In the African savanna, sun rises slowly above the horizon. Silhouettes of elephant family rambling through the grassland looking for the nearby waterhole can be seen against the glowing light of this exotic region. Impalas and zebras traverses through the rough country, birds tweet and that makes sense that the day is going to be a scorching one.
This scene in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve in Mpumalanga, appears quite common. However, in fact, the tourists who are relishing this view from safari jeeps, but from their smartphones and tablets at home. The safari itself is really taking place, however, and, as in real life, every trip is different, adding to the pleasure of such virtual experiences.
At Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenyan, one can go enjoy a virtual safari with rangers.
From the time of coronavirus, the tourism industry has fallen down all across other countries in Africa. National parks and hotels are completely vacant, as they are all at home.
However, African tourism associations have planned to supply avid travelers with digital impressions of the continent. Virtual tourism is on the rise.
Safaris in Kenya, leisurely walks through the Namib Desert in Namibia, paragliding in South Africa or standing on the edge of the Victoria Falls at the borders between Zambia and Zimbabwe: now, all of these experiences can be enjoyed at home by virtual tourists like Juan Santiago.
But in 2020, things are not the same. Instead of going to Kenya, Santiago is paying a virtual visit to the Nairobi National Park. “If the safari is led well, you have the atmosphere of the Nairobi National Park at home. Everything happens in real time,” he says. “Even if my family tours Kenya without me after the coronavirus pandemic, this technology lets me accompany them virtually.”
“People are online and looking for places they could travel to. That is a great opportunity for us to present ourselves live as a destination,” she told DW. Sixteen different destinations in Kenya are being live-streamed.
