Qantas in partnership with Hamilton Island will release a 3D virtual reality experience of the Great Barrier Reef and Hamilton Island, employing Samsung’s Gear VR headset.Qantas earlier in the year announced Gear VR headsets would be made available to customers on certain Qantas flights as part of a trial entertainment service, with the film to be available in select Qantas international lounges and flights from 27 June.
Qantas has partnered with Samsung and Rapid VR to produce the film.
“As one of the largest private investors in Australian tourism, we are constantly looking at different ways to showcase the wonderful destinations on our network,” Qantas Group executive, brand marketing and corporate affairs, Olivia Wirth commented.
“Our Virtual Reality headsets have already proven a hit with our customers in our lounges and on some of our international flights. It’s a fantastic way for us to give our customers a unique experience of the Great Barrier Reef and Hamilton Island, which we expect will translate into more people choosing to visit the Whitsundays for the next holiday destination.”
Qantas has additionally announced it will increase the number of flights between Hamilton Island and Brisbane.
“As the ultimate Great Barrier Reef holiday destination, we welcome Qantas bringing more passengers from Brisbane, which is an important market for us,” commented Hamilton Island chief executive officer Glenn Bourke.
“Certainly, we have seen a new level of interest in the Great Barrier Reef from our guests – domestic and international – in the past 12 months, and I’m sure the Great Barrier Reef virtual vision we’ve created with Qantas will inspire many more to visit given the remarkable visual effects.”
Qantas has been showcasing the Gear VR headsets, which work in conjunction with the Galaxy Note 4 smartphone, in its first class lounges in Sydney and Melbourne and on select Airbus A380 flights between Australia and Los Angeles in the first class cabin.
