With many cruise lines and destinations offering resources for virtual travel, it was only a matter of time before guides and tour packagers came up with the same idea, including professional guides working for pay.
TripAdvisor's Viator unit, which acts as a booking agent for tours and experiences in much the same way as Booking.com does for hotels, has created a #RoamFromHome section of its website, where visitors can choose from a variety of guided experiences and classes, some free, but many designed to provide income for the guides who would otherwise meet you.
Viator says it's not making money on the program; it's waiving its commission on the paid experiences. Currently about 80% of the paid experiences on #RoamFromHome are run by small businesses. The paid experiences range from $5 on up.
Homebound travelers can prepare vegetarian dishes like mattar paneer in a private cooking class with a chef broadcasting from her home kitchen in Mumbai, or learn to make pasta at home with a highly rated chef in Florence, who's been running Italian food tours with her family for over 15 years.
Airbnb is also planning a similar program for some of its Airbnb Experiences.
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