One day in the not-too-distant future, you and your mates might throw on some VR goggles and immediately experience an exotic far-off locale. It would be like traveling without the traveling.
But according to a study done by travel website Italy 4 Real, there will never be anything like the real thing.
Its global survey queried 1,000 adults on the subject of virtual reality and travel. The results illustrated that, while amazing, VR innovations do little to entice people away from taking a real, tangible vacation.
Expedia announced in March that it was preparing technology that would allow consumers to tour accommodations through virtual reality even before booking a trip. It would allow travelers to test drive a hotel of its amenities with unparalleled clarity and sophistication.
At the time, Arthur Chapin, Expedia's Senior Vice President, Product and Design, Singapore, pondered with Mashable: "If you're going to make the decision of [booking] a cruise, wouldn't it be cool if you could check out the ship [virtually] before you spend that much money?"
That's hardly the only VR breakthrough for travel: Club Med, Dubai's Atlantis and Best Western Hotels are just a few of the brands that have launched some sort of VR feature to respective services.
This technology is immersive beyond anything we have seen before, and that's considering all the Instagram and Facebook videos you can watch now. So, it makes sense that some would wonder if the day will come when you can recline in your chair, put on a headset and visit a beach.
That day will most certainly come. You could even turn the heat in your apartment up, import some sand for the living room and order those little umbrellas you stick in tropical drinks.
It doesn't mean you will actually be at the beach, and your brain will know it.
Italy 4 Real's survey suggests a general cynicism when it comes to VR filling in for the real thing.
According to the study, 81 percent of respondents believe VR will always be second fiddle to physical travel. It also found that a whopping 90 percent of people would miss the sensory experience: the smells, the tastes and all that comes with stepping off a plane and into the great unknown.
Speaking of tastes, 71 percent say that not having the food experience would be a major setback.
The big kicker for those of you who like to gloat about where you have been: 92 percent of those surveyed felt that VR doesn't count as having actually visited a destination.
Owner and Director of Italy4Real, Rem Malloy, explained, via press release: "Virtual reality and artificial intelligence are growing aspects of the travel industry and discussion around the role they play is vital."
It's that authenticity that would be sorely missed. Malloy continues: "At Italy4Real authentic travel experiences are at the core of what we do and we don't believe that virtual reality could ever replace the full sensory experience of travel. We are pleased to see that a large majority of respondents feel the same way."
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Until someone invents a Star Trek-like holodeck, people will need the touch, feel and smell of a holiday excursion.
Now that's not to say VR doesn't have its merits because it is poised to become a major part of the travel industry immediately. It will certainly help with booking as agents can now show with unbelievable ease how a trip might look to prospective clients.
No matter how far the technology comes, however, we will always want to hit the pavement or cobblestones of a new town with our own feet and samples its cuisine with our own mouth.
Now if someone has a transporter, we are listening.
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