Is virtual travel the way of the future?

"According to the UN World Tourism Organization, a record one billion people will have travelled abroad for leisure by the end of this year. While Europe remains the most visited region, Asia's tourism industry is the fastest growing.

But the human traffic can cause extensive damage to fragile sites, increasing wear and tear through erosion and light exposure."

For this reason, in future years more of us may make virtual visits to sites of historic, cultural or natural importance.

One example of the success of such 3D technology is the recreation of the Mogau Grottoes of Dunhuang, an oasis on the ancient Silk Road in China's Gobi Desert.

"A flickering torch offers a tantalising glimpse of the exquisite murals painted by Buddhist monks some 1,400 years ago. And then suddenly, the cavern is ablaze with light, its beauty fully revealed in dazzling colour and extraordinary detail."

These virtual recreations not only help preserve the original sites but also offer visitors the opportunity to see and experience far more.

" "You wouldn't be able to see any of this in the real cave because light exposure is so damaging," says Jeffrey Shaw, director of Alive, the Applied Laboratory for Interactive Visualization and Embodiment at the City University of Hong Kong."

Read more at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20802947

What's your opinion?

Can visits to digitised representations replace travel to "the real thing"? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Learning Suggestion:

Re-read the article and underline/highlight useful words related to (1) Travel and (2) Technology.

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