Virtual Tours

We are travelling again, and I hear horror stories of waits in line, and missed or delayed planes. It seems the travel industry is having trouble keeping up with or meeting the pent-up demand. While travel came to a near standstill during the coronavirus pandemic, technology stepped in and allowed a person to visit almost any place on the planet in the blink of an eye. So, as we move back to travel and as prices skyrocket, there is an option that technology offered during the pandemic that is still available.  Virtual tours can help decrease isolation, and remove stress, improve your mood and your mental health, well-being, and memory. They allow us to revisit places we want to go back to or find new places to engage our imagination.

In 2021, according to Google Keyword Planner data, searches for the term “virtual tour” increased seven times—from 1,300 in February to almost 10,000 in March. Do you like to travel but find it too expensive or your health does not allow you to take the trips you want to take? You may have heard of virtual tours. One of the virtual tours that I use is called Heygo and it is here https://www.heygo.com/home  Another site that offers interesting tours is https://beeyonder.com/ and finally, Team building is another site that offers tours. Here is  their list of 69 top tours 

 https://teambuilding.com/blog/virtual-tours

A virtual tour is a simulation of an existing location, usually composed of a sequence of videos or still images. It may also use other multimedia elements such as sound effects, music, narration, and text. It is distinguished from the use of live television to affect tele-tourism. 

Most virtual tours are not free, but they are cheaper than the actual travel costs. The guides are excellent and give value to the money you pay. Heygo runs its tours on a tip-supported basis to make them as accessible as possible. They are free to join, but you have the option to leave a tip during the tour. The majority of your tip goes directly to support the creator, while the rest helps Heygo continue to build a place that brings the world closer together. 

Do a search for the best virtual tours and you will come across tours such as the following all of which you can have from the comfort of your couch.

The Louvre

San Diego Zoo

Disney World: 

Great Wall of China: 

Guggenheim: 

Google Arts Project: Street Art

Here is a sampling of some of the tours that Heygo is offering in December in their Seasonal and Special category

Thu 15 Dec

Christmas Season in Perugia · Italy

Spectacular Illumination Park- Budapest’s Newest Winter Attraction Budapest · Hungary

Jack the Ripper & Victorian Times  London · United Kingdom

The Southwark Wife Poisoner London · United Kingdom

Fri 16 Dec

Gods of India  Delhi · India

Sat 17 Dec

Festival of Lights - Midosuji Illumination Osaka · Japan

Brighton’s Christmas Beach Hut Fun Brighton · United Kingdom

Christmas in Spain 🇪🇸: Valencia’s Christmas Market Valencia · Spain

Celebrate Christmas in London (Part 1) Somerset House · United Kingdom

Christmas Walk in Norwich feat. Tunnel of Light Norwich · United Kingdom

Festive lights at the Botanicas, Edinburgh · United Kingdom

Two Vienna Christmas Markets, Austria (Virtual Recap) Vienna · Austria

German Christmas Lights and Decorations Trier · Germany

Kelsey’s Christmas Opera Concert North Pole · Norway

A Cool Carnaby Christmas! Carnaby Street · United Kingdom