The Virtual Vacation: Around the World in Your Easy Chair

The spread of COVID-19 has fundamentally disrupted everyday life for millions of people throughout the world. For many, travel plans have been canceled or delayed indefinitely. However, if there were a way to explore exotic places from the comfort of your own home, would you do it?

- Chris Mellides

The global pandemic has given rise to innovation within the travel space, and the answer to some travelers’ wanderlust woes may come in the form of virtual tours. This means of cultural immersion has garnered renewed interest as many people want to experience sightseeing but cannot during this continued period of isolation.

All throughout social media there are many guided events being advertised that promise to give participants a glimpse of some of the best museums, historical sites, and travel destinations the world has to offer. Moreover, there are many tours that are being offered at little to no cost by well-known and trusted organizations.

Girl Travel Tours (GTT) is one such organization that initially offered Girl Scouts and their families and friends chaperoned international service-learning trips each summer. Eventually, GTT transitioned online and began offering virtual tours to anyone interested in travel.

During the beginning of the pandemic, GTT group leader, Marah Walsh, saw tragedy impacting the lives of so many people and witnessed many of her friends “making masks and collecting cleaning supplies to distribute.” It wasn’t long before she felt that she had to do her part to help those in need of a fun distraction.

“I really wanted to do my share and volunteer in some way to help the greater good during this time of so much sadness and emotional struggle,” Walsh said. “And as a business professional and volunteer adult Girl Scout, who has a marketing background and understands technology pretty well, I thought this may be something I could do to ‘make the world a better place’ during the lock-down.”