Virtual Tourism

Back in the day -- oh no another long ago and far away story! -- exploration was the thing. Look at the map, click on the green dots, have an adventure.   

Not so much these days.  The Marketplace took over lots of inworld shopping needs; fashion shows have disappeared with mesh and demos coming into vogue.   The destination guide is good for new spots but it hasn't been kept up in many years -- or only periodically if you hit it on a good day after some Spring cleaning.  

You can drive around the mainland or Belli but it is sometimes difficult just to go out and "discover".  

Well, here is a new way.  Part game, part commercial enterprise, part gathering and maybe some shopping and / or photography mixed in there somewhere.  

Opportunities for fun, adventure and gifts begin October 1.    You can grab a free passport hud (various versions are available) inworld at the Forever Tourist office.    A clear explanation  of how the passports work can be found in this video. 

The passport comes with an optional wearable hud that let's you add your own favorite places to your passport (see video).   A new list of passport spots comes out each week on the website. 

Store owners, groups and individuals that want to share their builds with the public can get a free kiosk (two versions are available) at the office OR opt for a pay version that enables gift giving.  While the Virtual Tourist game is associated with Operation Mainland, ALL areas of the Second Life grid can participate. If you don't find a category for your spot, add a note  when registering. New categories will be added as needed.   

If you want to try out your hud before the list is unveiled, you can test it at my place.  Gifts included of course.  

As of Friday, there were over 1,500 huds "sold" and over 100 places to visit.   The fun starts in about a week!