Contiki takes on Thailand as its newest 360° VR destination

Image by Contiki

The digitally lead activation based around Contiki's new trip gives travellers the opportunity to see a more cultural, natural side of Thailand. Showcasing four diverse destinations (which form part of the Northern Thai Highlights trip), users experience the city life of Bangkok, the culture of Ayutthaya, the food of Chiang Mai and the natural beauty of Kanchanaburi, all brought to life through cinematic video and virtual reality.

Kelly Jackson, general manager for Contiki in South Africa, discusses the video activation's importance to challenge the misguided perceptions about Thailand: "The purpose of this campaign was to take our travellers deeper to show the cultural and natural side of Thailand. Contiki, on a global level, is delighted to be working in partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to drive awareness of this stunning region and our brand new Northern Thai Highlights trip using innovative, immersive content.”

Challenges and tips from the VR content-creation journey

Contiki’s in-house video team have previously created VR content on Latin American and USA offerings from the brand, capturing everything from the excitement of Time Square to the beauty of Machu Picchu. Taking on Thailand as their newest VR destination, expert video editor, Rachel-Kate Lloyd, highlights some of the challenges and tips from the VR content-creation journey through Northern Thailand:

1. Crowding and confined spacing: There can be complications in post-production if people get too close to the rig. Subjects can end up being cut in half in the video. I avoided this thanks to learnings from previous VR experiences and ensured the rig was given plenty of space.

2. One take: Unlike normal video you want to avoid multiple cuts as it's jarring for headset viewers to see jumps within virtual reality. This can be avoided by running through practice takes and making sure the subjects are solid on their lines.

3. 360° captures everything: This means when I’m filming, unless I’m hidden, I’ll be in the shot. Avoid ruining shots by making sure you’re fully hidden, or even double up as a background actor if needed.

Visit Contiki to enjoy the VR and cinematic videos.

In honour of this activation, Contiki is giving away 100 branded virtual reality headsets to millennials around the world. The headsets will be delivered via a social competition running throughout the month of March, allowing users to experience the joys of Thailand before purchasing the product. Contiki representatives will also be aided with VR sets at tradeshows, consumer shows, and road shows around the world, enabling millennials to gain a richer experience of all Contiki and Thailand have to offer. Jackson will showcase the best of Contiki’s VR at the upcoming World Travel Market (WTM) Africa in Cape Town in April.