The current COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown have already taken a toll on many of us. Never in living memory have we had to make such huge concessions in terms of our lifestyles to accommodate such an unforeseen and unprecedented threat to public health. The lockdown has hurt many industries, but travel and tourism have been absolutely decimated, with airlines clamouring for multi-billion pound public bailouts. Those of us who love travel are, quite understandably, climbing the walls in frustration right now.
While the plummet in consumer demand may make for some very cheap getaways in the near future, there are many of us who won’t feel comfortable stepping into a plane for a good long time. These are frustrating times to be sure. But could technology give us a helping hand when we need it the most?
Here we’ll look at some of the ways in which VR can help us in these travel-deprived times…
VR Vacations- Yup, they’re a thing!
Okay, so nobody’s suggesting that a VR holiday is a substitute for the real thing. However, they can be very exciting and fun in their own right. Look at them as a highly immersive form of research when thinking of new destinations to visit in the future. Avid gamers may already use the Oculus platform. What they may not know, however, is that there are a range of travel apps that can facilitate immersive VR vacations in a wide variety of locations from all over the world. Okay, so you won’t be able to but street food in Bangkok or smell the cherry blossom gardens of Tokyo, but it can scratch the phantom itch left by the absence of travel for the time being.
It can help you to change your career
It’s not just the logistics of lockdown living that have put the kybosh on many people’s travel plans. It’s the impact that the pandemic has had on their finances. While some are lucky enough to still be able to do their jobs from home, there are many who will have lost their income or their livelihoods. From freelancers whose clients can no longer afford to use them to those working on zero hours contracts or within the gig economy who lack the safety nets afforded by more traditional careers. Many of us are worrying how we’re going to make the money to fund our next overseas adventures. Fortunately, VR can help here, too.
There are all kinds of career / training applications for VR. Avid drivers, for instance, can use VR to train as an instructor. As VR technology becomes more ubiquitous and affordable, we can expect all kinds of careers and employers to start implementing VR training to get your finances back on track and help you to achieve financial independence.
It can transport us to fictional worlds
Finally, VR has many applications outside of gaming. But we shouldn’t underestimate the importance of games in helping us get through the lockdown with our morale intact. VR allows us to travel to fictional worlds, meet exotic creatures from realms of fantasy… and fight them! While VR gaming may not scratch our travel itch completely, it can actually help to salve it by transporting you to immersive computer generated environments.