Quote from Harald A. Friedl on 23. May 2020, 12:26

Dear Doan, I agree with you to a very far extent. Big changes, big opportunities, also to fight against overtourism - but also big risks:
Many people are already addicted to mobile internet. This is changing communicational culture, and also culture of behaviour.. I am not so sure if I want to live in a world full of "Smombies" = Smartphone-Zombies... But this is the challenge with every new technology. We have to cultivate it...

Another thing is the ecological consequence. I am afraid it is not that shiny as most people think. Certainly, to stream a virtual visit needs much less energy than flying there. But the emerge of streaming brings also the need for electrical energy to an explosion. Up to now, this is still produced, to a very lage extent, by burning coal... Not so much contribution to save the climate...

Thanks, bye, Harry

Quote from Adis Krdzalic on 26. May 2020, 12:16

Dear Doan, I would agree that the Corona situation will probably force all other industries to digitalize their business, but we have to consider one question: Are people ready to accept virtual tourism. Honestly, from my perspective, traveling was the only way to escape from real-life, obligations, work, etc. and I wouldn't accept to travel virtually. Anyway, it´s my personal point of view and some people would probably be fine with it.
Bye,
Adis

Quote from Harald A. Friedl on 27. May 2020, 18:48

Dear friends, I would go even further:
Is the boost for digitalisation really such a positiv impact by reduction emissions. Certainly, some flights might be saved, but in the same time,

1. virtual travelling will even more stimulate desires for exotic destinations
2.  and the boost of all those digital networks and streaming services are needing enourmously mounts of energy, about which all those apologetes for digitalisation are not talking at all...

This fits very well to the little survey (one question), initiated by Adis (THANKS!) about how the Corona-crisis will influence the general  environmental behaviour after the end of the crisis.
Please give your short vote here:

https://www.tourist.fh-joanneum.at/network/topic/is-the-coronavirus-crisis-benefiting-the-environment/#postid-164

Thanks, Harry

Quote from Lara Aguirre on 21. March 2021, 16:09

Hello everyone! I think that virtual tourism can be a preliminary step to help you choose a destination and get an idea of what you are going to find on your holiday, but it cannot replace real trips where you are looking for new experiences such as enjoying the food, the weather, meeting local people, etc. In addition, there are still some people who are older or do not have access to the necessary technologies for virtual tourism, so I think there are still a few years to go before the virtual experience is possible and complete. But this is just my opinion and I hope that virtual tourism will continue to progress. Thank you!

Quote from Zhou Rukang on 22. March 2021, 0:16

Hi,

I think the virtual tour is more used to check the destination information, even in the future it is not possible to replace the trip, the most interesting part of the tour is the experience you get in each trip, rather than the results you get after the tour, across the screen even ar technology, what you experience is completely different, if one day in the future, all our lives have to rely on electronic technology and network, it will also be a sad.

Thanks!

 

Quote from Harald A. Friedl on 22. March 2021, 17:50

Quote from Lara Aguirre on 21. March 2021, 16:09

Hello everyone! I think that virtual tourism can be a preliminary step to help you choose a destination and get an idea of what you are going to find on your holiday, but it cannot replace real trips where you are looking for new experiences such as enjoying the food, the weather, meeting local people, etc. In addition, there are still some people who are older or do not have access to the necessary technologies for virtual tourism, so I think there are still a few years to go before the virtual experience is possible and complete. But this is just my opinion and I hope that virtual tourism will continue to progress. Thank you!

Dear Lara, I absolutely agree with you: It is - to make it simple - a modern marketing tool for the digital native and those who are following.
It is just another instrument to attract potential travellers.
What I see critical, as I was the invited speaker on the last Global Strike for Climate at the 19th of March in Graz, Austria, invited by Fridays for Future:
What is our responsibility - and even more - our perspective in the face of a growing climate crisis if we simply continue to maximize attraction by sophisticated marekting instruments in order to return into a simple "more of the same"? What do you think? Simply don't caring as it will be mainly tropical costal regions who will suffer first?

Quote from Harald A. Friedl on 22. March 2021, 17:57

Quote from Zhou Rukang on 22. March 2021, 0:16

Hi,

I think the virtual tour is more used to check the destination information, even in the future it is not possible to replace the trip, the most interesting part of the tour is the experience you get in each trip, rather than the results you get after the tour, across the screen even ar technology, what you experience is completely different, if one day in the future, all our lives have to rely on electronic technology and network, it will also be a sad.

Thanks!

 

Dear Zhou, again a lot of agreement. But nevertheless there are several questions arising by this perspective:
First: At the moment I am involved with a litte study about ecologic impacts of virtual conferences such as the ITB in Berlin which is replaced - at the moment - by virtual meetings due to covid19. We want to find out if digital "travelling" in case of conference tourism is - due to saving flight emissions - really significantly less problematic then flying.
Second: The emerging of digitalisation, big data, global networks and specifically data grabbing and analysing will lead to bigger and more dangerous challenges concerning the security and protection of individual righs. We can see already in the case of China where total digital control is leading to in its extreme forms. Certainly, there won't be a "stop" of digitalisation as we are just at the beginn of this booming field, but I wonder, if tourists won't become - at least some of them - more cautious about their expositon to the unsave digital world with all the potential criminal dangers...