Photos in a brochure or words on a screen can only do so much to describe and give the feel of a destination. To help with this, the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board (VFTCB) introduced Montco 360. This virtual tour shows potential visitors and meeting planners Montgomery County attractions through smart phones and tablets with 360-degree views of parks, museums, hotels, restaurants, malls and other unique attractions.
The partnership with Google combines technologies like Street View and advanced cameras to allow people to tour rooms, spaces and off-site venues as if there were already there. Users can control what they view and see only what they need.
“The old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words no longer applies to modern digital marketing,” explained Edward Harris, vice president of marketing and communications for VFTCB. “Today, people want to see and experience more when they visit a website. With Montco360.net, we’re offering over 30 virtual tours to enable visitors to walk through and explore a handful of our most popular attractions before they arrive in person.”
Using drones to film allows users to view the county from above to get a bird’s-eye view of the rooftops of the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, Peter Wentz Farmstead in Worcester and the Philadelphia Premium Outlets in Limerick as well as open spaces like Green Lane Park and the Germantown Academy athletic fields.
Photography and video is constantly being refreshed with new attractions uploaded to the site. Even more virtual tours will be added as the spotlight on the region approaches with the 2016 Democratic National Convention.