informed and accurate purchase decisions.
At <a href="https://www.codazen.com/labs" title="https://www.codazen.com/labs" data-renderer-mark="true">Codazen Labs</a>, our designers and engineers know how to maximize the power of AR technology. <a href="https://www.codazen.com/contact/" title="https://www.codazen.com/contact/" data-renderer-mark="true">Contact us</a> to learn more about how we can leverage augmented reality for your business.

Augmented Reality can help department stores and online retailers increase ROI and connect with consumers while decreasing costs.

large_FABC4D52-83D8-40A2-96D4-52055228E155.jpeg

medium_FABC4D52-83D8-40A2-96D4-52055228E155.jpeg

small_FABC4D52-83D8-40A2-96D4-52055228E155.jpeg

thumbnail_FABC4D52-83D8-40A2-96D4-52055228E155.jpeg

Augmented Reality Drives Bottom-Line Results for Retailers

Any other year, we would’ve been packing up the sunblock, panama hat and flip flops without a second thought. This year though, as the weather heats up and we head into summer, a lot of us will be staying local.

But what if you could look out at sandy white beaches and hear the waves breaking while sitting on your couch? What if you could bathe in the sunshine all day without worrying about a sunburn?
Virtual travel could make this a reality.
<h2 id="Covid-19-Hits-the-Travel-Industry-Hard" style="font-weight: normal;">Covid-19 Hits the Travel Industry Hard</h2>
With medical authorities advocating for social distancing and warning against nonessential travel to curb the spread of Covid-19, airlines have taken a huge hit. According to the <a href="https://www.apmresearchlab.org/covid/tsa-screenings" title="https://www.apmresearchlab.org/covid/tsa-screenings">Transportation Security Administration</a>, the number of travelers at U.S. airports decreased by more than 93% in March.
In that same month, with a majority of the population under some form of lockdown and unable to go anywhere, travel <a href="https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/travel-advertising-down-90-percent-march/" title="https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/travel-advertising-down-90-percent-march/">advertising fell by 90%</a>.
But travel isn’t dead.
Even after the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/s0409-modifications-extension-no-sail-ships.html" title="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/s0409-modifications-extension-no-sail-ships.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> issued and extended a No Sail Order for cruise liners due to the rapid spread of coronavirus on ships, cruises for August are already booked. <a href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/austin/news/2020/05/12/cruise-bookings-surge-as-companies-announce-plans-to-set-sail-" title="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/austin/news/2020/05/12/cruise-bookings-surge-as-companies-announce-plans-to-set-sail-">Carnival Cruise Lines</a> reported a 600% surge in bookings after their August relaunch was announced.
While the desire to go on vacation is there, the safety may not be.
<h2 id="VR-Alternatives:-Travel-by-Staying-In" style="font-weight: normal;">VR Alternatives: Travel by Staying In</h2>
Virtual reality helps solve the safety dilemma. It lets you be in the middle of the action without having to actually be there.
When Covid-19 canceled Finland’s regular May Day celebrations, a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonchandler/2020/05/05/virtual-reality-concert-in-helsinki-attracts-over-1-million-spectators/#7610c0e12812" title="https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonchandler/2020/05/05/virtual-reality-concert-in-helsinki-attracts-over-1-million-spectators/#7610c0e12812">virtual reality concert</a> was held in Helsinki instead. More than 700,000 Finns along with 700,000 “virtual tourists” from around the globe attended the virtual concert. Some 150,000 viewers even created virtual avatars. Although they couldn’t physically be there, they could still share in the experience.
Japan is also embracing the stay-at-home-but-still-have-fun mantra. <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/05/05/national/hot-spring-inns-onsen-virtual-coronavirus-tourism/#.XsMHpxNKjkI" title="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/05/05/national/hot-spring-inns-onsen-virtual-coronavirus-tourism/#.XsMHpxNKjkI">Arima Onsen</a>, one of the oldest hot springs in Japan, is offering virtual reality videos so viewers can wear VR headsets and pretend they’re at the famous tourist attraction while sitting in their own bathtub. Hot Spring owner Kazushige Kanai says:
<blockquote>
We’ve seen the number of visitors dwindling, but we can’t ask people to come under the current circumstances. So we decided to change our message, to ‘stay home and relax.’ We want people all over the world to enjoy Arima Onsen and ease their fatigue from the battle against the coronavirus.
</blockquote>
Feeling uneasy about crowds but have always wanted to see a national park? No worries. You can take a solo virtual rafting trip through the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtour.htm" title="https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtour.htm">Grand Canyon</a> or a virtual hike to Phantom Ranch. Bummed about your canceled vacation to France? You can still immerse yourself in the <a href="https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne?nrppage=15" title="https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne?nrppage=15">Louvre’s exhibits</a> by taking a virtual reality tour around the museum. You’ll be able to see Egyptian antiques, the Louvre’s moat and famous paintings while never having to leave the comfort of your living room.
&nbsp;

