Tourism officials are using virtual reality technology to sell B.C. to the world.
Destination British Columbia has produced an interactive, 3D experience called The Wild Within, shot near the Great Bear Rainforest just off the northern tip of Vancouver Island with backpack mounted HD Go-Pro cameras and a hexacopter drone.
“It's like the real thing. There's incredible power and breathtaking beauty in British Columbia, and you get a really strong sense of that when you see it in 3D and a completely 360 immersive experience," said Marsha Walden, CEO of Destination British Columbia.
Viewers wear a special pair of 3D goggles, the Oculus Rift,to give the sense you are flying over the B.C. coastline. The experience is enhanced by the scent of pine and cedar.
The video offers the viewer a choice of two paths, one along the coastline and the other up in the alpine to explore waterfalls.
Destination B.C. spent about $500,000 creating the video and buying the 3D goggle technology.
It's one of the first tourism agencies in the world to develop a virtual reality experience for consumers.
Right now, the video is being shown to travel journalists around the world, but consumers will get a chance to experience it at a series of public events this year.
If you have a pair of Oculus Rift goggles, you can download the video from Destination B.C.’s website.
