At the beginning of 2012, Google Maps announced that it was now offering small businesses a chance to showcase their store interiors with Business Photos, the Street View-style interactive tour that can be stitched together with photographs taken by Google-associated photographers. Previously, the snazzy service was only available in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and France. As of today, though, Google Maps has added Canada, Ireland, and the Netherlands to the list.

Below you’ll see an example of Business Photos in action. For any readers with a taste for some fromage, the fromager Yves Chataigner should be a fun tour for you.

View Larger Map

Below is one of the stores that are currently featured in San Diego, California, called Casa Artelexia. The boutique specializes in handmade art and other decor from various regions in Mexico (hence all the neat Dia de los Muertos tchotchkes).

View Larger Map

If you’re a business owner and would like to give your shop the Business Photos treatment, Google has a list of Trusted Photographers (everything has to be in proper case with them, doesn’t it?) that you can get in touch with to take pictures of your store’s interior.

And since the Netherlands now have access to Business Photos, we can all eagerly await the addition of Amsterdam’s red light district to Google Maps’ offering of virtual tours.

[Via Lat Long Blog.]