A novel approach for tourism and education through virtual Vitoria-Gasteiz in the 16th century

This paper introduces new approaches to the educational and tourism domains of Vitoria-Gasteiz in the 16th century. Both spheres present considerable technology breakthroughs to be used in cultural heritage conservation and preservation, as well as to engage the population in cultural knowledge through serious games. The material presented in this paper concerns the transmission of cultural heritage applied mainly to the two areas mentioned above. The game is based on a virtual model of Vitoria-Gasteiz's (Spain) Old Quarter in the 16th century. The virtual reconstruction has been divided in two phases. The first reconstruction stage is focused on the more significant buildings of that époque, while the second is focused on a procedural software that was used for the automatic re-creation of the majority of the buildings. These paper analyzies previous studies on motivation and the value serious games have to offer for education and tourism. In relation to tourism, Virtual Reality's utility as a preservation tool derives from its potential to educate and create experiences. This allows visitors to Vitoria-Gasteiz to complement their visit and experience in a virtual way through participation in a game - `in situ' on the streets of the city.