This year’s main tourist season is almost here and it would be a shame not to introduce the options of digital twins application in the field of tourism as well. Finland is the leader in the area of modern technologies application to daily life and in the field of tourism, it doesn’t lag behind. The combination of virtual reality and digital twin of Helsinki provides breath-taking options not only for virtual visitors, but also for Helsinki merchants and service providers.

Helsinki was declared the European country of digital tourism for a good reason. By the end of last year, it was rewarded, together with the French Lyon, for their innovative approach towards tourism. In 2017, the number of visitors to this Finnish metropolis reached 4.5 million and Helsinki strives for increasing this number by another milion. However, new visitors won’t have to face Finnish winter and polar night, if they’re interested in visiting interesting places the city has to offer. This new million of people will be able to visit Helsinki without the need to leave the comfort of their home. Through virtual reality.

Virtual Helsinki is conceived as a digital experience that enables visiting a digital twin created in a high-quality 3D model. Users will be able to visit popular places, check both the atelier and the house of the architect Alvar Aalto from inside or walk through the nature of the Lonna island, located just a stone’s throw from Helsinki. It’s possible to go on a trip at any time. Simply by using glasses for virtual reality and a special application.

A digital twin of Helsinki goes one step further

In order for a city model to catch the attention of the target audience, it was necessary to create the most realistic model including audio and visual environment in high quality. An international team of 35 people worked on this project for the period of three years. And even though this idea is not unique among other tourist destinations, virtual Helsinki goes one step further.

The application enables the visitors to have free movement within the simulation and offers more additional options. Thanks to that, it is possible to walk through the city, for example, in the 20’s of the previous century or enter a virtual store and buy goods which will be then delivered by post. It’s also possible to visit concerts or sports events. The goal is to offer a virtual platform that will enable merchants and other entrepreneurs to offer their products and services.

Now it sounds a bit like scifi. However, according to the system makers, that’s not all, and virtual Helsinki is going to be even more sociable in the near future. It will be possible to meet your friends and family from distant parts of the world on a simulated trip to Helsinki and virtually enjoy the destination with everything that it offers.

Helsinki is becoming the centre of digital tourism

This alternative to mass tourism offers the possibility to check interesting places even to people who can’t or don’t want to travel. This technology enables Helsinki to be a city that is able to make the most of digitalization. According to the mayor of the city, Jan Vapaavuori, Helsinki strives for a leading position in this new type of tourist virtual reality and it seems that it is on the right track.