For those of you that are familiar with the Star Trek franchise, you may remember the holodeck. If not, the holodeck was a ‘recreation room’ in which the crew could participate in totally immersive, simulated, 3D experiences. Crew members were able to choose experiences involving both real or imagined people and places. Since participants were able to experience all the corresponding visual and other sensory stimuli, there was really no difference between a holodeck experience and the real thing. Wouldn’t that be amazing!
Even before the COVID-19 lockdowns, we were hearing more and more about virtual tourism. But now, the idea of virtual touring is really evolving quickly. But what is virtual tourism really all about and how can we use it? Can it really replace real life travel?
Well, the technologies associated with virtual tourism are certainly not at the level of the holodeck yet, but current technology can be very helpful when it comes to travel. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you many be able to use virtual tourism right now.
What is Virtual Tourism?
According to Wikipedia, a virtual tour is defined as “a simulation of an existing location, usually composed of a sequence of videos or still images. It may also use other multimedia elements such as sound effects, music, narration, and text.” And, according to a recent article in Research and Markets, Virtual Reality (VR) is going to have a huge impact on travel and tourism in the next few years, especially with the advent of 5G technology.
So, will we be visiting the Acropolis via a holodeck anytime soon? No, but there are some very practical and accessible ways that just about anyone can take advantage of various aspects of virtual tourism. And, it would appear that folks are already availing themselves of these benefits.
Whether you want to use virtual tours to help you decide where to go, plan your vacation activities or even replace real life travel, technology can help. Forbes recently conducted a study that identified, not unexpectedly, that people are more engaged when they are more immersed. For example, their study showed:
• 65+% viewed videos when thinking about taking a trip or choosing a destination
• 54% viewed videos when choosing accommodations
• 63% viewed videos when looking for activities to do at a destination
• 42% of travelers are inspired by YouTube content.
So, let’s take a look at some of the specific technologies and talk a little bit about how you can use them.
• Virtual Reality Headsets
VR headsets allow users to be completely immersed in a location or experience. Not only does the user experience all the sights and sounds of a location, but they also have the ability to move around and interact with the 3D, virtual world in very realistic ways. These headsets are made by a number of companies, including Oculus, Sony, HTC, Samsung, and Valve, just to name a few.
Most of the time we associate the use of these headsets with computer generated graphics (CGI) and online gaming. However, there are tons of apps available related to travel that use real imagery and video to create an immersive experience. We happen to own an Oculus Go and have used it in conjunction with several of these travel apps. We have compared the VR ‘visit’ with places that we have actually visited and have found that the Oculus provides a very realistic, 360-degree experience.
Just to provide an example of the types of experiences you can have using a VR headset, here is a website that describes some of the locations you can visit and the types of experiences available with the Oculus device. Other VR platforms offer their own set of travel-related experiences.
What if you are unable to find an app for a place you would like to visit? We suggest trying out one of our favorite apps for the Oculus called Wander. The Wander app is based on Google Street View and it can take you just about anywhere in the world at either the touch of a button or just your spoken word. Want to go to Budapest? Just say “Budapest, Hungary” and you can be walking across the Chain Bridge over the Danube in a few seconds. Having made that walk, I can tell you that it is amazingly realistic.
Another feature of Wander is that you can travel back in time! Google is constantly updating their Street View data, but all the previous data is retained. Depending on the location you are visiting, you may have the option to select views captured from your location in previous years. So, you will be able to see what a location used to look like.
We have found Wander to be an indispensable tool when planning trips to places we have never been. Prior to our trip to Romania, we used the app to ‘virtually’ find our way all around Bucharest. We were able to virtually walk to our transportation stops, hotel, restaurants and tourist sites. Since we had already familiarized ourselves with these areas of the city, we were much more confident walking around Bucharest and we never got lost!
TIP: If you are not inclined to use a VR headset, you can use Google Street View to familiarize yourself with new locations. Google Street View is part of Google Maps and can be used on just about any device, including your smartphone. It may not be as immersive as a headset, but you will still be able to gain familiarity with new places before you arrive.
• Virtual, Interactive Touring on the Internet
The downside of the VR headset is of course its cost. Headsets can range in price from a couple hundred dollars to well over $1000. But as long as you have PC, laptop or tablet, you can still enjoy a similar 360-degree experience.
