Places to Go but No Way to Get There
The good news is that many countries are starting to ease their coronavirus pandemic restrictions, and tourist destinations such as museums and art galleries, zoos and botanical gardens are all being reopened. With appropriate social distancing and hygiene measure in place of course.
The bad news is, airplanes are still grounded, train services cut, border-crossings restricted; and should you manage to arrive at your destination, hotels and restaurants closed. On top of that, many would-be travellers are resisting the Wanderlust for fear that it may still not be safe out there. Wherever the instructions are ‘essential travel only’ it is vitally important we comply.
We’re not going to see the ease of travel we used to enjoy for quite some time yet. We’re not going to enjoy cheap prices either, with airplanes having to fly half-empty to maintain passenger distancing, and coach fleets keeping seats unoccupied and the drivers protected with PPE.
Travel far, travel safely, with VR
If only it were possible for adventurers to satisfy their craving for new experiences without worrying about dangers to their health or if their travel plans might be cancelled.
Well here’s the thing, yes they can! By swapping your facemask for VR goggles you can travel to your destination by VR without leaving the safety of your quarantined home. The immersive experience of VR allows you to explore many exciting places as if you were really there. Only without the crowds, or hand sanitizers, and with zero angst for catching something you really don’t want to.
VR Travel Better Than Being There
VR travel can even be a better experience than the real deal. No need to check the weather forecast first for a start, and the adventure can be enhanced with information at your fingertips and interactive games.
Take for example the 360° interactive app German broadcaster DW (Deutsche Welle) has produced that lets you explore five UNESCO World Heritage sites. As well as giving you the experience of visiting these places without any coronavirus worries, you can piece together answers to intriguing puzzles such as where the bust of Charlemagne is at Aachen Cathedral. Follow this link to find out more.
Another example that is worth mentioning is the App Relax with Nature. Although this is not a classic example from tourism, the app takes you on a mental journey. Thus you can gather enough strength to cope with this extraordinary situation.
How to Open Your Own VR Travel Destination
From the opposite angle, people who manage tourist sites might be wondering how difficult it is to create a VR experience to attract visitors. The answer is that by using the VRdirect platform, it is not that difficult at all! All you need to take you from inception to publication is a story to tell, a 360° video camera, the VRdirect platform and a bit of guidance from us to get you going. What you do not need is specialist computer skills. In fact, you might already have a lot of the digital media to enhance the VR experience. By using VRdirect, everything is handled on one platform, cutting costs and speeding up getting your experience published.
Read here how we enabled international award-winning photographer Rod Edwards to turn his 360° content into amazing tourist-orientated VR experiences and create his own app to share them.
Now find out more about how important VR is for the travel tourism industry and how VRdirect can help you realize your vision by visiting the page Virtual Reality for Tourism.
No Stopping Us Now
In conclusion, travelling to new and exciting destinations will be problematic for a long time to come, but there is nothing stopping the intrepid adventurer immersing themselves in a VR experience of being there right now. And if you manage a tourist location, there is little stopping you from inviting them there neither. Don’t let the coronavirus pandemic ruin the natural human urge to travel over the horizon, and by way of inspiration, here are Travelmag’s ’10 of the Best Virtual Reality Travel Experiences’.
Stay curious, stay safe, and stay well.
