Right now, we can only travel through photographs, videos, and online tours—the more immersive, the better.
To make virtual tours much more exciting, Agoda has put together a guide that lets everyone explore the world while at home based on travelers’ favorite destinations in 2019, correlated with the results of a usage and attitude (U&A) survey the online travel platform recently commissioned.
According to the survey, nature views, beaches, food and dining, landmarks, and culture are the top five reasons people travel around the world.
Top 5: Culture
The U&A survey found that culture—artefacts, dance, the arts—is the fifth highest reason people travel globally.
“‹Any visit to New York is not complete without a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and since we can’t visit the museum yet, The Met 360 project invites people to virtually visit the Met’s art and architecture in a fresh, immersive way. Experience the wide expanse of its six halls, which include The Great Hall, The Cloisters, The Temple of Dendur, The Met Breuer, The Charles Engelhard Court, and Arms and Armor Galleries.
Top 4: Cultural landmarks
Globally, the fourth highest reason why people travel is to see cultural landmarks.
Enjoy a digital sightseeing trip to the Eiffel Tower, the most-visited paid monument in the world. Or go on a virtual tour at The Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City, which is visited by millions of people every year.
The Internet has also made it possible to explore the Sistine Chapel or Raphael’s Rooms via the Vatican Museums’ 360-degree tours and videos.
Top 3: Food and dining
Survey says experiencing food and dining at their destination of choice is the top three over-all travel motivation. For travelers from Asia, this is the top reason.
Just because we can’t travel doesn’t mean we can’t explore the vibrant flavors of the world’s cuisine. But how?
Replicate Michelin-star dishes with famous Italian chef Massimo Bottura, the man behind #KitchenQuarantine, who is encouraging chefs and people from around the world to recreate food they seek out during their travels.
Those who want a break from watching episodes of Queer Eye but cannot get over Antoni Porowski, can check out his easy cooking recipes. Better still, take on the challenge and cook alongside American filmmaker-turned-chef Andrew Rea on Binging with Babish.
Top 2: Beaches/Islands
Beaches and islands are the second favorite global reason to travel. While we might need to wait a while until we can feel the sand between our toes again, there are still ways to experience the magic of the ocean.
Dating back 10,000 years, the Buck Island Reef National Park off the US Virgin Islands houses many unique corals and sea life. Take National Geographic’s guided dive with marine life photographer Brian Skerry and drift around to view the spectacular details of this unique and protected barrier reef, and watch sea turtle hatchlings make their way into the ocean at night.
For something local, go on a virtual island hopping tour of Caramoan in Camarines Sur with 360-degree views of its pristine beaches and interesting shoreline rock formations.
Top 1: Nature/Scenery
The number one motivation to travel for explorers across the world is nature and scenery.
Renowned for its great outdoors, Canada offers so much beauty to explore. Gaze into the magical night skies for glimpses of the Northern Lights streamed live every night or check out Banff National Park, with its variety of videos allowing viewers to “trek” across the country’s oldest national park, Johnston Canyon.
Indonesia’s beautiful island of Bali is often referred to as paradise on Earth, known for its volcanic mountains, rice paddy fields, and bone white beaches. Get away virtually to the many beaches of Bali, while staying safe at home.
Japan is also popular among travelers what with its postcard-pretty sites, as seen in JNTO’s tourism promotion campaign video, “Visit Japan.” The video highlights 16 of Japan’s most unique attractions such as the Tokyo Tower, Kyoto’s Sagano Bamboo Forest, and the torii gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine.
