Local Businesses Team Up With Google - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

BERLIN, Md. - You can now get a 360, interactive virtual experience at the Ocean Downs Casino.

All thanks to Google's Business Photo Team. "A lot of people are coming in - they never saw the casino. They're coming from Baltimore, they come from Pennsylvania - this allows them to walk through the front doors and see what's here - see if it's a place they want to come to," said Frank Clark, Trusted Google Photographer.

A single panoramic view camera is used to get the job done. "We take pictures of every direction and we put them together. We have to process all the images, get them in, put them on the mapping system, connect them up, then submit them to the Google servers. Then the Google servers mesh them in," said Clark.

So far they've set up virtual tours for more than 60 businesses in Ocean City, and the Worcester County Tourism Department hopes that even more will jump on board. "We would love to highlight some of our larger museums, Assateague's new visitor center, and then some of the private businesses," said Lisa Challenger, Director.

It's an effort they hope will support the local economy. "We hope it will drive traffic here, drive people maybe around the county out taking day trips out of Ocean City, coming to see what some of the businesses in Berlin are," said Challenger.

For a look at one of the virtual tours by Google Business Photos, type Countryside Cafe in Google search, then click 'see inside.'