341 Virtual Travel

Confession time: I'd long assumed that virtual travel was a very inferior cousin to in-real-life travel. But then Covid hit, I experienced a couple of virtual tours, and really did feel transported to Thailand and China for an hour or two. Those kind of virtual tours are just the tip of the virtual travel iceberg though, and in this episode I speak with three people approaching virtual travel in different - and wonderful! - ways.  First, I chat with Chiara Barbera about her "Assaggio" platform, which gives us a window into Italian culture that would be hard to get even as the average tourist visiting Italy in person. I then speak with DayAway founder Martha Waslen, who points out many ways that virtual experiences can truly be thoughtful ones. Finally, my conversation with Chris Magnuson about his Streetview Vagabond videos shows me just how well you can connect with people without setting foot in their country. Links: Chiara’s Assaggio platform - https://experience-assaggio.com/ Martha’s DayAway platform - https://mydayaway.com Chris’s website - https://www.streetviewvagabond.com/  Streetview Vagabond on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/streetviewvagabond/  Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com  Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/341 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.