Visitors to Singapore’s Haji Lane can now use Snapchat on their phones to find out more about the place and view other interactive elements during their trip to the tourist hotspot.
Firing up the messaging app, users can make use of an augmented reality (AR) feature to view animations as they scan an area with their camera. These can be captured as a photo or video and shared on social media.
The new feature is part of an effort by the Singapore Tourism Board and Snapchat, a rival to the more popular WhatsApp, to liven up a part of Singapore that is popular with the young.
After a user scans a SnapChat Quick Response (QR) code near a place of interest, such as a roadside art installation, the app will recognise the environment and add animation to the camera screen.
Along Haji Lane, there are five stations where users can explore and use AR technology to enliven the experience when visiting the tourist spot. They are Piedra Negra Mexican Restaurant, Utopia Apparels, Drunken Balloon, Shalaby Sweets and ‘I Am’ Cafe
For example, if you are in front of a sweet shop, the app can read your palm and advise which sweet to buy from the shop. Or you can pop virtual balloons in front of the Drunken Balloon shop.
A sure hit with the kids, these features are aimed at making a visit to Singapore more interactive, possibly leading to more viral shares on social media to further popularise a place.
