MyProGuide’s LIVE Online Tour: Traveling in 2020, An Escape From Reality
Unquestionable, the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is one of the most impactful events of the 21st century and has tremendous effects on tourism. While many tourism researchers worldwide are currently ‘Covid-19 research gap spotting’, we call for more deliberateness and rigor. While we agree that the coronavirus pandemic is unique and relevant to research, we argue that not all effects are worth researching or novel to us. Previous research on crises and disasters do show similar patterns and existing theories can often very well explain the current phenomena. Thus, six illustrative examples are shown how a research agenda could look like. This includes parts where theoretical explanations from tourism are missing, as well as where we think existing knowledge might be subject to a tourism paradigm-shift due to the coronavirus pandemic. While the COVID-19 epidemic poses a threat to the everyday life of people worldwide. Travelers are particularly affected, as are people working in tourism. There are also some developments made for those who seek wonder and have had enough of staying in doors in the same old country.
Hong Kong and Singapore will launch a ‘travel bubble’ on November 22, which will allow people to move quarantine free in each direction, their governments announced on Wednesday (Nov 11), in a rare piece of good news for the pandemic-battered tourism industry. A quota of 200 residents from each city will be able to travel on one daily bubble flight to the other. Discussions are underway between Australia and low-risk countries across Asia and the Pacific to lift coronavirus travel restrictions, but the government has warned that travel to the US and Europe may not be an option until 2022. From Friday, Australia will open its international borders for the first time since March, allowing visitors from New Zealand to travel to the country quarantine-free.
The cruise industry has decided to make coronavirus testing mandatory for all guests and crew members aboard cruise ships. The Cruise Lines International Association, the world’s largest such organization, announced on October 8 that passengers can only board ships by providing proof of a negative test result. All member shipping companies worldwide must now comply with this rule.
As for MyProGuide, we have our own way of fighting against the virus. What if we say it is still possible for all our wanderlust humans to travel around the world? As in this very convenient 21st century, our newest online service has launched: the LIVE Online tour guiding service!
Do you miss Thailand? Where Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok (locally known as JJ Market) was once only popular among wholesalers and traders, but it has now reached landmark status as a must-visit place for visitors to the Thai capital. The market’s sheer size and diverse collections of merchandise will bring any seasoned shoppers to their knees – it’s where you can literally ‘shop till you drop’. Chatuchak is home to more than 8,000 market stalls that are spread over more than 14 hectares. On a typical weekend, more than 200,000 visitors come here to sift through the goods on offer. Veteran shoppers would agree that just about everything is on sale here, although not all at the best bargain rates. But if you have one weekend in Bangkok, squeeze in a day trip to Chatuchak Weekend Market and you won’t be disappointed.
Missing out all the fun happening in Cambodia? Remember lying by the river, Preah Prom Rath Pagoda is adjacent to a well-embellished bridge. The temple grounds are huge, hosting several buildings including the main hall (Preah Vihear building), a university building, and decorated towers scattered throughout the site. It is one of the many spiritual centers in the city proper. Some of the Buddhist monks are friendly. While you don’t exchange a word, they greet you with a smile every time. It’s always nice to feel welcome at a sacred place like this.
What about the Angkor Wat temple? Angkor Wat is an enormous Buddhist temple complex located in northern Cambodia. It was originally built in the first half of the 12th century as a Hindu temple. Spread across more than 400 acres, Angkor Wat is said to be the largest religious monument in the world. Its name, which translates to “temple city” in the Khmer language of the region, references the fact it was built by Emperor Suryavarman II, who ruled the region from 1113 to 1150, as the state temple and political center of his empire. Although it is no longer an active temple, it serves as an important tourist attraction in Cambodia, despite the fact it sustained significant damage during the autocratic rule of the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s and in earlier regional conflicts.
Are you curious about the COVID star country, Taiwan? Are you a lover of all religious things and temples? Presenting a cacophony of fragrance, color and sound, a Taiwan temple visit can sometimes be a bit overwhelming to the uninitiated.
You may see three figures standing in the center. These figures represent the three things Taiwanese worshippers generally pray for at a temple, namely fortune, luck and longevity. Another thing you may see on the temple roof is a carved pagoda. Like nearly everything about a Taoist temple, this too is fraught with significance. The more floors on the pagoda, the higher up the deity to which the temple is dedicated stands in the “bureaucracy of gods.” The dragon is a very important creature in Chinese culture and if you look closely you may notice how they are an amalgamation of different animals. The dragon’s eyes are said to be either cat or lobster eyes that enable it to see in the dark. Its head is said to resemble a camel although some sources say the nose is that of a dog. A dragon’s horns are from a deer, its mouth is from an ox and the whiskers are from either cat or catfish. The animal’s scales are from fish and its mane is said to resemble a lion’s mane. The dragon’s claws are eagle’s claws and sometimes its feet are said to resemble the paws of a tiger. Dragons can be depicted in alternative shapes and can take the shape of tortoises or horses with dragon heads. In Chinese culture, there’s no such thing as a standard dragon!
A common feature of many temples are its stone lions. Though sometimes identical, more often than not they’ll be different genders. Standing in front of the temple and looking inwards look to the lion on your right. This one is male and is regularly portrayed holding a gold coin. The lion on the other side is female and is holding a baby lion. If the lions mouths are open look for stone inside move. The lions will often have balls inside of their mouths. Sometimes these are mere spherical stones, but often these will be ornately carved, with smaller movable balls inside the larger ball. These balls are largely decorative, but the serve another purpose, namely to advertise the carving skills of the lion’s creator. Feel free to stick your hand in the lion’s mouth (if you dare).
With numerous places to choose from, all at the tip of your finger. Instead of reading a book, watching a movie, or even travel TV shows, why not experience all of that by yourself! Online tour-guiding is just as much fun. These are LIVE online tour guides, so if you have any questions or see anything you like, just give a shout with our live chat system and our tour guide will show you! There are so many places to choose from. Just head over to our website, click the preferred tour, confirm a time slot, and you are ready to go! A bonus with the LIVE online tour is that you actually get to shop for souvenirs!
There are a few thing you need to note:
– These are all LIVE online tour; all participants should have a stable internet connection.
– Experience is in English only. (please contact us if you need other language)
– Confirmation with additional information will be received at the time of booking.
– Sessions are not recorded and they are “live sessions”.
– Ask your expert guide your questions via application live chat.
– The link with the tour guide will be provided before the tour starts.
– Please notice that the tours are followed by local time.
– Please provide your contact number or other for emergency contact.
– The tour is not refundable within 12 hours before the tour starts.
– You are welcome to choose any products if you want to purchase, we will help you to arrange shipment, and will send you payment links after the tour.
Book a live online tour with MyProGuide now!
👉🏼 https://tour.myproguide.com/en/tours/search/online%20tour
