On a reflective day, as I sit pondering the vagaries of the pandemic and the upending of all travel plans for the near future, an email from a walking tour company that I walked with previously piques my curiosity. I am invited to join them on a virtual tour of Varanasi. An integral part of any walking tour is the sensory experience and nuanced understanding gained while traversing the unique geography it inhabits. Could such an offering be successfully ported on to the virtual realm? Or would the nuances be lost in translation?
Curious, I log into the Zoom session from my living room with a cup of tea handy as a substitute for the kulhad chai I had taken on the physical walk. A big reason the city has stayed in my mind is Aayush Rathi, co-founder/ storyteller of Roobaroo Walks, and the way he presented Varanasi through his storytelling.
Now, Rathi reintroduces me to the city through 360° visuals, maps, videos and evocative soundscapes. Many of my fellow Zoom travellers are first-time visitors. As with the physical tour, we start at Assi Ghat, where the dancing flames of the multi-layered aartis light up the early morning sky in adoration of the Ganga. Rathi talks about the sacred river, the city’s origins, and its deep spiritual significance for a confluence of faiths. The forts, temples and havelis that dot the landscape are all brought to vivid life through the visuals and meticulously researched vignettes. In a reverential touch, we “collect” the waters of the Ganga to offer at the centuries-old home of poet-saint Tulsidas, where we stop next. While we are Zooming together, there is constant interaction among the group. There are quizzes to answer and tangential questions to explore, just as on the physical walk, and I discover new facets of the city. The mood is lively, the chatter congenial, and I log off, having re-immersed myself in the essence of Varanasi.
Rathi and his wife Anchal co-founded Roobaroo in 2015, and as travel ground to a halt this year, they decided to roll with the punches and reimagine their enterprise. Their pivot from operating in the fully physical realm to the virtual in just a few months tells a tale of quickly harnessed panic, and the consequent upskilling and reinventing to stay in the game.
The famous aarti at Assi Ghat. | Photo Credit: Special arrangment
Staying relevant
The transformation under way in this sector is reaffirmed by Arjun Bhat, founder/ storyteller at Explore Hampi. “We were running tours right till mid-March and were completely unprepared for what was to follow,” he says. But the passion and toil with which he founded his enterprise in 2014 made him determined to “stay relevant, stay alive and keep the dream going”. A sneak-peek of an upcoming virtual tour centred around Krishadevaraya, the mighty king of Vijayanagara, shows a meticulously researched, in-depth structure that combines music, videos and 360° images with live narration as travellers “walk” through Hampi.
Detailing the upskilling tasks of the past few months, Bhat says, “Learning the use of different tools, platforms, media types, software and technology has been challenging. A lot of work has gone into doing primary research and creating new content. Marketing and customer acquisition for this format are completely new to us and we are trying to figure it out as we go along.”
The virtual world has unexpected advantages too. For one, structuring a tour is easier, according to Bhat. Various media elements can be used to emphasise a point and physical limitations on narrative flow are no longer a concern. Participant time constraints can also be managed better. Although virtual tours are priced lower, they still include quality access to the storyteller, which can increase trust and enthuse participants to try their physical walks later, as Rathi says.
The fabulous stone chariot at Hampi’s Vittala Temple. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/ iStock
Future is here
As in the physical world, the virtual tours too focus on the storyteller’s unique geographical areas of expertise. Roobaroo has an upcoming tour on the Ramlila, while Explore Hampi will have one on Kishkinda tales. Immersive Trails, a walking tour enterprise in Kolkata, offers a virtual Durga Puja trail tour. One can also choose a cooking class in Rome or a walking tour of Madrid from the global experiences on offer.
The contours of how we travel are being reshaped by this pandemic, but these storytellers are ensuring the essence stays the same and the nuances are not lost in translation. Rathi says that virtual tours will stay on as part of their offerings even when physical travel resumes, to attract more participants. Bhat expects footfalls to return to pre-pandemic levels only after 18-24 months. He believes that “revenge travel,” a pandemic coinage to indicate the rush of tourists anticipated once restrictions ease, is unlikely, given the recessionary economy. In this altered reality, as he says, the ones left standing will be those who “innovate, pivot, reinvent themselves and survive.” Until we can ride a coracle on the Tungabhadra again, we must learn to love the virtual river.
The writer is a mindful traveller who appreciates the educative nature of her journeys.