In our tech-saturated world, the line separating what’s real from what’s simulated is getting really blurry. Virtual tourism is popping up as this new way to see the world, all from the comfort of your couch. Remember the Virtual Boy? That clunky VR headset from Nintendo that didn’t quite take off back in the day? Well, fast forward thirty years, and VR is now changing industries, including how we travel. But the big question is, does this digital wanderlust make us want to go on real adventures, or could it actually replace them, especially with everyone getting more concerned about the environment?
Defining the Virtual Journey
What is virtual tourism anyway? Well, it’s basically any travel experience you can have remotely using digital tools, often using VR headsets to really immerse you. If you look at studies in economics and management, they define it as getting lost in a virtual world for either fun or to learn something new, making it feel like you’ve actually gone somewhere. It’s pretty different from traditional tourism, where you’re physically moving around, interacting with things in real life, and experiencing things like the feel of the ocean or the smell of street food.
This idea really took off during those global lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, when no one could travel. Virtual tours became a way to escape, and places like the Louvre Museum got over 10 million visitors online in just a couple of months. Even now, after the pandemic, these experiences are still part of how we travel, and that brings up an important question: Can virtual tourism help make the travel industry more sustainable, since it’s known for not being very eco-friendly?
The Allure of Digital Previews
As tech got more advanced in the 2010s, we started seeing more advanced virtual tourism apps. These let you “visit” popular spots around the world without actually going there. For a lot of people, these virtual trips are like little previews, kind of like digital “appetizers” that get you excited for the real thing. Young people seem to really like them. In 2023, around 34% of people aged 16 to 24 and 35% of those aged 25 to 34 had tried VR.
But, virtual experiences can also be a substitute for real trips in some situations, like if you don’t have enough money, if it’s not safe to travel, or if you’re worried about the environment. Still, they don’t quite give you the same feeling as a real trip. You can’t really capture smells, tastes, or those unexpected moments that make travel so special in a VR simulation.
Price can also be an issue. Some of the fancier VR headsets, like the Apple Vision Pro, which costs €3,999 in Europe, are only for a small group of people. The good news is that there are more affordable options out there, like headsets that work with your phone or standalone ones like the Meta Quest 3 (€549) and the Quest 3S (€329). Like most tech, prices will probably go down, which could make VR more accessible to everyone.
Environmental Wins and Social Inclusivity
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One of the best things about virtual tourism is how little it impacts the environment. Since you don’t need planes, trains, or cars, it’s a much more eco-friendly way to travel. One study even showed that it lines up with 12 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 42 of their 169 targets, which is like a 25% contribution.
Think about how much you save on emissions. A round-trip flight from Paris to New York creates about 1.7 tonnes of CO₂ per person, which is about the same as how much a French household uses for heating in a year, according to the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME). Virtual travel avoids this completely.
The lockdowns in 2020 really highlighted this benefit. Between January and April, global CO₂ emissions dropped by 1,749 million tonnes—a 14.3% decrease from 2019—mostly because transportation stopped (that accounted for 58% of the reduction). In Venice, the canals became crystal clear with fish visible because there weren’t any tourists, which was a stark reminder of how much tourism affects the environment.
Virtual tourism can also help with overtourism in places that are already struggling with too many visitors. UNESCO started an initiative in 2021 to create virtual tours of Machu Picchu to reduce the pressure on the site. Protecting Peruvian heritage while managing tourist flow echoes in locales like Italy’s Pompeii or Paris’s Eiffel Tower.
Beyond just ecology, virtual tourism significantly broadens access. The World Health Organization indicates 16% of people globally face mobility issues; add to this low-income households and older individuals struggling with extensive travel. Virtual options, devoid of journey or lodging costs, make exploration accessible and equitable – a point needing greater emphasis in social justice discussions.
Blending Virtual and Real Experiences
Virtual tourism doesn’t need to replace physical adventures; often, it enhances them. Airlines and travel firms increasingly use VR previews to attract clients. For example, Lufthansa has offered VR headsets in airport lounges for pre-flight destination glimpses. Back in 2016, Club Med pioneered virtual tours of its Maldives resorts, and Katie Wignall, a London guide, led engaging virtual tours of places like Buckingham Palace, reaching many across distances.
These instances showcase a beneficial synergy. Virtual resources prepare visitors, extend experiences after the trip, or give viable options when real travel isn’t feasible.
The Virtual Tourism Future: Harmony or Handover to AI?
Ideally, virtual and in-person tourism shouldn’t be at odds; they could complement one another. Digital spaces provide education, preparation, and environmentally sound choices, while real-world travel fulfills our fundamental need for sensory involvement—observing a sunset, feeling a city’s atmosphere, or connecting with different cultures.
However, rapidly advancing AI could blur the line. AI-powered entities could create custom, ever-changing VR environments that closely replicate reality, even offering new sensory experiences. This begs the question: How much of our desire to travel will we hand over to algorithm-generated escapes?
As VR develops, virtual tourism serves as a symbol for sustainable, inclusive exploration. It may not eliminate the excitement of packing, but it could help our planet become greener—and our perspectives wider—from our homes.