Virtual travel: go wherever you want without leaving the house

Virtual travel is a concept without apparent disadvantages: it is cost-saving, environmentally friendly, and extremely relaxing.

Just like our smartphones, smart glasses are getting more and more advanced. Here we see a model from the company Meta, the 'Oculus Meta Quest 2' virtual reality headset, displayed in 2022.

Virtual trips are much cheaper and less time-consuming than actual trips. Plus, they are especially useful if you're stressed at the prospect of the crowds you'd encounter on your real trip.

Or if you'd rather not hear rolling suitcases when you stroll through Venice. The city itself may have less than fifty thousand inhabitants, but millions stroll through the streets every year.

Photo: Kit Suman / Unsplash

Countless other destinations are prey to tourism, such as the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, the Senso-ji Temple, the Tower of Pisa, Times Square, Buckingham Palace, and the Great Wall of China. You can make things easier for yourself as a traveler and for the people in these cities by going there virtually.

Photo: Chris Karidis / Unsplash

According to PC Magazine, you can get good VR headsets in the price range of 350 to 3500 dollars in stores like Walmart, Amazon, or Apple. While they come with different kinds of features, they have in common that they're around the same price range as a round trip to a tourist destination, near or far.

Photo: Elizeu Dias / Unsplash

Currently, experiments are being conducted with virtual travel as a possible solution to issues of crowding, environmental costs, and economic inhibitions. Modern Virtual Reality technology can now give you the impression that you are physically present in a different location.

Photo: Giu Vicente / Unsplash

Several VR travel apps allow users to explore the world through photos, videos, and data.

Photo: Christian Wiediger / Unsplash

Some apps even let you travel back in time or visit fictional destinations. For those who value learning while traveling, there are apps providing in-depth historical information about specific areas and wonders of the world.

Photo: Daria Nepriakhina / Unsplash

In The Netherlands, VR is being tested as we speak. 'Nu:Reality', launched in 2023, has brought virtual reality to three cinemas in the Netherlands. Its partners are companies from the film industry that are not only curious about the possibilities and future of film but also trying to use their technology to compete with the travel industry.

Photo: Jake Hills / Unsplash

'Nu:Reality' presents interactive experiences that can be enjoyed individually as well as a group program in which you watch three so-called 360 VR experiences together with other visitors.

Photo: Laurens Derks / Unsplash

In the 'cinema' hall, every visitor wears their own VR glasses. The sound comes through the cinema speakers, offering added value compared to the built-in headphones of most VR headsets. You're seeing things individually but hearing the same sound effects as a group.

Photo: Stella Jacob / Unsplash

The travel industry itself has also embraced this development, although it is mostly a tool to promote actual, on-site travel. Agencies use VR technology to present destinations to customers using videos and 360-degree photos.

Photo: Kelsey Knight / Unsplash

However, there are some caveats to virtual travel. For one, it's doubtful whether headsets and glasses really help people travel to escape their daily routine.

Photo: Vinicius Amnx Amano / Unsplash

The feeling of an escape can be difficult to reproduce if you have to meet daily obligations as soon as you take off the glasses.

Photo: Jeshoots Com / Unsplash

Moreover, physical experiences often give you unique memories, such as meeting locals, enjoying authentic dishes in local restaurants, and feeling the atmosphere of the place. None of these can be 'programmed' in advance.

Photo: Majkl Velner / Unsplash

So even if virtual travel is becoming increasingly popular, it is unlikely that physical travel will disappear. Real trips offer the opportunity to create unique stories and personal memories, something you cannot (yet) achieve with virtual travel.

Photo: Annie Spratt / Unsplash

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