Virtual Travel from Your Couch

Your vacation plans this year may look different than you thought, but that doesn’t mean you can’t travel. You can Virtual Travel from your couch – and you don’t even have to pack a suitcase!

It’s an understatement to say that the travel and tourism industry is feeling the impact of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak which has reached nearly every country.  This great industry that is an integral part of our lives remains strong at an uncertain time.

Being stuck inside doesn’t mean you can’t travel. In the digital age, isolation presents an opportunity for exploration around the globe – all at the tap of your fingers. In fact, you can enjoy some of the best destinations and attractions from the comfort of your couch. And a trip anywhere (even if it’s a virtual one) sounds way better than just a lot of boredom, a lot of Netflix, and a lot of browsing the internet.

So, plop down on the couch and travel or take a tour through some of the planet’s greatest

destinations and attractions. From museums to national parks, all have been doing their part to help entertain and inform the masses during this difficult time.

Google Earth has put together its “Discover Hawaii” featuring the beautiful islands of Hawaii where you can go island-hopping and check out the black lava rock cliffs, lush rainforests, volcanoes and historic sites.  It’s the next best thing to being there.

Another great website https://www.gohawaii.com/ lets you discover the beauty, culture and adventures waiting for you on the Hawaiian Islands. Find travel information and plan your perfect vacation as well as taking a virtual tour of the Hawaiian Islands to see all of the thrills, beauty, culture, history and more.

A number of zoos and aquariums may have shut their doors to the public, but live cams at the San Diego Zoo lets can still experience your favorite animals while social distancing. Viewers have the option of watching live cams or archived footage of pandas Bai Yun and Xiao Liwu.  Known for its regional focus on the marine habitats the  Monterey Bay Aquarium gives viewers the chance to watch birds, jellyfish, penguins and even sharks from the comfort of their own home.  Sea Otters. Beluga Whales and  Piranhas are just some of the mesmerizing marine life that Atlanta’s Georgia Aquarium is putting on display for free from its website.

If National Parks is your thing, you can visit them too.

Yellowstone National Park, which spans three different states, is well known as a tourist hotbed. Thanks to the National Park Service (NPS), its offering virtual tours of some of its most visited and hard-to-reach features, including Fountain Paint Pot, Mammoth Hot Springs, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Mud Volcano, and Norris Geyser Basin. If the dramatic peaks of Yosemite National Park in California are more to your liking, head to VirtualYosemite.org for a look at the state’s most-visited national park.

If exploring some of the world’s classics has been on your bucket list, then there is no time like the present to pop over to Google Arts & Culture for a complete roundup on digital museums around the planet.

In a world where travel is restricted, you don’t have to miss out just because you’re stuck at home. You can turn to the Internet to virtually trot the globe without stepping foot outside. You can still tour the world while you practice social distancing. You can support the industry by planning to visit some of these amazing places in person when life returns to normal.  There are great deals to be had if you’re planning ahead, and the tourism industry would be so grateful for the support.

We are #tourismstrong