APB Speaker David Pogue Spent a Weekend Bingeing Airbnb’s Virtual Experiences & Here are His Thoughts
27 May 2020
Although traveling and attending social events or group classes are mostly cancelled this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, virtual versions might be possible. APB speaker David Pogue investigated this concept by spending the weekend bingeing Airbnb’s newest virtual experiences.
Pogue, a New York Times columnist and Emmy-winning CBS Sunday Morning contributor, had a weekend of fun with these virtual events. One of the events he attended was an $8 session called “Follow a Plague Doctor Through Prague” where a tour guide, in a costume, did a walking tour of the Czech Republic’s capital city. Pogue wrote for the New York Times saying, “The twist, though, is that the entire tour was actually a beautifully shot video. It depicted a “plague doctor” — a man wearing the classic 1656 plague-medic outfit, including that weird, full-face beak mask — leading us silently through the deserted streets of Prague’s Old Town at night.” From a group wine tasting event in Italy to a one-on-one class on Astrology in Spain, these Airbnb virtual experiences are live with real people interacting, whether locally or internationally.
The go-to expert on disruptive technology in a fast-changing world, David Pogue asked the question, how close can these virtual events come to real life experiences? He believes they are pretty close. He said, “As page after page of five-star reviews make clear, you really do meet new people in new places; you genuinely do lose yourself in another world. This new format is an ingenious, inexpensive way to carry you and your family away during lockdown, and even — why not? — long after the present plague passes.”