Travelers flying from New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, India, are invited to enjoy a relaxing backwater houseboat cruise in Kerala, in the south of the country, via a new 3D virtual reality display. Kerala Tourism has created The Great Backwater Experience zone in the departure lounge of Terminal 3, just before the security point, with an interactive show that lasts for two minutes.
There is a life-size houseboat installation at the airport, into which travelers step and put on an Oculus Rift VR headset, enabling them to view a film shot using 360° technology. The film captures every sight and sound of the Kerala backwaters, including the rippling water, and the birds and fish, with a spectacular sunset in the distance.
Passengers are then invited to tweet about their experience, using the campaign hashtag, #Greatbackwaters, with a machine dispensing postcards that will have the tweet written on the back. Similar displays are planned for airports in Mumbai and Bengaluru.
UV Jose, Kerala tourism director, said, “The zone is up and functional at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi and visitors can get an immersive experience of sitting inside a ‘Kettuvellam’, the traditional Kerala houseboat, floating on tranquil backwaters in a place situated over 2,000km away. This has been made possible through the innovative use of virtual reality.”