You may be quite surprised at the number of 360-degree, interactive tour options available on the Internet. Of course, all these videos differ in terms of length and quality, but you can easily find some terrific ones with some simple internet searches. Here are a few of our favorite examples. Take a look at these sites so that you can get an idea of what is available. Then start looking around the internet for the places that you are interested in and you may be amazed at just how much helpful content is available.
• Virtualyosemite.org – This website, dedicated to Yosemite National Park, is a fantastic example of interactive virtual touring. The video quality is amazing, the interaction is all very intuitive, and the coverage of the park is extensive.
TIP: If you are interested in learning more about Yosemite, be sure to read our last post detailing our 3-day itinerary of the park. Then use the virtualyosemite.org website to checkout all the spots we mentioned in that post!
• Virtualvisittours.com – This website is another location-specific site, dedicated to Ireland. This site offers dozens of 360-degree, interactive tours for tourist spots all over the country.
• BBC Scotland – Here is another website offering some breathtaking videos of Scotland. We have not made it to Scotland yet, but these videos are definitely moving Scotland to the forefront of our list of destinations!
• YouTube – YouTube is an amazing source of information for travelers. There are literally thousands of 360-degree videos available for free on YouTube, for all sort of destinations. Some of the videos are interactive, others are not. However, many of them are quite good and very helpful if you are trying to get a feel for new location.
TIP: Although not necessarily very ‘high-tech’, don’t forget about other, non-interactive travel resources easily available on the Internet. No matter how unusual or obscure your travel interest may be, it’s very likely that you will be able to find helpful videos, articles and websites that will be useful in planning your trip. Just start searching and you will find them.
• The Travel Industry
Consumers are not the only ones interested in virtual tourism. More and more cruise lines, hotels, travel agents and others in the travel industry are using elements of virtual reality, primarily for marketing purposes. After all, in the travel industry its all about selling ‘the experience’. What better way to do that than providing potential customers with a means of exploring destinations from the comfort of their own couch!
For example, how many times have you been disappointed with your hotel room because it just didn’t seem to be as nice or as spacious as the thumbnail photos lead you to believe? Wouldn’t it be nice just to be able to slip on a VR headset and walk around a hotel that you are considering? You could easily walk through multiple rooms and get a much better idea of the size, space, views and amenities that each one has to offer.
One company, Navitaire, launched the first VR booking process in 2017. Before you make selections for your hotel and flights, you can take a look at exactly what you will be getting. In addition, their process eliminates the need for a traditional keyboard and mouse, making the booking process much more intuitive and therefore simpler. Take a look at this video they created to get an idea of how a VR approach may be shaping future travel planning.
Spurred on by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, some companies are using virtual travel as a means of keeping customers engaged until real life travel can resume. In April 2020, Viking Cruises launched Viking.TV. This website offers a huge collection of videos about cruise itineraries, destinations, and the art, history and culture found in those destinations. They even offer daily live-streamed events such as tea with the Countess of Carnarvon at her home at Highclere Castle (think Downton Abbey).
Many tourist destinations and venues around the globe have been adversely impacted by the sharp decline in tourists caused by the pandemic. Some have started offering online, virtual tours until things get back to normal. Want to visit the Louvre or the Vatican? No problem, just hop on a virtual tour. Of course, a lot of these tours are pre-recorded and although they may be interesting and informative, there is no real opportunity for interaction.
However, there is a new trend toward live-streamed events and tours using platforms like Facebook and YouTube. The Tour Guy is an example of a website where you will be able to find a whole host of interactive tours. This company has been in the business of providing real life tours in cities around the world. Virtual tours are their way of keeping their tour guides gainfully employed. So, yes, there is a nominal fee for taking these virtual tours. But considering that you have a live guide available to you in an interactive setting, it’s so worth it.
We hope that this post has shed some light on virtual tourism and how you can use its various forms in your own travel life. Personally, for us, nothing beats real life travel. But we have found that using virtual tools helps ensure that we have a more customized, meaningful travel experience. So, whether these tools are used as a source of travel inspiration, to explore a future destination or in lieu of real life travel, virtual touring provides amazing opportunities to expand our horizons.
As always – great article and pics!