Virtual tours of China giving a ‘try before you buy’ taste of the country – and could be what the tourism industry needs when physical travel resumes
- Virtual reality is helping tour operators in China survive the pandemic but will only ever be the ‘next best thing’ while technical limitations remain
- Their true worth could be in helping potential tourists decide if a country is worth visiting and drumming up positive publicity at a difficult time
Cao Wenfei, a freelance tour guide, has spent the past four years leading tour groups, both foreign and domestic, around Shanghai and the surrounding region. In May, with international travel shut down by the Covid-19 pandemic, he did what many tour operators around the world had started doing after finding themselves suddenly idle: he began hosting virtual visits.
“I try my best to give them a tour that’s as engaging as an in-person one,” Cao says. “But the experience is completely different. The guests don’t ask as many questions. They’re not as wowed by an attraction.”
Cao’s physical tours used to last for at least half a day but his virtual ones are only a couple of hours long, because it’s harder to hold people’s interest and some attractions remain closed, he says.
“Bookings are down 70 to 75 per cent for the virtual tours, in comparison to in-person tours before the pandemic,” he says, adding that he also has to charge each visitor less. “I don’t know if I can realistically keep making a living this way forever. It’s an alternative source of income for now. Without it I’d be unemployed.”