7. MoViT: A 3D Mobile Virtual Tour App of Panguil River Eco-Park

The fast changing world of technology affects many areas of society in a positive way including tourism. The use of emerging technologies such as virtual reality, multimedia, and mobile technologies is changing the tourism industry through showcasing the wonders of undiscovered nature hidden beneath the undiscovered municipalities, such as the Panguil River Eco-Park (PREP) in Pangil, Cabuyao, Philippines. Potential visitors can now reach these hidden wonders of nature without actually being in the vicinity with virtual reality tour. Uncertainties as to what to expect in the vicinity would be reduced, giving them an opportunity to explore and roam around inside which has led to the development of the 3D Mobile Virtual Tour Application (MoViT) for the Panguil River Eco-Park which was developed and designed employing story conception, concept scripting, feasibility analysis, script writing, system evaluation, revision, integration, and system operation. Based on the result of the usability testing, the study was able to provide an experience of the eco-park giving the potential visitors a “feel” of the eco-park. Moreover, the staff of the Eco-park was asked to validate the design of MoViT app and persuade visitors whose initial intention is to just swim in the river and is not interested on visiting the other points of interest such as the waterfalls. The results showed that the respondents were able to use the virtual tour guide application and were able to determine the different points of interest with ease, and they were able to have the “feel” of the eco-park.