The aim of a virtual tour is generally to present an existing site, such as an exhibition or a 3D reconstruction of a historic monument, to online visitors. It is usually composed of still images, 360-degree images, videos or 3D models.
What are the advantages of creating and distributing a virtual tour?
- Creation of a long-term online record of an artefact or place available worldwide, 24 hours a day, mostly free of charge: all you need as a visitor is a digital device and an Internet connection
- Make the visit accessible to all, without architectural restrictions for people with reduced mobility, for example
- Make objects too fragile to be displayed in a permanent showcase accessible
- Generate new interest in the cultural institution by regularly updating content, or by making the project innovative through aesthetic work, for example
What are the challenges of a virtual tour?
- It takes time, technical skills and equipment (or funds to hire professionals) to capture and edit high-quality video or to digitize 3D objects
- Video tours can lack accessibility because viewers have no control over them
- 3D virtual tours can become outdated in terms of concept and design, and therefore unattractive, due to increasingly rapid technological developments
- Standard file formats may also evolve, so 3D virtual models may become obsolete
- Video tours may also become outdated if the real-life displays have significantly changed in the meantime
- Additional costs due to intellectual property rights, for images for instance
- Finally, even if the visit is technically perfect, visitors don’t engage in the same way online as they do in real life. It therefore remains to establish long-term relationships with them and stimulate social interaction between them through this type of digital offering.
Best practices
- The virtual visit of the Nîmes arena offers a variety of media and activities, as well as navigation menus to enable visitors to concentrate on one aspect at a time, etc.
- Working on the project’s visual identity to make it relevant: the A.R.M.A.N foundation has created a virtual version of Arman’s house to present its virtual exhibitions
- Although not strictly speaking a virtual tour, the analysis of Johannes Vermeer The Milkmaid’s on Google Art is interesting, as it guides the viewer’s eye by illuminating relevant aspects
- To give you an idea of the diversity of virtual exhibitions around the world, take a look at the Smithsonian Libraries’ catalogue of Library and Archival Exhibitions on the web