There is a whole new world opening up and not just those who are able to travel to far flung places. You can even see a lot of the world from the comfort of your home. At least that's where some tech is heading. Here we dive into Virtual Reality (VR), where we're at and what the future may hold...
VR is nothing new as such. It's been talked about a lot over the years and there have been expectations that haven't really come to fruition yet. It's been the stuff of Sci-Fi and some of it has made its way into reality but we're a long way off from it becoming mainstream and high quality.
There has also been much talk of the 'Metaverse' which was mostly hype... or rather we're just a tad early as the infrastructure isn't in place. Its time will come (to what degree who knows, and to what degree do we even want such a thing?). Facebook even changed their parent company name to Meta but Zuckerberg and his cronies made an error with some of their efforts, mostly in timing.
That's obivously a huge subject and one we can delve into in future discussions, but for now let's focus on how VR currently fits into tourism and what may be coming down the pipe.
Why?
Travel is about discovery, but there are always physical and financial limitations. You have to choose your battles and you can't do it all. The other accelerator (as with Digital Nomadism) is our good ol' friend 'Covid', or rather the restrictions placed following this passage of time. When you can't go anywhere, this gives an alternative; nothing like the real thing but far more than nothing.
And rather than just a stop-gap solution, VR is shaping a new paradigm in how people can experience destinations, blending technology, culture and accessibility.
Evolution
Early experiments
There have been some 360° Media attempts that have offered that little bit more than the norm, offering panoramic views of famous sites and the like, but they lack the interactivity.
Leap to VR
Then we have the headsets that have come on the scene. Oculus Quest, HTC Vive and Playstation VR are a few examples. This allows people to 'walk through' physical landmarks, have a wander around natural wonders and even interact with guided tours, all from their living room.
Immersive Travel Experiences Through VR
Virtual tours of landmarks
Get the museum experience and have a stroll through The Louvre or British Museum as they and UNESCO sites offer walkthroughs.
You can explore the pyramids of Giza or Machu Picchu without the physical barriers. Maybe you want the physical asepct, that's the whole point, but at least you can get a feel for it.
Adventure travel from home
Platforms like Ascape VR and National Geographic VR offer safaris, scuba dives and hikes through exotic terrains. Immersive soundscapes enhance the feeling of 'being there'.
Cultural Immersion
VR concerts, festivals and performances bring cultural traditions closer to global audiences. And travellers can 'sit in' on a Japanese tea ceremony or witness Carnival in Rio virtually.
Training & Pre-Trip Exploration
Potential travellers can use VR to preview destinations, which helps to plan itineraries. Airlines, hotels and travel companies now use VR to showcase experiences before booking.
Accessibility and Inclusion
Physical Barriers
VR enables those with mobility challenges to experience places that may be inaccessible in real life.
Financial Barriers
A VR headset is far cheaper than multiple international trips.
Educational Value
Schools use VR to bring geography and history lessons alive through virtual field trips. Might make the school day a bit more exciting!
The Technology Behind Virtual Tourism
VR Hardware
Standalone headsets (Meta Quest 2, Pico) and smartphone-based VR offer different levels of immersion.
Content Creation
High-resolution 360° cameras, 3D scanning and photogrammetry power lifelike experiences.
AI Integration
Enhances realism with adaptive environments, contextual information and interactive guides.
Sounds great, but some counter points...
Authenticity
VR can simulate sights and sounds, but not the feel of real travel (smells, climate, human interaction). You can have a good go at it, but it's never going to be the real real experience. Just not gonna happen but you can still get plenty of enjoyment for what it it is.
Tech Barriers
VR headsets remain relatively expensive, limiting widespread adoption. It may well be cheaper than going to a destination but you still have to fork out for the tech which isn't cheap. That will all depend on someone's goals and desires and always a factor.
Content Gaps
Not all destinations are available in VR as developing detailed simulations requires investment. I doubt there will be full coverage and some will be patchy... then again you just go with what's available.
Risk of Substitution
Some critics fear VR might discourage physical travel, impacting local economies. Well yes, the old conundrum. It will substitute some to a degree. The counter argument is that some may use the VR who aren't able to actually go to the places so it's additional. It could even encourage people to take a sniff round, and then that pushes them to go for the real thing.
Yes, we want to avoid people rolling around on their lounge floor with their headset on and not participating in what we call the real world. Or that could simply be time that replaces watching TV or playing video games (which this kind of is, and is another form of entertainment).
As we always come back to in these articles, any tech can be used for good as well as evil, and for productivity/efficiency or wasting time/addiction/dopamine without reward. There is no right or wrong, just what enhances the human experience and how people decide to use it.
The Future of VR Tourism
Mixed Reality Travel Experiences
Combining VR with augmented reality (AR) for hybrid explorations. That could be visiting a city physically while overlaying historical or cultural insights digitally. AR is actually a more interesting technology in a way as it's more of a half-way house with wider implications, not all or nothing. We'll come back to AR in another article.
Metaverse Travel
Social VR platforms may allow groups to 'travel' together, hosting global meetups at digital replicas of real destinations. I've had a look at a couple of virtual meetups and it doesn't really work as yet. This should improve over time but nothing will replace being there in person. Having said that, these are an additional feature for life, as in a step up from a video call and the like but not quite the real deal.
Hyper-Realistic Sensory Tech
Future VR will integrate haptics (touch), scent simulators and temperature adjustments to make virtual tourism multisensory.
Tourism Industry Adoption
Airlines will step up VR previews of destinations and hotels will create more immersive previews of rooms and experiences. Travel agencies can add VR trip package offers as part of their services. As with anything it will be incoporated and adjusted over time.
So what now?
Star Trek it isn't, The Jetsons not so much. VR is a technology that will continue to show itself and there is a big part it can play. It cannot and will not play the star role. In fact, all these advancements sometimes enhance some of what we're 'losing' as it gives more power and appreciation to it.
Yes, they can live in harmony. Will they be abused? Yes, some will use it to their advantage and many consumers will go too deep. Others will keep their wits about them, enjoy all that's out there and maintain a good sense of balance. For all we know, we could already be living in some sort of virtual reality, so we're just talking about levels to this thing... but that's beyond the scope of this article!
VR tourism opens the plane doors, for those that can't step on one. It will never replace the 'real thing' (whatever that means anyway) but redefine what it means to 'travel'. Not so much about replacement but more of a complement to existing methods. All in all helping people to plan and experience what was impossible just a few short years ago.
Buckle up and enjoy the ride!
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