Virtual travel:
Can the concept liberate a world stuck at home?
I think I have found the perfect virtual travel experience, said Erin Riley in OutsideOnline .com. While countless destinations around the world offer small online tastes of their reallife wonders, the tourism board of the remote and spectacular Faroe Islands has devised “a fun way to make us feel like we’re there.” On a regular basis, one or another earnest Faroese citizen straps on a helmet equipped with a small camera and starts wandering—by foot, kayak, horseback, or even helicopter—through some astounding landscape in the sparsely populated Danish archipelago. Better yet, the guide supplies running commentary while being steered left, right, forward, and back by viewers taking short turns commanding an on-screen control panel. The guide can even be prompted to jump in place, and as much as the device is a great way to enjoy the beauty of the islands, “it’s an even better way to experience the unique charm of the Faroese people.”
But rewarding virtual travel experiences remain hard to find, said Angela Chen in NationalGeographic.com. Though online tourism is experiencing a surge in popularity as shut-in would-be travelers scout bucket-list options, “there’s a big gap between using virtual reality to ‘try before you buy’ and treating virtual reality like the destination itself.” Sure, you can find short video tours or detailed and navigable 360-degree still views of Machu Picchu or almost any major destination on Earth.
But if true immersion is your goal, “the technology isn’t ready yet.” Virtual-reality apps, including Google Cardboard, which requires $10 to $20 viewing goggles, aren’t very impressive. VR headsets, meanwhile, are “expensive, heavy, can cause nausea, and aren’t comfortable to wear for more than 30 minutes.” And you won’t smell or taste anything, let alone mingle with locals.
The experience should get better, said Toby Skinner in BBC.com. One expert I spoke to predicted that in the 2030s you will be able to spray tiny transistors onto your skin that will allow you to feel the sun’s rays and the ocean’s spray. Even sooner, we should have augmented reality contact lenses that do away with goggles. For now, you need to be selective, said William O’Connor in TheDailyBeast .com. Museums are worth visiting when the spaces themselves are “so over-the-top that even wandering through them on your screen is a delight.” I also recommend interactive travel experiences such as Discover Puerto Rico’s Instagram Live classes on cooking and salsa dancing. Google Treks, which lets you follow famous hiking trails, such as the Grand Canyon’s south rim trail, with 360-degree panoramic views, at least provides an unscripted experience. For me, though, watching wildlife live on streaming camera feeds, like those at Explore.org, “is still the best virtual escape there is.”