Virtual tours across six different industries
See how construction, retail, hotels, events, education, and museums can use virtual tours for viewing and documentation.
Virtual tours are used across many industries to show physical spaces digitally. Here are six examples of how the technology can support viewing, documentation, and planning without promising a particular sales or conversion result.
Construction and inspection: agree the output before capture
In construction, a Matterport capture can provide a navigable visual record of visible spaces and surfaces. Technical deliverables such as point clouds, CAD, or BIM are not included automatically and must be agreed against the project's format and tolerance requirements.
E57 and MatterPak data such as XYZ or OBJ are separate export products. A design-ready CAD or BIM model requires a specified downstream workflow and may involve paid Matterport processing or external modelling.
An agreed point cloud can be used as a reference in a BIM workflow when the coordinate system, format, and tolerance have been defined. Critical design dimensions must still be validated against the consultant's requirements.
After completion, the tour can provide visual documentation of the recorded areas. It does not replace a current survey, documentation of concealed conditions, or professional checking when the project requires them.
Read the detailed guide to 3D scanning, point clouds, and BIM workflows, or see the 3D scanning for construction service.
Virtual showrooms: New opportunities in retail
More businesses are beginning to see the potential of virtual showrooms. Furniture shops and kitchen manufacturers use the technology to showcase their products in natural settings. Customers can explore products from every angle and see them in context. In combination with Google Street View, potential customers can find the shop directly on Google Maps and take a virtual walk through the store before visiting in person.
Hotels and conferences: Easier planning for guests and organisers
Hotels and conference centres use virtual tours to give their guests a precise impression of the facilities. For conference bookings, organisers can see the meeting rooms' size, layout, and technical capabilities. They can assess whether the space suits their specific needs, from table arrangements to projector placement. For hotel guests, the tours provide a clear picture of the room layout, reducing the risk of disappointed expectations upon arrival.
Additionally, meeting bookers and customer service staff can send direct locations within the tour to guests or potential tenants by pressing 'u' on the keyboard while inside a tour — this brings up a small box in the right corner with a link to the exact location.
Events and venues: Better decision-making for bookings
When booking event and party venues, virtual tours play a central role. Venue providers can show the full potential of their spaces and different setup options. Wedding couples and event organisers particularly appreciate the ability to plan their event in detail in advance. They can see exactly where the gift table, dance floor, and other elements can be placed, and how the flow of the venue works. It saves time for both the provider and the client, as many practical questions can be answered through the virtual viewing.
Educational institutions: From folk high schools to boarding schools
Boarding schools and folk high schools use virtual tours as part of their marketing to prospective students. Potential students and their parents can explore the school's facilities, from bedrooms and common areas to classrooms and outdoor spaces. It gives a good impression of the school's physical setting and atmosphere, which is particularly valuable for families who live far away.
Moreover, there's only so much detail that teenagers (and parents on their 4th boarding school visit this month) remember once they get home — a virtual tour can help with that.
Museums and cultural institutions
Museums and cultural institutions have also embraced the technology. They use virtual tours to give visitors the opportunity to explore exhibitions from home or plan their visit in detail. For school classes, it has become a valuable teaching tool, as students can prepare for the visit or revisit the exhibition digitally afterwards.
Special exhibitions can be preserved digitally long after they have been taken down, giving museums the opportunity to share their collections with a broader audience.
Conclusion
Virtual tours can give visitors a digital overview of physical spaces and supplement the information a business already shares. Their practical value depends on the audience, content, distribution, and chosen platform.
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