Niantic partners with United Nations to boost tourism using AR games

Pokemon Go and Ingress creator Niantic has partnered with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to boost global tourism through the use of augmented reality games. 

The pair will work together to curate and develop "innovative tourism experiences," including a variety of interactive AR games, that foster exploration and build awareness of destinations around the world. 

By combing tourism and AR tech, both companies hope players will be spurred on to engage with real-world locations through the power of play. 

"Our goal at Niantic is to create interactive games that encourage exercise, social interaction and exploration, giving players the opportunity to play together in the real world and discover the incredible history hidden right in their own neighborhoods," said Anne Beuttenmüller, head of marketing EMEA 

"We're looking forward to creating brand new adventures for our players in collaboration with UNWTO to increase awareness around their mission of responsible tourism."