# VR National Park Tours 'Parallel Parks' Lets Those with Disabilities Explore Australia's Parks By Joey Haar | Published 2017-10-23 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/parallel-parks References: [newhorizons.org.au](http://newhorizons.org.au/parallel-parks/#TheProject) & [newhorizons.org.au](http://newhorizons.org.au/) No matter the nation, national parks are the greatest treasure that a country has to offer, and Parallel Parks is an initiative that hopes to bring those parks to the people who aren't able to experience them in person. The project, which is being funded by Australian well-being organization New Horizons, uses [VR to help](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/teleport-by-varjo) [people with disabilities](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/disability-inclusion1) to see the wonders of Australia's national parks, offering three-dimensional experiences that people will be able to take part in no matter their physical limitation. Parallel Parks plans to record footage from several of Australia's best known parks and landmarks, including Hamilton Island, the Great Barrier Reef, and Ayers Rock. Beyond the experiences themselves, New Horizons also hopes to open [viewing stations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/accessibility-virtual-tour-map) so that people who don't have VR equipment can still see the experiences. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.1/10 - Popularity: 7% | Activity: 19% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Virtual Reality National Park Tours:** Opportunity to provide immersive virtual reality experiences for people with disabilities to explore national parks. - **Accessibility and Inclusivity in Tourism:** Developing inclusive experiences using technology to enable everyone to enjoy natural wonders. - **Virtual Viewing Stations:** Creating VR viewing stations for individuals without VR equipment to still experience national parks. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Tourism and Travel:** Incorporating virtual reality to enhance accessibility and provide unique travel experiences. - **Technology and Innovation:** Utilizing VR technology to bridge gaps in accessibility and enhance experience for people with disabilities. - **Healthcare and Rehabilitation:** Using VR as a therapeutic tool for individuals with disabilities to explore nature's wonders. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Immersive Holographic Zoos](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hologram-zoo.md) - [All-Terrain Outdoor Accessibility Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/texas-state-parks.md) - [Mixed-Reality Theme Parks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mixedreality-theme-park.md) - [Travel-Inspired VR Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/othersight.md) - [Park-Navigating Map Updates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/map-update.md) - [Healing VR Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/healing-vr-experiences.md) - [Accessible Tourism Applications](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/accessible-tourism1.md) - [Accessibility Virtual Tour Maps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/accessibility-virtual-tour-map.md) - [Adventure-Ready AR Wines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bandit-wines.md)