TAMPA, Fla — Let’s say you were planning a vacation. How cool would it be if you could zoom through a 3D rendering of the city you were heading to?
Well, that’s a reality in the Tampa Bay area, where a new tourism tool is now available, and experts hope it will tempt even more people to head our way.
All you need to do is choose the hotspots to learn more about them with a click of your mouse or tap of the screen.
“This is another first,” said Visit Tampa Bay’s CEO Santiago Corrada.
Corrada is talking about a first-of-its-kind 3D interactive map based on cutting-edge gaming technology.
The image, complete with 1,700 buildings, roads, and lots of popular hot spots, allows the user to zoom, pan, and explore with a sense of control never seen before on this sort of platform.
“For you to be able to get in and see actually as if you were almost here, either in preparation for your visit here or after you have visited, and you still have some questions,” said Corrada.
The hope, Corrada says, is that by taking the exploration experience to a new level, people trying it out will become more invested in the idea of visiting the Tampa Bay region. Not just individual tourists, but those who plan visits for groups and conventions.
“How close is Ybor City? What’s the coolest restaurant near the convention center? Is there a museum? Is there an attraction nearby?” said Corrada. “So, yes, absolutely, proximity, convenience and of course, you know the great assets that we have here that we can show up with this new technology makes it a win-win for everyone.”
Visitors and businesses seem to like the idea of a more immersive website. Sure, you can still explore plenty of two-dimensional videos, pictures and information. But the 3D tool gives the user more control.
“You can kind of expand more where you can kind of navigate and see a lot more,” said Tanya Henderson, visiting from Louisiana.
Kacee Floyd, in town with her son, thought it was a great idea to explore ahead — safely. “Does that area look fun for us? Are those things that look inviting for us to be in while we are in Tampa?" Floyd asked.
Darryl Wheatley, who operates Tampa Bay Fun Boat near the convention center says a 3D map is a huge plus.
“Oh yeah, it would be a great idea,” said Wheatley. “I tell you one of the biggest problems our customers have are finding us. “
For now, most of the spots you can virtually visit are in the downtown Tampa area, but Visit Tampa Bay says it hopes to expand its digital footprint to include more spots throughout the region like Plant City, MOSI and more.
To create the 3D experience, more than half a million polygons are rendered in real-time on the platform.
If you would like to check it out for yourself, click here.