More than fifteen years after the launch of the iPhone in 2007, Apple's 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference was welcome news to a devout community of technology aficionados, many of whom have been waiting years for the 'next big announcement'. So what was the big reveal? The Apple Vision Pro.
As we look towards the tail-end of 2023, you might be forgiven for overlooking what may be one of the most exciting consumer technology announcements of the last two decades. Apple's announcement in June was made in the midst of multiple pressing global environmental, economic and geopolitical crises, all of which have severe and urgent implications for tourism and the planet. Whilst somewhat less cataclysmic in nature, Apple's announcement is nonetheless a defining development in how we might expect to experience the world around us in the not-so-distant future.
More than fifteen years after the launch of the iPhone in 2007, Apple's 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference was welcome news to a devout community of technology aficionados, many of whom have been waiting years for the 'next big announcement'. So what was the big reveal? The Apple Vision Pro.
Having spent more than a decade covering digital trends and innovation in tourism, this stands apart as one of the more exciting developments in recent times. With an eye-watering 'starting' price of $3,499, it is set to be an expensive game changer in the consumer electronics space and an eagerly anticipated development in the mixed reality world. With it, comes 'the era of spatial computing', a new dawn for digital technologies, offering yet another dimension alongside the likes of big data and artificial intelligence.
The potential harnessed in advanced computing, augmented reality and virtual reality all come together in a truly unique single immersive experience. This is enabled by Vision Pro, a highly advanced piece of wearable technology with a dizzying array of sensors, driven by a custom interface running on its own 'spatial operating system', VisionOS. It is what Apple define as an 'infinite spatial canvas to explore, experiment and play, giving you the freedom to completely rethink your experience in 3D'. Its potential application in the tourism industry, as with other industries, is set to be truly transformative.
If you think back to the impact that mobile usage and social media have had on tourism over the past two decades, try to imagine the possibilities looking forward at how disruptive and transformative immersive technologies might become. At more than $3,000, Apple's Vision Pro is unlikely to become as mainstream as the iPhone is today, but it will certainly become the poster child for an era of spatial computing, from which a flurry of more affordable and accessible creations will pave the way for entirely new digital and real-world experiences, which stretch our imagination as to what is currently possible.
If our relationship with 'digital lived experiences' is set to be redefined once again, for tourism, we need to develop the strategic capacity to be able to consider how to navigate this changing space. It is incumbent upon us to be able to consider the potential impact, the likely disruption, the opportunities yet to be realised and where such developments might present solutions to challenges we currently battle with. We also need to use the wisdom coming from two decades of rapid digitalisation to avoid making the same mistakes and pitfalls of the past, when exploring new opportunities. Knee-jerk reactions to technology, or just doing tech for tech's sake have never worked and we all know the term 'we need an app'.
For the moment, we can only extend our curiosity to imagining 'how might we?' and when the time is right, setting up controlled experiments to explore these questions and better understand the possibilities and implications.
So for now, let's stick to imagining. This is where we'll be keeping a close eye on what might become in the future.
We understand the importance of content experiences in an always-on digital world and we've seen a continual evolution when it comes to styles, formats, trends and perspectives. Google's 'hero, hub, hygiene' content framework has for many years given us structure and a strategic way of thinking about building interest in a brand and turning that into a conversion - applicable across any platform. These principles will surely still apply in a three-dimensional digital environment, albeit supercharging that 'top-of-funnel brand discovery' in a way which is truly mind-blowing.
If you've ever had the chance to try a premium VR experience, you might already have a hint of how amazing this can be. Now imagine that, but wearing a headset which is somehow ultra-comfortable, naturally enjoyable and used truly as an extension of your physical and digital self. Imagine being able to put yourself right in the scene, to choose to what extent you let in the real or virtual world, bringing your senses to life whether you find yourself walking in a busy (virtual) metropolis or exploring the far reaches of Greenland with a local as your guide.
These brand experiences might become the most powerful yet in persuading you to go, but they might also be so incredible that your conversion - that decision to go - is an entirely digital experience, bringing visitor spend, without the footprint. In a world defined by the climate crisis, could the hyper-real digital experience become a better model of tourism?
From brand to experience, it is surely not impossible to consider the prospect of hyper-real digital experiences ultimately replacing real-world experiences in tourism. As governments commit to net zero, this might also cease to be a choice before long, or in particularly delicate ecosystems.
