What is "cloud travel"?

Under the pandemic, offline tourism has been impacted, but it has catalyzed a new idea of “cloud tourism”. The so-called “cloud travel”, namely "Internet + travel", is to enjoy the fun brought by travel without leaving home, including the use of emerging technologies such as AR, VR, short video, live broadcast, etc. The immersive feeling allows more people to see different scenery through the Internet, and there is an emotional participation of eyes and hearts.

Recently, many museums, art galleries, and tourist attractions have launched online services, and technologies such as panorama and live broadcast have been applied very skillfully. In addition, some well-known concert halls and theaters, including the British National Theatre and the Metropolitan Opera, have also launched free video performances. The "Forbidden City Exhibition" app launched by China's Palace Museum provides VR videos in different exhibition halls, allowing people to enjoy the edification of history and culture at home, adding a little fun to the monotonous or isolated life under the pandemic. For a time, “cloud travel” has become one of the hot topics for people who cannot travel. Technology has given people who love travel more perspectives and options for viewing the world.

However, for true travel enthusiasts, simply providing virtual reality may not be very attractive, and people can't move around freely and subjectively explore, and people get a very different experience from it. But once you start embracing new technologies, disruption begins. The scenic spot has jumped out of the limitation of resources, allowing visitors to have more dimensional cognition, and the electronicization of information and content has brought great convenience to people. This convenience includes many aspects. Taking art exhibitions as an example, many people want to go to the on-site exhibition, but if you calculate it in detail, it will take at least three or four days to see the exhibition from a distance, plus the cost of attractions tickets, air tickets, accommodation, etc. less money. The online exhibition is different, saving all expenses, making the exhibition more efficient and convenient, and also more energy-saving and environmentally friendly. These conveniences also apply to other online activities.

The word "Travel" first appeared in the 14th century. According to the etymology of Weber's dictionary, it comes from a Latin word, which means unpleasant work that consumes physical and mental effort, and can even be extended to pain and torment. Today's airline and hospitality establishments will shake their heads when they hear such a definition, because it seems like the exact opposite of many ideas that do everything they can to provide travelers with a home-like travel experience. Marco Polo, who also experienced all kinds of obstacles and tribulations on the journey. We will understand that travel has never been easy in the past.

Although the modern meaning of travel is not as painful as its original meaning, at least it can be a verb, and it must be displaced and run away from a foreign land. No matter the distance is far or near, you have to step out of your comfort zone, walk the road you have never traveled, and see the sights you have never seen before. As for whether it will feel more comfortable to step out of the comfort zone, or will it be uncomfortable due to being unfamiliar, it varies from person to person.

But “cloud travel”, which removes all travel troubles and saves money and time for people, may not really be considered travel in many people's minds. Because travel is not a knowledge, but an experience. No matter how detailed the information in movies and documentaries is, it cannot bring the shock of standing on Egyptian soil and looking up at the pyramids in person. Similarly, after listening to the perfect sound quality in the audio, I still want to experience the heat wave of the concert.

Indeed, “cloud travel” is not limited by conditions such as time and space. As long as there is time and network, you can travel anytime, anywhere. However, some people said that although the immersive experience of “cloud travel” can relax the mind, it is difficult to meet the needs of physical integration; real travel can meet the full-element experience of eating, traveling, shopping, and entertainment, and can personally experience the benefits of tourism. Therefore, I think that could travel is only an emergency measure under the pandemic situation, and it is an active innovation of emergency management in the tourism industry. “Cloud travel” is complementary rather than substitutes. “Cloud travel” provides pre-travel preparation and post-tour feedback, while real travel provides real-time services and experiences in trip, and provides tourists with complementary advantages. Only by promoting the integrated development of online and offline, and focusing on the extension and improvement of the tourism industry chain, should be the development trend of the tourism industry in the future.