Virtual Reality and the Demise of the Travel Industry
I have a beloved aunt that frequently refers to herself as an “armchair tourist”. I’ll call her to give the low down on my own ongoing travels to which she will respond that her iPad “views of Switzerland are just incredible at the moment”. Eventually, we hang up, perfectly satisfied with our shared love of world exploration, albeit, using very different modes of doing so. Traveling from the comfort of her own home. I can see the appeal, especially when the virtual reality (VR) community is consistently over-achieving at their art. Which has led me to questioning, will virtual travel ever be a real thing?
VR recently went mainstream, and it did so in the form of a little thing called Pokemon Go. You may recall a mildly obsessive, phone-fixed cohort of gamers roaming the streets to find their coveted avatar. And when they weren’t seeking them out, they were talking about seeking them out — basically the crossfitters of the gaming world. To many industries, this was a litmus test — the take-away being that the world is ready for augmented reality. With this, the VR industry has gone into overdrive, producing experiences and tangible technology that have the ability to ‘transport’ users to different times and places.
Today, apps like Ascape have been designed to give 360 degree tours of specific destinations — a more sophisticated version of Google street view, specifically aimed at those looking to explore exotic locations. In fact, Google itself has developed a VR feature, so that users (who start from space) are able to experience themed tours at a bird’s eye view of the globe in high res. Other apps, like Boulevard, are focused on showcasing various museums and cultural sites through 3D renderings.
The future of VR will go beyond the headsets and controllers we see today. It will be much more sensory. While VR is currently very much a visual experience, experts foresee the experience to eventually submerge users into worlds where all the senses are stimulated. As Frank Azor of Alienware explains, “Once you begin catering to the rest of the senses, like what we feel body-wise, temperature-wise, and smell, the reality factor of virtual reality [becomes] stronger and the virtual piece begins to fade.”
There is no doubt that virtual travel is possible. Actually, it’s already here in its infancy. The real question is surrounding its demand.
Virtual travel is effortless, convenient, and vast. But most of all, it’s a lot cheaper than physical travel. The cost of travelling has been on the rise over the last few decades, and while its difficult to assess the significance of this within the context of all the factors that are at play in the current day, it’s certain that travel costs are a major deterrent to many would-be travellers. Virtual travel very seamlessly fills a gap here, especially when society is becoming increasingly more “plugged in”.
As it stands, VR is really a travel industry team player; it’s fast becoming an innovative tool to promote and market various destinations, hotels and experiences. It’s also difficult to argue that there is anything better than the real deal when it comes to global exploration. But that being said, it’s still a fascinating exercise to reimagine VR as a potential competing industry. And if, one day, VR as a new travel phenomenon does gain momentum? I’ll cry myself all the way to airline sales pages. VR — we welcome you.