![Woman using VR headset](https://codazen-website-cms-uploads.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/woman_using_vr_headset_88a6b75b92.jpg)

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@jeshoots?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" title="https://unsplash.com/@jeshoots?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">JESHOOTS.COM</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/virtual-reality?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText" title="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/virtual-reality?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>
<h2 id="Benefits-of-VR-Marketing:-Try-It-Before-You-Buy-It" style="font-weight: normal;">Benefits of VR Marketing: Try It Before You Buy It</h2>
Virtual reality is helpful not just for going on a trip when you can’t, but for planning a trip when you finally can.
Although VR marketing has been around for some time, the pandemic has changed it from a nice touch to a necessity.
With Covid-19 slowing travel, the <a href="https://www.lbbonline.com/news/why-virtual-reality-may-be-the-saviour-of-the-travel-and-tourism-industry" title="https://www.lbbonline.com/news/why-virtual-reality-may-be-the-saviour-of-the-travel-and-tourism-industry">World Travel and Tourism Council</a> (WTTC) is asking governments around the globe to help protect the industry. One of the WTTC’s ideas to encourage tourism is increasing the promotional budgets for travel destinations. This is where VR marketing can shine.
3D excites the sense of sight more so than 2D and that spark of excitement can lead to more vacations being booked.
Savvy travelers usually scrutinize hotel descriptions and images, poring over customer reviews before booking a vacation. By using virtual reality apps, <a href="https://www.revfine.com/virtual-reality-travel-industry/" title="https://www.revfine.com/virtual-reality-travel-industry/">hotels and travel companies</a> can provide these potential travelers a VR tour of the hotel — an experience that can offer more transparency than standard static photos.
Tourism businesses can also use virtual reality to let prospective customers sample attractions to draw them to a particular destination. For example, a resort in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbq6IQglHKM&amp;feature=youtu.be" title="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbq6IQglHKM&amp;feature=youtu.be">Barbados</a> can provide a virtual taste of the nearby beaches, or a hotel in Tokyo can give a glimpse of a local <a href="https://sfree.life/tour-the-cherry-blossom-festivals-in-japan-through-vr-free/" title="https://sfree.life/tour-the-cherry-blossom-festivals-in-japan-through-vr-free/">cherry blossom festival</a>.
John C. Graham, President of <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/solrogers/2020/03/18/virtual-reality-and-tourism-whats-already-happening-is-it-the-future/#2ecab1ce28a6" title="https://www.forbes.com/sites/solrogers/2020/03/18/virtual-reality-and-tourism-whats-already-happening-is-it-the-future/#2ecab1ce28a6">Travel World VR</a>, says he foresees “VR videos becoming the ultimate tool for travel advisors and meeting and incentive planners. This is about creating a new kind of sizzle that will dramatically increase sales.”
Echoing this sentiment, Norm Rose, a Senior Technology Analyst at travel market research company Phocuswright, believes travel agencies should be preparing for life after Covid-19 by <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/02/coronavirus-could-be-catalyst-to-reinvigorate-virtual-reality-headsets.html" title="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/02/coronavirus-could-be-catalyst-to-reinvigorate-virtual-reality-headsets.html">investing in virtual reality technology</a> to help potential travelers plan for and get excited about real vacations.
Rose says, “If I were a major travel company, I would be cutting deals with equipment manufacturers to get headsets into consumers’ hands.”
And VR marketing isn’t just limited to hotels and destinations. It can also be used for airlines, showing <a href="https://toomanyadapters.com/vr-travel/" title="https://toomanyadapters.com/vr-travel/">prospective travelers</a> a glimpse of their plane:
<blockquote>
Even before booking a flight, passengers will get the chance to explore the actual aircraft they’d be boarding, see the layout, and choose a seat. ... In-flight VR could also offer virtual maps of the destination airport, helping travelers get their bearings before landing rather than having to run around looking for a connecting gate or onward transport.
</blockquote>
VR marketing can entice the travel-shy to say “yes!” to adventure. It can give would-be travelers a taste of the king-sized bed they’ll be flopping into at a luxury hotel or a 360-degree view of Machu Picchu.
At a time when the farthest most of us travel is to our mailbox, VR can be the entertaining escape we need. One day, we will emerge from the pandemic into a world hungry once more for travel. Until then, airlines, hotels and other tourism industry organizations should be readying themselves with VR marketing.
At Codazen Labs, our designers and engineers are leveraging innovative VR technology. <a href="https://www.codazen.com/labs/" title="https://www.codazen.com/labs/">Learn more</a> about how we work with immersive experiences for web, mobile, and virtual reality.

Could virtual reality marketing save travel?

Blog

Virtual Reality Is Helping Heal Traumas

By Aly Lischer / January 04, 2022

Categories

All

Marketing

Immersive Experiences

Data Science

UX

Business

Culture

Tech

Strategy

Categories

Immersive Experiences

By Gwenever Pacifico / November 19, 2020

By Gwenever Pacifico / June 17, 2020

How can we elevate your brand experience?

Orange County

Salt Lake City