For most of us, human interaction now takes place at the grocery store, in small gatherings, or through the virtual world of zoom. "It's still interactive and they can see people they know." Virtual get-togethers are popular and sometimes the only way Myron Stam's clients can talk to, and see other people.
"They like that closeness, there are those where that's the only interaction they have," Stam said.
Before to March 19, Stam ran the 33-year-old motor coach tour company, Daytripper, that gives tours to places near and far across the state. "We toured the rose parade, Los Angeles festivals, the Getty center."
The majority of Stan's clients were 65 and up, also known as a vulnerable demographic amid COVID. But age didn't mean the group wasn't tech savvy, when Stam switched from the roads to the screens with virtual tours, sign-ups skyrocketed. "They're educational and they give the opportunity to connect with others who share the same interest," Stam described.
Through payroll protection assistance in March, he created virtual tours twice a week.
They're now popular with San Diegans and allow those nationwide, to see America's finest city without the price of a flight, "A bus we filled with 52 people, we can now fill with hundreds. It's maybe enough to carry us through until actual tours start bouncing back."
