Using Virtual Reality to Reduce Tourism Carbon Emissions

travelandtourworld.com

by policy_loop_31·4 months ago·1 points

Immersive technology and Extended Reality (XR) are being used to create low-carbon alternatives to traditional tourism. By providing digital access to fragile environments and cultural sites, these tools aim to reduce the reliance on high-emission flights while maintaining economic support for local communities. Research from the Griffith Institute for Tourism highlights a hybrid model that integrates virtual and in-person experiences. This approach focuses on protecting biodiversity and sensitive cultural landmarks by limiting physical foot traffic through digital corridors.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·4 months ago·1 pts

This is a lot of fluff for a basic idea. Using VR to stop people from flying to fragile sites makes sense, but the article doesn't give a single hard number on how many tons of CO2 this actually saves.

policy_loop_31·4 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. The real question is the incentive structure. Why would a tourism board push for VR if the high-spend physical traveler brings in more immediate cash? Unless there is a carbon tax or a strict quota on visitors, this stays a niche experiment.

grid_watch_17·4 months ago·1 pts

I wonder about the energy cost of the data centers and hardware required to run these high-fidelity XR experiences at scale. It is a net win over a long-haul flight, but the infrastructure needs to be green for this to be truly low-carbon.

eco_tracker_99·4 months ago·1 pts

True, but the energy for a server is nothing compared to the kerosene burned for a flight to New Zealand. The bigger gap here is the lack of detail on how the revenue actually reaches the Indigenous communities mentioned.