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Global Warming Shock – Virtual Tourism the Only Hope
Monday, 01 Apr, 2010
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Romantic Beach on Second Life
This one is REALLY FREAKY! VIEW VIDEO
Visit Cocos Island Second Life VIEW VIDEO
See Tata/Taj Hotels Co-operation with Cisco Systems VIEW VIDEO
Internet Giants suspected of alliance to monopolise the market
Over the last couple of years, and particularly after 2009’s Cop15 and the Gothenburg Symposium on Tourism and the Green Economy, it has become more and more apparent that efforts to mitigate tourism-related emissions are doomed to failure.
In a paper produced last September, tourism carbon guru, Dr Stefan Gossing together with a group of other eminent climate scientists said “tourism must begin to envision futures that are less dependent on air travel. This represents a radical departure from current perspectives on tourism development, but based on current and projected energy use in the sector, represents the only realistic approach to achieve the stated emission reduction targets over the next 25 years.”
With the probability of swingeing taxes on both airlines and tourism due both to the current economic situation and the global warming lobby, a halt can be seen to the growth of global tourism. Indeed it is possible that the whole industry will go into retrograde motion. There is also the potential of global greenwash taxes, like the UK’s APT catching on to bail out near-bankrupt governments.
It is now clear that a series of experiments have been undertaken over the past few years to determine the potential of virtual tourism – see videos above.
The advantages are clear, tourists can get an almost complete holiday experience on the cheap without leaving home, avoiding the risks of disease, transportation glitches, security threats or lost baggage. The carbon emissions are almost zero. The industry can remain in existence without much change. The only casualties would be transportation providers and hotels. Destinations, although they would lose the tourism spend, would save the social and environmental damage inflicted by tourists. Plus, it would be one in the eye for the Low Cost Carriers.
The cost of a virtual holiday is represented by only the massive technological investment as no transportation or ground arrangements are paid for. The major beneficiaries from such a move would be the Online Travel Companies and there have been allegations of collusion between the big OTCs like Expedia, the providers of holographic conferences like Cisco, the ever-expanding Google and virtual existences like Second Life.
A number of destinations, such as Costa Rica and Holland are already on Second Life and it is said that Cisco Systems and Google are collaborating to dominate the virtual holiday marketplace together with some of the big OTCs.
Said Ms Pilar Lofo, a spokesperson for one $billion Joint Venture – ‘The Virtual Holiday Company’ – “There is no stitch up, we have had discussions but no agreement has yet been signed. The industry will be looked after.”
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