Technology
Digital tours of UNESCO World Heritage Sites are now available on Google.
Many of us are now unable to travel due to restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, there are several ways to visit some of the world's most popular cultural landmarks and natural wonders from the comfort of your own home. Google Arts & Culture, for example, has recently added several UNESCO World Heritage sites to its virtual tour library.
People will visit places like France's canals, the Colosseum, Mount Kilimanjaro, and South Korea's volcanoes through the Explore UNESCO World Heritage centre. They can also see Rio de Janeiro's immediately recognizable scenery, visit the Taj Mahal, and literally swim with whales in Mexico!
According to Google, culture and heritage account for 40% of the tourism industry, while foreign visitors decreased by 75% last year compared to 2019. Owing to the closure of concert halls, theatres, bookstores, and cinemas, artists and producers lost €3.5 billion in royalties.
According to the International Council of Museums(ICOM), 90 percent of museums have closed their doors, with 10 percent of them never reopening.
When visiting these places in person is largely out of the question, the tours are a valuable way to remain linked to our collective past.They may also be useful tools for educators, aiding in the teaching of natural and cultural heritage to students. Yosemite National Park, ancient pilgrimage routes in northern Spain, and the Great Pyramids of Giza are all included in the tours.
In Google Arts & Culture, the World Heritage sites join a long list of significant cultural landmarks, including displays from several major museums, the past of electronic music, and augmented-reality galleries.
