Could virtual reality trips replace real travel? With VR headset tours already here and the metaverse afoot, experts weigh in
- Virtual tourism got a big boost during the pandemic, with VR trips around cities and museums becoming increasingly popular, but will this trend continue?
- Researchers think virtual travel will remain, but only ‘where it makes sense’, allowing previews of places and as a substitute for those unable to take trips
From your sofa, climb Mount Everest, visit a museum in New York or dive through a coral reef: virtual experiences have received an enormous boost from the pandemic.
This has not gone unnoticed by the travel and leisure industry. No longer is the technology being used just for their marketing, but also as a product. Is the hype here to stay? And if so, where is the journey heading?
Two experts – Armin Brysch, who researches this topic at Kempten University of Applied Sciences, and Tristan Horx, who studies new trends at the Zukunftsinstitut (future institute) in Frankfurt, Germany – share their thoughts about the future of virtual reality travel.
A visitor needs to book a 30-minute appointment on the authority’s website, with the tour using a video phone call via Zoom. Once connected, a tour guide virtually surfs through the streets of Madrid, stopping at places when the visitor has questions.