With the pandemic placing a restriction on travel for many, several companies have been looking at how to get people across the globe to experience destinations in different ways. This is where Virtual Reality (VR) comes in. It has become the de facto tool for tourism.
So, while you stay in the safe confinements of your home, here's a VR tour you must not miss out on.
To help people discover new places from the comfort of their homes, Google has been adding relevant resources to its Google Arts & Culture platform since last year.
The latest is the addition of virtual tours of 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including India&rsquos Taj Mahal.
Go to the Google Arts & Culture page, and click on the dedicated &ldquoExplore UNESCO World Heritage&rdquo microsite and you will be able to access a wide variety of resources including 360-degree and Street View images of Taj Mahal.
The platform has two virtual tours of the Taj Mahal listed under the &ldquoA Shrine to Love&rdquo section. The two virtual tours, titled &ldquoTaj Mahal A Tour from the Top&rdquo and &ldquoThe Wonder that is Taj&rdquo, will virtually transport you to the stunning monument. You can see the Taj in all its glory and from angles you have never seen before.
So even if you have already visited the place, you'll be blown away. The tour from the top is quite spectacular as you experience a 360-degree, Street View-like pictures of the site from various positions.
The Wonder That is Taj backs up the pictures with facts about the monument, and early images of the Taj Mahal.
The Explore UNESCO World Heritage library has virtual tours of several UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Indonesia&rsquos mystical temples, and Portugal&rsquos historic monasteries.
Google launched the microsite as a response to the decrease in cultural tourism. According to them, cultural tourism has been affected badly due to the COVID-19 situation. Hence, they have started this initiative in partnership with UNESCO to help tourists explore these sites around the world as virtual experiences on the Arts & Culture platform.