Travel marketers might want to brush up their video skills as the shift to the medium, and how it is used for content, is happening faster than anticipated.

This was highlighted as one of “three key shifts” currently happening, by Vanessa Fitzgerald, Facebook sales director for northern Europe.

Speaking during a Travel Perspective session at WTM London earlier this month, Fitzgerald also identified mobile and immersive experiences.

She points to figures from Cisco showing that 75% of all mobile data traffic will be video by 2020, adding that 300 million video Instagram stories are being posted per day, up from 250 million three months ago.

Fitzgerald summed up by saying travel companies an “unbelievable opportunity” to present their brands through such “incredible experiences” such as video, AR and VR.

While AR and VR are still often seen as emerging, digital experts believe it’s time to go beyond the “wow” factor and start applying it.

Several speakers at WTM believe companies now need to be more ambitious and start creating VR and AR content.

During the Era of Intelligent Tech in Travel session, run by Digital Tourism Think Tank, augmented reality was described as:

“bringing the biggest shift in how we use our mobiles and tablets” since consumers started using them about 10 years ago.

This was from Diverse Interactive client development manager Chris Elson who went on to talk of how engaging AR content is.

“It lets you build an emotional attachment with consumers. You can maintain their interest with interactivity. Highly engaged customers buy more, they promote more and they create more loyalty to your brand.”

Elson wasn’t the only advocate of AR and VR. Laduma boss Ben Smith said VR is no longer a “fun thing on your phone”.

“We’re in the post wow era when it comes to these new technologies. We have to be creative with them and more ambitious.

“Travel has not even scratched the surface with these technologies.”

He points to the Etihad Flying Reimagined campaign with viewers 22% more likely to consider Etihad and 7% more likely to pay extra for the Etihad experience. Revenue also increased 8% for the airline.

Smith also handed out some advice on how to think about VR.

“Take the passion that made you fall in love with travel, take the people, the stories and treat it like you would any other medium or it will fall flat.”

Alex Bainbridge, founder of DestinationCTO and a former tnooz node, also points out how VR is not just a technology for Millennials.

“A lot of older travellers are not that agile. They have to consider distance and steps etc. so, if you’re talking about leveraging the technology for bookings, you can use it to give that reassurance.”

Related reading:

Discovery and Google takes steps to make virtual reality mainstream

Facebook tells travel marketers to show some emotion