Travel companies are starting to make use of the latest marketing tool from Google – cardboard goggles which can be used with a mobile phone to provide a ‘virtual reality’ experience.

Customers at five Thomas Cook retail stores located in Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Birmingham and London will be able to view the new Red Sea Riviera brochure in ‘360’ by using a Google Cardboard headset.

The back cover of the brochure will provide details of how customers can download a new Thomas Cook Holiday 360 app so that they can use their mobile phones and headset to get a ‘virtual reality’ look at the destination.

The content features videos of six Thomas Cook hotels and resorts, giving holidaymakers the chance to see the layout of their hotel, resort or beach in 360 high resolution.

The app can also be used without the Google Cardboard so anyone is free to download it and experience the content as 360 degree array videos.

Graham Cook, head of digital at Thomas Cook, said: “Customers will be able to take a fully immersive virtual reality experience back home during the consideration process to help them choose the holiday that’s right for them.”

Meanwhile, Air New Zealand is using Google Cardboard technology to give a virtual reality immersive experience to the UK travel trade.

Its new Cabin Viewer app showcases the airline’s Boeing 777-300ER, which flies daily between London and Auckland via Los Angeles.

“This technology is exciting in that it allows the trade to virtually step onboard our aircraft and experience all three cabins and learn about our product in a new and unique way,” said Kathryn Robertson, the airline’s GM UK and Europe.

“We are constantly looking at ways to make things easier for the travel trade.”

The airline is giving away 1,000 Google Cardboard sets. To claim one, visit Air New Zealand’s trade website: www.airnewzealandtrade.com/virtual

Account managers will also be on the road using the headsets to make in-house training sessions more interesting and interactive.