Singapore Tourism Board Partners with Snapchat to Enhance Visitor Experience
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has announced a strategic partnership with Snapchat to leverage Augmented Reality (AR) technology and enhance visitors’ experiences at popular tourist hotspots. This initiative goals to drive discovery of local shops and businesses amongst Snapchat’s vast audience base, which reaches over 75% of 13 to 34-year-olds in over 20 countries.
What to Expect from the Partnership
As a part of STB’s ambition to make Singapore "a living lab that powers the long run of travel," the partnership with Snapchat will introduce a variety of modern AR experiences. These experiences will enable visitors to explore Singapore’s tourist destinations in a complete recent way, using interactive AR content that brings the history and culture of the world to life.
Pilot Launch at Haji Lane
The pilot launch will happen at Haji Lane, a preferred tourist destination in Singapore. STB and Snapchat will unveil five AR experiences at the situation, utilizing Snapchat’s "Custom Location" lens technology. This technology allows users to explore the positioning in a singular and interactive way, with digital effects built upon existing, real-world infrastructure.
Interactive AR Experiences
Visitors can activate the AR Lenses by scanning a Snapcode (QR code) placed in front of every location through the Snapchat app. The experiences include:
- A mural on the facade of Piedra Negra, an area Mexican restaurant, which involves life offering fun facts about Haji Lane
- Trying on a batik dress from Utopia Apparels
- Playing a fun game at Drunken Balloon
- Having their palm read at Shalaby Sweets
- Expressing their mood at ‘I’m’ café
The Technology Behind the Experience
The lens experience was built by Snap Lens Network partner Gowaaa, a Singapore-based AR development team, using Snap’s AR creation tool, Lens Studio. This powerful application is designed for artists and developers to construct augmented reality experiences for Snapchatters.
Benefits of the Partnership
According to Wong Ming Fai, chief technology officer at STB, "travellers increasingly want greater than only a typical travel experience and are on the lookout for something unique, immersive and memorable." The partnership with Snapchat allows STB and tourism businesses to leverage Snap’s AR technology to supply visitors a brand new approach to explore Singapore, setting the country other than other destinations.
Future Plans
With over 250 million Snapchatters engaging with AR each day on average, Snapchat looks forward to seeing how visitors interact with these recent AR Lenses at Haji Lane and the way it may possibly be used to create more immersive, interactive experiences in the long run. STB welcomes each locals and visitors to participate and supply feedback on the pilot, allowing for continual innovation on such novel experiences.
Conclusion
The partnership between STB and Snapchat is an exciting development on this planet of tourism, offering visitors a singular and immersive experience in Singapore. With the pilot launch at Haji Lane, visitors can expect to explore the world in a complete recent way, using interactive AR content that brings the history and culture of the world to life. As the partnership continues to evolve, it’ll be interesting to see how AR technology is used to create more modern and interactive experiences for visitors in Singapore.
