Virtual Tourists

A free ticket for a fast trip out of this world — or just across town — is only a click away. Just over half of American adult internet users (51%) have taken virtual tours of another location online — from visits to Mars to more mundane areas of personal interest such as colleges and universities, tourist and vacation locales, historical sites, museums, real estate, and hotels. That estimate, from an August 2006 survey, is up from 45% in a previous Pew Internet & American Life Project survey in November 2004. As with most online activities, certain groups of internet users are more likely to have taken virtual tours: those ages 30-49, college graduates, those with higher household income, those living in non-rural areas, those with more online experience, and those with broadband access. Read More