From now until 10 March 2022, all visitors to the Croatia Pavilion at the EXPO 2020 held in Dubai can virtually visit Croatia and explore its beauty, thanks to the brand new augmented reality (AR) experience created by Mastercard to help conjure up Croatian tourism and bring Croatian beauties closer through an innovative advertising tool. Thanks to the cooperation with the Croatian National Tourist Board, an interactive 360° experience that showcases what makes Croatia such an attractive tourist destination, is available to visitors at the EXPO. The experience can also be accessed on the priceless.com platform via smartphones.
With its rich history, picturesque Croatia is the right destination for travel lovers looking for something special. Mastercard’s AR experience features three immersive stories: “The Istrian Mountain”, “The Croatian Journey” and “The Kvarner Gulf”. Each of them combines eye-level shots at an average walking speed and the drone footage of the sights of Croatia’s capital, Zagreb, Šibenik and Slavonija, the Učka Mountain, and Opatija as the pearl of the Adriatic Sea. The footage is enriched by a voiceover narrating a compelling story about each of the locations.
A trip through augmented reality showcasing Croatia and serving as a means of promoting the beauty of the country, is the first of its kind developed by Mastercard. The plan is to do the same for countries all over the world in order to introduce innovation into tourism and foster a revival of cross-border travel. Moreover, the goal is to inspire people to experience countries like never before – to learn about their traditions, culture and natural wonders by means of augmented reality.
“Through the cooperation with the Croatian National Tourist Board and the unique virtual trip, we have combined all the best parts of our tourism. By doing so, we have made it possible for tourists to feel and experience Croatia in the most real way possible before choosing it as their travel destination. Moreover, tourists that decide to visit Croatia can visit the web page Priceless.com and choose from many experiences that will further enrich their stay”, said Gea Kariž, Mastercard Croatia Marketing Director. She added that this is their way of helping tourism to recover, as it is the industry that was most affected by the pandemic.
“EXPO Dubai is an impressive event that represents an excellent opportunity to further highlight our country as an attractive and quality tourist destination. Through this cooperation with Mastercard, we have additionally highlighted Croatia's natural beauty, innovation and technological modernity, which is a great follow-up to Croatia's presentation at this world exhibition as a country of innovative projects, ideas, inventions and creative individuals", said CNTB Director Kristjan Staničić.
The visitors at EXPO will go through the virtual experience and natural wonders of Croatia on the big screen, even though it was originally developed for smartphones, so users could experience it wherever they may be. Those who do not have the opportunity to visit the Croatia Pavilion at EXPO can enjoy the augmented reality experience via Priceless.com and get inspired to choose their next destination for an unforgettable vacation.