When we think of tourism today, we can already see the profound impact of digital technologies on the way in which we experience places. From audio guides to AR trails and rich interpretive guided visits made incredible with native companion apps, technology is now intertwined with how we experience the world around us. Despite some well-documented drawbacks, tourism has on the whole benefited from digital transformation.
So what opportunities might we imagine if we throw spatial computing into the mix? If you can think back to the awe and spectacle of a tour group exploring a city on Segways, picture that same group walking around the city wearing Apple Vision Pros. It may be hard to see it right now, but sometimes oddities when it comes to consumer tech trends can be surprising. We all baulked at the sight of AirPods at first and today we don't blink an eye. On the other hand, some of us might remember Google Glass and that just didn't take off.
Perhaps one day we'll see the launch of a Vision SE, a nod to Apple's budget-friendly edition of the iPhone, as a truly mainstream step in the XR space. To begin with, however, think about a premium visitor experience, with willingly paying customers booking XR-enhanced tours and guided visits. Whilst the price tag may seem prohibitive, it's an investment that might easily pay for itself in the medium-term for any future-minded visitor attraction or start-up.
When we think about sustainable tourism, it is important to remember that sustainability issues concern not only the climate crisis, but also the importance of biodiversity, cultural sensitivity and of course finding 'balance' in tourism activities, so that its pressures can be better managed.
Imagine if the most sensitive hotspots can be protected entirely and locals can be brought into the experience without being exploited. Imagine if a deeper layer of understanding and interpretation can be translated through highly experiential interactions, helping visitors understand the potential impact of their visit, both positive and negative, whilst not disturbing sensitive ecosystems or exploiting local cultures in an insensitive manner.
There are of course so many possibilities to imagine, not only in how we might immerse ourselves in rich multi-dimensional experiences, but also how we might interact with them virtually and in real life.
Ultimately, our ability to succeed in this new era of spatial computing will depend on harnessing the right soft skills to apply empathy, so that users are considered at every point in the process. Our creative strength comes from our capacity as individuals with different lived experiences, but also as storytellers, to translate those experiences. These will become the keys to our ability to succeed as they have been with every technological development that came before this.
What new opportunities do you see opening up for tourism in a new era of spatial computing? Let us know, we'd love to explore this together.
As we look towards the tail-end of 2023, you might be forgiven for overlooking what may be one of the most exciting consumer technology announcements of the last two decades. Apple's announcement in June was made in the midst of multiple pressing global environmental, economic and geopolitical crises, all of which have severe and urgent implications for tourism and the planet. Whilst somewhat less cataclysmic in nature, Apple's announcement is nonetheless a defining development in how we might expect to experience the world around us in the not-so-distant future.
More than fifteen years after the launch of the iPhone in 2007, Apple's 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference was welcome news to a devout community of technology aficionados, many of whom have been waiting years for the 'next big announcement'. So what was the big reveal? The Apple Vision Pro.
Having spent more than a decade covering digital trends and innovation in tourism, this stands apart as one of the more exciting developments in recent times. With an eye-watering 'starting' price of $3,499, it is set to be an expensive game changer in the consumer electronics space and an eagerly anticipated development in the mixed reality world. With it, comes 'the era of spatial computing', a new dawn for digital technologies, offering yet another dimension alongside the likes of big data and artificial intelligence.
The potential harnessed in advanced computing, augmented reality and virtual reality all come together in a truly unique single immersive experience. This is enabled by Vision Pro, a highly advanced piece of wearable technology with a dizzying array of sensors, driven by a custom interface running on its own 'spatial operating system', VisionOS. It is what Apple define as an 'infinite spatial canvas to explore, experiment and play, giving you the freedom to completely rethink your experience in 3D'. Its potential application in the tourism industry, as with other industries, is set to be truly transformative.
If you think back to the impact that mobile usage and social media have had on tourism over the past two decades, try to imagine the possibilities looking forward at how disruptive and transformative immersive technologies might become. At more than $3,000, Apple's Vision Pro is unlikely to become as mainstream as the iPhone is today, but it will certainly become the poster child for an era of spatial computing, from which a flurry of more affordable and accessible creations will pave the way for entirely new digital and real-world experiences, which stretch our imagination as to what is currently possible.
