Virtual Travel by 2024?

In 10 years, travellers will be able to test out the waters of the Great Barrier Reef or the Dead Sea using virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift before booking their trip. Language barriers will break down thanks to wearable technology like smart contact lenses, which will be able to provide immediate translations, while a virtual travel companion akin to Siri will take the stress out of holiday planning. These are among some of the striking predictions made by The Future Laboratory and 56 trend experts and futurologists in a report entitled “The Future of Travel 2024," commissioned by online booking site Skyscanner. In a fictional scenario set in 2024, TOM (Traveler of the Millennium) has just come off a series of 60-hour work weeks and is burned out. His digital travel companion, Siri, meanwhile, has noticed this and of its own accord, suggests he take a holiday by streaming travel ideas on his windows -- underwater hotels, a safari to see elephants in the wild before they become extinct, or a holiday at one of the new space hotels in low orbit. With one sentence, “Book me a seat, Siri,” the holiday planning is complete .

Online holiday planning will become even more customized thanks to intuitive and nuanced technologies. For example, tools like facial coding algorithms will allow search engines to read human expressions and adjust their results based on the user’s reactions and response. “The travel industry has evolved a great deal over the past ten years so trying to predict what the next ten years has in store has been fascinating,” said Skyscanner’s head of B2B, Filip Filipov. “With so many emerging technologies it is mind-boggling to imagine just what their impact on travel could be. This report is a sneak peek into the future and it’s only the start of the journey.”

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I can understand why this would seem appealing to some, who just can't find the time to get away, or need a quick pick me up via tricking their brain into believing they took a grand holiday. But I cannot picture myself using technology like this. There is no amount of strictly visual stimulation that could ever replace actual travel for me. I realize this is hopefully going to be used to generate actual travel,but we all know how technology makes us more lazy versus more adventurous.There is just so much that excites all the senses, the sounds the smells, the feel of warm sand between your toes and the breeze on your skin. The taste of foreign foods and the sense of peacefulness that comes from being away from the everyday. They would have to come up with a machine that stimulates all the senses and 100% accurately simulates the full experience of traveling for me to even consider it. I guess I would need a " Total Travel Recall" machine.
Anyone else think this is cool to try?

reply to post by AccessDenied


Virtual reality would be cool for gaming and fun, the whole business side sounds dull. I don't like the sound of a future where business is still slowing the progress of technology! No amount of material technology could beat the advancement of moving past money

Kinda cool but i like actual travelling. I could consider something like this as a "record" of my actual trip.. a memory journey souvenier to myself.

dollukka
Kinda cool but i like actual travelling. I could consider something like this as a "record" of my actual trip.. a memory journey souvenier to myself.

I like the way that idea sounds!

reply to post by AccessDenied

In 10 years, travellers will be able to test out the waters of the Great Barrier Reef or the Dead Sea using virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift before booking their trip

Lol how is the Oculus going to let you "test out the waters"? It's nothing more than some huge unwieldy goggles, it doesn't give a full virtual reality experience. We are a long way off that sort of VR technology.

reply to post by ChaoticOrder


I guess they assume they will create that advancement to their product by then.

reply to post by AccessDenied

I wouldn't think a VR sight and sound experience would be enough. They need to have to smell, taste and touch. I like the idea of a Total Recall type device that captures the whole experience of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and emotions.

Would be great for dieters, have a small meal but download a multiple course experience to feel satisfied.

reply to post by Bramble Iceshimmer


I agree. There is no substitute for the real thing. I suppose we will always need a vacation to escape technology,and you can't use virtual reality for that.