I continued exploring this world of live-streamed place-based webcams, something I had previously overlooked.
I was fascinated by those focusing on city centers, which revealed largely deserted urban landscapes.
I left nature-cams and coastal webcams open on my PC monitor as welcome distractions as I worked from home.
I suspected I was not alone in my virtual travels.
Indeed, the media soon described a massive upsurge in the usage of these webcams.
Edinburgh Zoo saw its webcam viewssurgefrom about 100,000 to 5 million per month.
As an expert in tourism, I wanted to explore this further.
I set up a questionnaire and heard from227 membersof the public about their experiences traveling through webcams.
Some had used webcam-travel for years, as a way to connect to nature.
I find it a nice antidote to the urban environment in which I live and work.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
Coastal scenes were also very popular.
I really miss walking by the coast.
Also watching inreal-timemakes you feel almost as if [you are] there.
The live nature of the experience seemed to facilitate a sense of connection.
Wildlife controls, coastal scenes, city centers, zoos, aquariums, and countryside are all favorites.
This year, our freedoms have been restricted in a way most people have never experienced.
In this context, webcam-travel is a way to connect to nature and the outdoors.
Nostalgiacan ward offnegative feelings such as loneliness, boredom, and stress.
Thisoffers refugeagainst the challenges, anxieties, and frustrations associated with lockdown.
The subjects of many of the webcams are outdoor natural controls or wildlife-related.
Environmental psychology offers insights that help explain this appeal.
Even exposure to pictures of natural environmentscan be linked tomood restoration.
Yet the experience is an uplifting one.
As our freedom of movement continues to be curtailed due to COVID-19, webcam travel seems set to continue.
Suchimaginative travelcan allow us to catch a glimpse of a more positive future.
