/ Posted on 6 January, 2021 18:40
Like most tour guides who made the leap into the virtual experience market to tide through the Covid-19 slump, Lee Xian Jie also ventured down the same route – what’s interesting is that his virtual pivot happened because of a dog.
The 30-year-old Singaporean, who runs Kyoto-based tour agency Craft Tabby with his business partner, Yasuhiro Shiwaku, made the decision to pause the company’s in-person tours last February, at the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak in China.
Lee bringing guests on a tour around Kyoto’s famous Fushimi Inari Shrine in pre-pandemic times
Towards the end of June, it became clearer to them that Covid-19 would drag on. When approached by Airbnb to craft a product for its Online Experiences platform, Lee was initially resistant to the idea as he thought the whole point of travel was to experience things first-hand.
Canadian tour company ToursByLocals started live virtual tours last spring after international borders started closing as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Of its more than 30,000 tours, 150 are now virtual. The idea was to provide our avid travelers with an opportunity to take their mind on a journey while remaining safe and socially distanced at home, said
Paul Melhus, CEO and co-founder of the firm.
Christmas tour of Stockholm
Virtual travelers can see the city of Stockholm without braving the temperatures of a Scandinavian winter night.
A live, one-hour evening tour takes armchair travelers to see the Christmas lights of Sweden s capital, the picturesque alleys of Stockholm s Old Town and prominent historical buildings, such as the Parliament House and Royal Palace.
Host of online experiences promise to light up Christmas, including virtual meet up with Santa Claus
Meet Santa Claus in Lapland: Didn’t get to meet Santa this year? Now you can meet him in Lapland.
Share Via Email
| A+A A-
Airbnb’s Online Experiences are a great way for you and your family to get into the festive spirit. By Express News Service
HYDERABAD: A host of online experiences promise to light up the upcoming holiday season despite news of lockdowns across other countries. 2020’s holiday season is a bit different though, with staying at home, but that shouldn’t put a stop to the season’s fervor and gusto.
iAfrica Image: Pexels
Share with your network!
If there’s one thing 2020 has taught us all, it’s the ability to stay away from our loved ones for the sake of everyone’s health when a global crisis hits. This year has seen people across the world come up with myriad creative ways to stay in touch with their friends and family – even if it’s not in person. Weddings, funerals and birthdays took on whole new forms, and some of these new traditions could be with us for the foreseeable future at least.
With the holiday season upon us, and the incidence of COVID-19 cases resurging, it’s critical that we all make safety our top priority, however we choose to celebrate. Whether you are home alone and isolating, or locking down with your loved ones, here are three ways to make the most of this holiday season:
Be My Travel Muse
The holiday season certainly looks different this year than it did last Christmas. For a lot of us, it can be an isolating time where we would love to be able to experience the holidays with our friends and family.
But there are some creative ways that people are virtually getting together, whether it’s with loved ones or new people online via virtual experiences.
The following is a list of some of the best holiday and anytime-themed Airbnb experiences to jump into on your own, share with others, or send them as gifts – it’s the season of gifting, afterall: