Virtual tourism a beacon of hope in a post-pandemic world

With technology and tourism increasingly intertwined, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism industry has suffered massively - with many destinations, airline, tour operators, travel agents and other supporting sectors falling into wretched conditions with community transmission and new COVID-19 variants around the globe.

While travel agencies were impacted by the pile of no demand, virtual tourism has come into the limelight.

Virtual tourism unleashing tourism sector from chains of low demand
Technology has ushered the tourism industry to pave a path of revival through its high-tech innovations. Virtual tourism is not new; however, it never received much heed before COVID-19. Owing to lack of awareness, distrust, lack of availability, virtual tourism remained backstage.

Now, the course of reality has shifted its paradigm. As a result, virtual tourism is now at centre stage. The travel industry swears by virtual tourism and believes that it can unleash the chains of recession ignited by the pandemic.

The fascinating characteristic of virtual tourism is that wanderlust people can explore and experience different cultures, destinations, and art forms virtually.

The present world is trying to get back to life, and so is the tourism industry. However, the aftermath of the pandemic is going to stay with the society for the following months. Thus, virtual tourism comes to the rescue.

Understanding idiosyncrasies of virtual tourism
Through virtual tourism, travellers can experience almost real-time and real-life travel in a more nuanced and safer way. The technology employed for virtual tourism is based on human cognitive behaviour, social psychology, and other determining neuroscience factors inculcated in high-tech augmented, virtual and mixed reality. It sounds sci-fi, doesn’t it?

Virtual tourism can function in two ways - either the tourist companies pre-record virtual city tours and other destinations or adapt to a more complex process: create virtual travel experience through mathematical modelling and location mapping.

Through immersive virtual reality, the travel experience becomes interactive for travellers. It is pure transportation from the bedroom to a tourist site in a different continent. AR, VR, and MR provide seamless and interactive experiences for viewers.

Destinations employing virtual tourism in the wake of COVID-19
Considering the precious benefits of virtual tourism, many countries and tourist destinations have begun their journey with virtual tourism. The list of destinations includes The Faroe Islands, the English city of Bristol, Dubai, and the Great Barrier Reef, to name a few.

Capitalisation on virtual tourism could be the new mainstream earning prospect for the tourism and hospitality industry. The new generation demands a best-immersive experience at comfort and with safety. Unarguably, virtual tourism tops the market.

However, all intricacies of virtual tourism are yet to be explored. The world has just begun realising the benefits of AR, VR, and MR and may ultimately establish and utilise virtual reality to its optimum capacity for travel and tourism.

Apart from the tourist agencies and travellers, virtual tourism can also benefit the local communities and artisans. There are manifold advantages of VR the industry can explore. More agencies need to adapt to the immersive world to align with the changing trend across the international tourism sector. Let’s hope we don’t end up like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Total Recall!

Kalkine Media has also written on Virtual Tours: Bright Spot for Tourism Industry.

Image credits: © Melpomenem | Megapixl.com (top) and © blurf | Megapixl.com (below).