How virtual time travel is set to attract new tourists - Uslar Launches Immersive XR Time Travel Tours to Revitalize City Center
Uslar city, nestled in the Solling region of Lower Saxony, has launched an innovative virtual time travel experience to attract new tourists and revitalize its city center. The city offers immersive tours using Extended Reality (XR) glasses, allowing visitors to explore its rich history in a unique and engaging way.
The Lower Saxony Heimatbund has welcomed this innovative approach to conveying historical knowledge, which is particularly appealing to younger generations. The virtual city tour begins at the Old Town Hall and includes 11 historical stations, not all of which are visited during a single tour. Participants can immerse themselves in history at these stations, thanks to 360-degree video and virtual reality technology.
Adding to the authenticity, former court architect Georg Ludwig Friedrich Laves appears virtually, sharing insights about the city's history. The target group for these tours is wide, catering to anyone from 13 years upwards, with group sizes limited to five participants. City guides, including Jürgen Fischer dressed as Duke Erich II, accompany visitors and are available to answer questions about the topics or the technology. The Uslar app also allows visitors to view certain scenes without XR glasses. While Uslar is currently the only city in Lower Saxony widely documented to use XR glasses for virtual time tourism, other locations in the region are exploring similar projects.
Uslar's innovative use of XR technology for virtual time travel is not only attracting new tourists but also revitalizing the city center. By offering immersive historical experiences, the city is successfully tapping into new target groups and showcasing its rich heritage in an engaging, modern way.
