But innovative technology could be one of the keys to reversing this trend.
Meanjin/Brisbane man Che Turner has created a new social enterprise that uses immersive reality to transport participants to exotic locations including Central Australia and the French Alps — from the comfort of an air-conditioned van.
Mr Turner was inspired by a similar set-up he saw while working in the aged care sector in the UK several years ago.
He noticed the positive impact of virtual train trips — in which participants sit at a table made to resemble the interior of a carriage and watch scenery pass by on a large-screen television — had on residents.
He had long wanted to try something similar here and says his eureka moment came while he was pondering the ongoing success of a non-profit organisation that provides mobile laundry and shower services to people experiencing homelessness.
"I used to work next to their office in Brisbane when I was with another aged care provider and I'd walk past every day on my lunch break and think 'what a brilliant idea'.
"Then I put the two together and thought, 'Well, if they can do it with washing machines, why can't we deliver a service in a van that does train journeys? Why don't we create a vehicle that can enable people to travel that don't have the mobility to?'"
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