If our relationship with 'digital lived experiences' is set to be redefined once again, for tourism, we need to develop the strategic capacity to be able to consider how to navigate this changing space. It is incumbent upon us to be able to consider the potential impact, the likely disruption, the opportunities yet to be realised and where such developments might present solutions to challenges we currently battle with. We also need to use the wisdom coming from two decades of rapid digitalisation to avoid making the same mistakes and pitfalls of the past, when exploring new opportunities. Knee-jerk reactions to technology, or just doing tech for tech's sake have never worked and we all know the term 'we need an app'.
For the moment, we can only extend our curiosity to imagining 'how might we?' and when the time is right, setting up controlled experiments to explore these questions and better understand the possibilities and implications.
So for now, let's stick to imagining. This is where we'll be keeping a close eye on what might become in the future.
We understand the importance of content experiences in an always-on digital world and we've seen a continual evolution when it comes to styles, formats, trends and perspectives. Google's 'hero, hub, hygiene' content framework has for many years given us structure and a strategic way of thinking about building interest in a brand and turning that into a conversion - applicable across any platform. These principles will surely still apply in a three-dimensional digital environment, albeit supercharging that 'top-of-funnel brand discovery' in a way which is truly mind-blowing.
If you've ever had the chance to try a premium VR experience, you might already have a hint of how amazing this can be. Now imagine that, but wearing a headset which is somehow ultra-comfortable, naturally enjoyable and used truly as an extension of your physical and digital self. Imagine being able to put yourself right in the scene, to choose to what extent you let in the real or virtual world, bringing your senses to life whether you find yourself walking in a busy (virtual) metropolis or exploring the far reaches of Greenland with a local as your guide.
These brand experiences might become the most powerful yet in persuading you to go, but they might also be so incredible that your conversion - that decision to go - is an entirely digital experience, bringing visitor spend, without the footprint. In a world defined by the climate crisis, could the hyper-real digital experience become a better model of tourism?
From brand to experience, it is surely not impossible to consider the prospect of hyper-real digital experiences ultimately replacing real-world experiences in tourism. As governments commit to net zero, this might also cease to be a choice before long, or in particularly delicate ecosystems.
When we think of tourism today, we can already see the profound impact of digital technologies on the way in which we experience places. From audio guides to AR trails and rich interpretive guided visits made incredible with native companion apps, technology is now intertwined with how we experience the world around us. Despite some well-documented drawbacks, tourism has on the whole benefited from digital transformation.
So what opportunities might we imagine if we throw spatial computing into the mix? If you can think back to the awe and spectacle of a tour group exploring a city on Segways, picture that same group walking around the city wearing Apple Vision Pros. It may be hard to see it right now, but sometimes oddities when it comes to consumer tech trends can be surprising. We all baulked at the sight of AirPods at first and today we don't blink an eye. On the other hand, some of us might remember Google Glass and that just didn't take off.
Perhaps one day we'll see the launch of a Vision SE, a nod to Apple's budget-friendly edition of the iPhone, as a truly mainstream step in the XR space. To begin with, however, think about a premium visitor experience, with willingly paying customers booking XR-enhanced tours and guided visits. Whilst the price tag may seem prohibitive, it's an investment that might easily pay for itself in the medium-term for any future-minded visitor attraction or start-up.
When we think about sustainable tourism, it is important to remember that sustainability issues concern not only the climate crisis, but also the importance of biodiversity, cultural sensitivity and of course finding 'balance' in tourism activities, so that its pressures can be better managed.
Imagine if the most sensitive hotspots can be protected entirely and locals can be brought into the experience without being exploited. Imagine if a deeper layer of understanding and interpretation can be translated through highly experiential interactions, helping visitors understand the potential impact of their visit, both positive and negative, whilst not disturbing sensitive ecosystems or exploiting local cultures in an insensitive manner.
There are of course so many possibilities to imagine, not only in how we might immerse ourselves in rich multi-dimensional experiences, but also how we might interact with them virtually and in real life.
Ultimately, our ability to succeed in this new era of spatial computing will depend on harnessing the right soft skills to apply empathy, so that users are considered at every point in the process. Our creative strength comes from our capacity as individuals with different lived experiences, but also as storytellers, to translate those experiences. These will become the keys to our ability to succeed as they have been with every technological development that came before this.
What new opportunities do you see opening up for tourism in a new era of spatial computing? Let us know, we'd love to explore this together.
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