The pandemic has brought upon some extraordinary changes in our lives due to which the ‘wanderlust spirit’ within us has taken a backseat.
The memories of the time spent climbing up the mountains, exploring the glorious forests, sipping tea at relaxed suburban villages on the hills, among so many other exquisite destinations, feel like imagination to many of us at this point.
Among these memories are those that are not even made yet—the plans on the bucket list and precious dreams waiting to be made.
The insatiable craving for travel grips on our soul now and then, as we try to fight our daily struggle with boredom during the lockdown.
These grips are hard to escape and fulfill at the same time, putting us in a dilemma.
Going out is not a choice; staying in plops us into the monotonous cycle of madness.
Is there something in between that can fill this deep, deep void?
There is an unnatural emptiness in the heart of the wanderer, the explorer, the adventurer, whose life is incomplete without those frequent getaways.
The getaways delivered peace of mind and a much-needed break.
In tough times, there is no way out but to seek an alternative that helps to make us feel better, at least.
Virtual travel is one such remedy discovered out of necessity.
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What Is Virtual Travel?
Virtual travel is the experience of traveling the world through the use of Virtual Reality (VR).
The concept isn’t new though and has been used by numerous travel agencies, airlines, and tourism-related businesses for marketing purposes.
People could get a glimpse of their expected destination with this technology.
However, it was not considered popular until the arrival of the dreadful virus that changed how everything functions.
Apart from the people stuck in their homes—some others who are happy about this are those who are selling the technology and the environmentalists.
Obviously, you are likely to be causing minimal pollution sitting inside your home, munching on snacks, and enjoying your tour of Italy or Greece.
This has taken the industry by storm.
Several companies are trying to popularize virtual travel through their events.
For example, Eventbrite, a company that helps different creators connect within a huge congregation, has introduced virtual reality to their momentum in the Coronavirus world.
As a result, they are now able to gather a wider variety of global audiences.
The pandemic halted their activities but as the saying goes, ‘where there is a will, there is a way.’
The company marketed its virtual reality events and it appears to have reaped a lot of public interest.
Will Virtual Travel Replace Real World Travel?
The pandemic will probably not last forever but the trend of virtual travel is here to stay, according to Flyover Zone’s Frischer.
But, that does not mean that people will stop exploring real places. In fact, the effect is probably going to positively impact the tourism industry.
When people are exposed to the magnificence of an amazing place in its entirety, it only heightens their appreciation for that place.
Virtual travel only gives you a small piece of the delicious pie. Just because you had one small peace doesn’t mean you don’t want more.
Instead, it only makes you want to buy the whole pie. You can compare this trend to e-books.
Just because one part or chapter of the book is available online doesn’t reduce your curiosity for that book, instead, it draws you strongly towards it.
Virtual Tour Trends during COVID-19
If you want to scratch the surface of the itch left by the travel bug, look for these amazing virtual tours that deliver you entertainment and getaway right from your home!
Amazon Explore: Visit Anywhere In The World
Following the trend, the retail giant has come up with virtual travel packages to enchant its customers.
These packages include different kinds of experiences like walking through interesting locations or even practicing simple hobbies, such as cooking.
These stores are live-streamed and you will be given plenty of options to make the experience as real as possible.
There is an incredibly generous host to whom you can interrogate and converse.
Browse the different filters to figure out the experience that is the most suitable and desirable for you.
One great thing about this tour is that it allows you to buy some handmade products as wonderful souvenirs that can support the local people of your travel destination.
Dekho Apna Desh: Experience The Unknown
Due to the pandemic, the Ministry of Tourism, India decided to start hosting online travel for connecting with the world.
The initiative was named “Dekho Apna Desh” which translates to ‘see your country.’
This initiative consists of several webinars which take you through the glorious cities of India and show their splendor.
India, being such a vast country, offers you so much to explore that you have probably missed out on something even if you are an Indian, staying in India.
Flyover Zone: Explore Mankind’s History
The virtual tours of Flyover Zone are based on historical heritage sites.
They take you on an excursion to the most beautiful cultural architecture.
You will be able to get a close look at everything and see the aspects in detail.
If you love to discover history, architecture, art, and culture then this might be an amazing experience for you.
The tours are guided by experts in specific fields so you get to know everything from head to toe.
Airbnb Experiences: Enjoy Local Events!
Airbnb used to have a popular program called experiences for relishing some marvelous events and workshops hosted by the local people of a certain place.
Here, people learn about the culture of a place, special skills and engage with the communities, making new friends and lifelong memories to be cherished.
However, as the pandemic hit, it became impossible to host this kind of experience.
So, Airbnb transformed its whole platform into virtual travel.
Now you can still experience the beauty and magic of a place but only through a screen.
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Unify Cosmos: Let The Sounds Take You Places!
Unlike the other virtual travel which features videography or virtual reality, this one is quite different in its approach.
Unified Cosmos has an interactive soundboard with several audio clips from a variety of locations—peaceful suburbs, deep oceans, or vigorous rain forests.
Moreover, you can listen to these audio clips for free!
Take some time out from your busy day and get lost in the beautiful sounds of the world—visualizing these beautiful locations.
These kinds of practices can help you from the inside out and assist in lessening stress, and anxiety.
Arigato Japan Food Tours: Tour For Food!
Virtual travel has taken care of the foodies as well!
With this Japanese food touring company you can plan your future trips through their virtual tour experiences.
Their tour is concentrated on food and taking this virtual experience will give you a great insight into the variety of food and the locales in Japan.
You can uncover the culture and even make some new pals on the tour.
The authentic recipes disseminated on these excursions are just the cherry on top!
Explore Space with NASA
Bored with traveling on earth?
Well, there is no dearth of magnificent places on earth, but sometimes you may want to look for something a bit out of the ordinary.
You have the chance to take a virtual tour of the majestic Hubble Control Centre and observatory of NASA called SOFIA.
NASA is providing these opportunities through its official website.
So keep an eye on their website to grab a seat for the next exciting virtual tour to space!
So these are some of the virtual travel trends that became popular during COVID-19 and are probably here to stay.
Virtual travel does not replace the wonderful excitement of real-world travel but it does help one feel a slight bit better about the current situation.
You can research different places in India and abroad or plan your post-COVID trips by taking these virtual travel experiences.
Many of these allow you to make friends and get acquainted with different locations for the convenience of your future travel.
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