At Google I/O 2023, we introduced a partnership with Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to create “Merli’s Immersive Journey”: an augmented actuality (AR) guided tour of Singapore’s landmarks and greatest hidden secrets and techniques. This modern AR tour, powered by Google’s ARCore and Geospatial Creator, is accessible within the Go to Singapore Journey Information app.
STB has expanded to much more landmarks across the metropolis with interactive AR experiences to kick off the 2024 journey season. AR makes it simpler for vacationers to find new sights, and supplies a richer understanding of Singapore by immersive storytelling. More and more, AR and comparable applied sciences have grow to be notably in style within the journey business. “STB actively seems for potential tourism use circumstances in rising applied sciences like Prolonged Actuality (XR),” says Simon Ang, the STB Director for The Collaboratory. “We’ll all the time be open to piloting new applied sciences to create novel experiences for guests, and are excited to be working with Google to pioneer this motion.”
On this newest launch, Singapore’s tourism mascot, Merli, guides vacationers by six stops within the in style tourism precincts of Singapore’s Civic District and Chinatown. Via a mixture of historic, cultural and culinary experiences, each vacationers and residents alike can discover and be taught extra about these areas. For example, vacationers can go to Singapore’s first-ever publish workplace at what’s now the Fullerton Resort — and even ship a digital postcard to their associates or household. On the Nice Emporium cease, they will marvel at a life-sized bumboat delivered to life in AR and be taught concerning the significance of the Singapore River for the town and its folks. Merli additionally uncovers hidden spots just like the Peranakan Tile Gallery, a neighborhood Chinatown enterprise that sells tiles salvaged from demolished shophouses. And at Maxwell Meals Centre, the interactive AR map of the favored meals spot presents suggestions for must-try hawker dishes, serving to first-time guests visually navigate the huge vary of meals choices.
