Virtual tourism
Since my childhood days, I’ve often dreamed of visiting faraway places filled with famous sights and lots of colors, scents, and tastes. This naturally included so-called “exotic locations,” the term which is nowadays in the spirit of equality and neutrality of the Internet somewhat discouraged to use. Be as it may, travels were always a dream of every true escapist, though there is less and less that real “adventure” that one traditionally associates with them. Especially if you appreciate comfort and security while loathing all the other “charms” that modern tourism includes.
For me, travels are quite a luxury that, when you have limited means, often falls rather low on the list of priorities. On the other hand, I never could imagine myself surrounded by the mass of sweaty “enthusiasts” on some overpopulated cruiser, in the crowded excursion bus, or while elbowing for a perfect photo opportunity during my first camel ride… Only so I could show an army of Facebook and Instagram followers how cool I am.
Speaking from this perspective, comfortable and safe tourism comes with a hefty price, both the monetary one and in the form of various compromises. Once upon a time, tourists were often unconventional people of a free spirit, profession, and way of life. Today, this is all entirely different, especially if we’re talking about the usual tourism. Here you likely won’t encounter troubled and misunderstood souls with the need for wandering but rather typical examples of the capitalist and consumerist society, as well as the members of some privileged social groups. I like comparing this to motorcycles. They’ve been once ridden by people who wouldn’t fit into the crowd and routine, while today, in most cases, are just another expensive toy of the entitled ones.
Of course, there are always some alternatives available, especially for the brave and resourceful enough and those non-addicted to the general levels of comfort. Frankly, I don’t see myself amongst those as well, but fortunately (or not), there is yet another possibility: virtual tourism. For many hardcore tourists from all over the world, this became a dreaded necessity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but for some (myself included), this is also the quickest, most secure, most comfortable, and most affordable form of tourism. On top of it, I believe that it's sometimes possible to experience, if not live through the spirit of the place better this way than the usual way.
My favorite “tourist destinations” are YouTube channels “Amazing Places On Our Planet” and “Touropia.” Behind the first one stands the videographer and photographer Milosh Kitchovitch whose slogan is “The Beauty of Our Planet Without Words.” This author amazingly succeeds in capturing the genius loci of a particular place, even if those are some planetary popular and often visited sights. With the fantastic eye for details and the tight focus on the subject, Kitchovitch masterfully avoids today's hardly unperceivable human (read: tourist) element and is trying to faithfully reproduce the original shapes, colors, and life of each visited place. True to its premise, “Amazing Places On Our Planet” is entirely devoid of any narration, though always with the accompaniment of subtle music background.
The other channel, “Touropia”, is more like a fashionable tourist guide, including the narration by a sexy female voice, attractive graphic design, and the background music in a chillout style. Although I prefer the above-mentioned “Amazing Places,” there is no doubt that “Touropia” is a top-quality produced and often entertaining yet informative channel. Also, its crew probably has larger resources on hand, so it's more likely that you’ll be able to “visit” a specific tourist destination you’re interested in.
Although most people might argue that virtual tourism cannot possibly replace the real thing, its benefits are quite obvious. If nothing else, this is yet another foolproof way to escape from reality and everyday troubles.