Three-dimensional virtual tourism

Short description: Releastic 3D geovisualisation and navigation of virtual reality environments for purposes of exploring physical places in space and time without physically traveling there

3DVT (or 3D virtual tourism) is the realistic 3D geovisualisation of virtual environments, which allows the user to explore physical places without physical travel. 3DVT typically creates a virtual tour that uses 3D models and 2D panoramic images, a sequence of hyperlinked still or video images, and image-based models of the real world, with additional elements such as sound effects, music, narration, and text. As opposed to actual tourism, 3DVT is accessed on a smartphone or computer (typically over the Internet). It aims to evoke an experience of moving through the real place without actual travel.

Virtual tours

Virtual tours can be especially useful for universities and real-estate operators who want to attract students, tenants, and buyers, while eliminating the cost of travel to numerous locations. For these applications, 3DVT can be designed and constructed from 3D interactive mapping technologies, such as Google Earth or Virtual Earth or X3D Earth.

Virtual tours allow tourists to explore destinations before choosing a place to visit.

Historical virtual tourism

Historical virtual tourism platforms, such as Heritage Key, allow travellers to see historic sites as they were at many times in the past.

See also

• Telepresence
• Virtual Learning Environment