Live Virtual Travel: Can It Drive Motivation, Interest, and Engagement?

Innovative Aging: Live Virtual Travel: Can It Drive Motivation, Interest, and Engagement? (Episode 9)

Audio Runtime: 56 Minutes; Learning Assessment Time: ___Minutes

Tricia Norton, cofounder of Discover Live, joins host Carol Chiang for a dynamic conversation on the power of live virtual travel experiences. Together, they explore how this innovative platform can break down barriers to meaningful participation, especially for individuals with mobility, cognitive, or sensory challenges. You’ll hear compelling stories, practical clinical insights, and new ways to think about using virtual travel to spark motivation and support occupational engagement. Are you curious how live guided tours offer more than prerecorded alternatives? Let’s find out together.

Guest Bio:Tricia Norton is the chief marketing officer and cofounder of Discover Live. In this role, she is responsible for brand development, growth strategy, and positioning the company for long-term profitable growth. Discover Live is the pioneer and leader of live virtual travel. Since 2017, with a mission to make world travel accessible to all, Discover Live has transported hundreds of thousands of “travelers” to six continents to experience diverse and wondrous destinations.
Tricia began her career at Reebok and held senior-level management positions at other global brands, such as Timex and Bulova, before moving into the private equity sector. While working for private equity-backed companies EB Brands and Bradshaw Home, she served in the roles of global divisional president and general manager. She has had full profit and loss reasonability for global businesses up to $340M in revenue. Throughout her career, she has traveled extensively around the world and has operated businesses in 72 countries, working with subsidiaries and distributors alike.
Tricia holds an MBA from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University and a bachelor’s degree in management science from Bridgewater University. She is a New York Marathon finisher and an avid skier.

Disclosure: Our guest today is affiliated with a company that develops technology in the area we’re discussing. While we won’t be endorsing any specific product, listeners should be aware of this connection as part of our commitment to transparency.

Learning Outcomes

• Analyze the evidence around the impact of virtual travel experiences on social participation, cognitive performance, and occupational engagement among individuals with mobility or sensory limitations
• Determine the situations in which live, guided virtual travel provides the most benefit compared to asynchronous or prerecorded alternatives, especially in the context of intergenerational engagement, dementia care, or sensory-based interventions
• Solve patient case scenarios involving occupational isolation due to physical, cognitive, or contextual barriers by integrating virtual travel into individualized care plans to promote meaningful participation and life satisfaction

This is an audio-only course. Additional materials are available for download within the course. To receive continuing education credit, complete the course and the accompanying quiz.