Kuoni Enters the Virtual World

Kuoni enters the virtual world, via the Second Life internet platform, as the computer animated island, INUOK, that is KUONI spelled backwards. With the debut of the INUOK Island on April 10, Kuoni hopes to gain a better understanding of how virtual communities communicate and in the process, gather as much information as possible about the platform for application in future projects of the company, according to Bojan Jokic, CIO for the Kuoni group.

INUOK Island offers a number of interactive features such as a 3D-globe that provides useful travel information about various destinations and where one click teleport the visitor directly from INOUK to the destination they desire. Visitors also get a ‘Travel Book’ containing valuable tips to take along with them anywhere they go. Aside from this, visitors can enjoy playing games on the island such as ‘The Labyrinth’ and ‘Snowball Battle’.

The internet is fast becoming a major communication channel in the lives of people around the world and no where else is this more evident than in Asia Pacific. According to eMarketer, the number of internet users in the region will top 500 million in 2008 with China overtaking the United States as the most populous internet nation in the world. Forecasts for 2012 indicate the region will be home to nearly half of the world’s internet population at 818.3 million. Proportionate to this growth is the rapid development of the region’s online travel sector with more and more Asians booking tickets and surfing for information regarding their next destination over the internet.

In line with this, Royal Intel proposes a four-tier analysis of the Asia Pacific online travel sector particularly in the key markets of Japan, China, Korea, Australia, and India. Entitled ‘Dos and Don’ts in Cyberspace: Online Travel Promotion in APAC’, the study is designed to provide travel retailers with firsthand knowledge of the wants and needs of Asia’s online consumers. At the same time, offer strategic recommendations to help them make the most of their online venture in Asia. To learn more about the project, please click here.

Source: TravelDailyNews at www.traveldailynews.com