With Amazon’s recent Prime Day sales, and everyone going crazy over the deals, it is only to be assumed that Amazon is the top of the top when it comes to online shopping. They have added many things to their site besides just buying the typical lightbulb or other random gadgets, some of those being access to fresh produce shopping and clothing lines/brands that make us all want to forget about in-store shopping as a whole. But with one of their most recent additions to the site, it eradicates the want to jump on a plane and travel the world.
Amazon came out with something called “Amazon Explore” which is a new way to see the world and to take a tour right from your own home. Think of it like a Zoom call version of a travel guide, but you can purchase touristy items throughout, and you don’t have to show yourself on camera. You can even take a cooking class on this new virtual way of seeing the world and take photos of the images given to you on the screen.
Amazon’s new way of travelling has raised a lot of questions, most of which are just asking the simply question…why? Well, Todd Bishop with GeekWire, “Startup CEOs Optimistic Despite Pandemic; Amazon Moves Into Virtual Travel,” got the inside scoop and was able to experience everything Amazon Explore has to offer. He was able to “walk” around Quebec City with a guide and take a cooking lesson of his own all without leaving his chair. However, something that he was very aware of was that the experience, although nice, was not real life. He couldn’t touch the ground or the building he saw, and he wasn’t able to taste the amazing looking food that he learned to make. The Explore feature that Amazon added on isn’t virtual reality. In fact, there isn’t even a 180 or 360 feature where you could move your camera or device and see something new. The feature is something he called Virtual 2D. However, he noted that Amazon is wanting to advance in this feature and get it to a point where virtual reality comes into play. When that happens, it can be assumed that this feature will take off.
Until then, what are your thoughts on Amazon Explore? Would you take a trip around the world through this virtual way of travel? Let us know in the comments!
This article originally published on GREY Journal.
