Virtual Tours - A Sustainable, More Inclusive Way To Travel

Picture this, you’re sipping a freshly brewed coffee to the soundscape of bustling Piazza San Marco admiring the passing gondolas and watching the busy Venetian shopkeepers haggling at the morning market. Later in the day, you sit face to face with a conservationist who takes you on a tour of Kruger National Park while regaling you with stories of his close encounters with the big five. 

You’ve experienced all this through a virtual tour that's taken place in your comfortable living room. By doing so, you've sidestepped the minefield of rapid tests, ever-changing country entry restrictions, and without a thought if your travel plans will be derailed by staff shortages or bad weather. While virtual tours rose to popularity during the early days of the pandemic, it’s clear that it’s a way of travel that’s here to stay. Accessible, affordable, and sustainable, it’s a supplemental (and sometimes exclusive) way for many to keep exploring while also contributing to local communities around the world. 

It’s A Way To Give Back 
The tourism industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic and on-ground tour guides have been one of the most impacted individuals. Beeyonder provides an online space for local authentic experiences (by independent guides and tour operators) to be accessed remotely by anyone with an internet connection, regardless of location or time zone. In addition, by supporting live options like Namaste Delhi by Women for the World and the Walking Tour of Arenal Volcano National Park by Alejandro Cano Ospina it directly contributes to the livelihood of expert guides and the communities and local economies they support. 

Travel Without Contributing To CO2 Emissions
According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, greenhouse gas emissions from commercial flights makeup around 2% of the world's total carbon emissions, and are expected to triple by 2050. For individuals committed to not using air travel, or reducing their reliance on it to make climate change a priority, virtual tours are a way to satisfy their wanderlust at no cost to the environment. As a bonus, virtual experiences often offer once-in-a-lifetime closer encounters and experiences that would not be easily accessible to the masses otherwise. 

Unlock Exotic, Immersive Experiences, Sustainably
From the icebergs of Antarctica to the salt flats of Bolivia, Beeyonder’s virtual tours offer a convenient way to experience unusual encounters with wildlife or visit world-famous attractions that’s both affordable and inclusive. By choosing to visit a place virtually, it alleviates over-crowding from popular hotspots and vulnerable heritage sites that are in danger of being ruined by over-tourism. It also helps environmentally-conscious nature reserves, conservation centers, and wildlife foundations like the Royal Albatross Centre attract visitors to participate in their mission without overly stressing the animals.

It’s Accessible, Affordable, and Inclusive 
Planning a big family vacation is a logistical nightmare. From having to juggle everyone’s work and school schedules, putting in for vacation time, and then there’s the daily hurdle of deciding what to do as a group that’s interesting and inclusive of all ages and physical capabilities. By organizing a group virtual experience, families can pick-and-choose different experiences, and still forge meaningful bonds together, without much fuss and within a budget. Beeyonder hosts a variety of shared experiences: from touring Pablo Picasso’s birthplace, exploring the Great Wall of China and City of David, or admiring the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu from 7,000 feet above sea level, regardless of the choice/choices, beautiful shared memories are assured. 

It Can Be Better Than The Real Deal 
Who doesn’t want to visit Bolivia’s Moon Valley in person or trek Brazil’s Savanna, Chapada dos Veadeiros, a national park full of waterfalls, canyons, and great nature? In theory, in-person experiences may appear more memorable but they could be a total wash as well if weather conditions are not on your side, or if something unfortunate happens en-route. By choosing a curated virtual experience led by local experts it can be as impactful, immersive, and entertaining as being there itself. 

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