Wikipedia and streetview is in no shape or form comparable to experiencing something first hand.
Nor is the assumption that people do one or the other correct. Ideally you first do the online research to plan travel and then go.
To be honest, this kind of justification (TFA) is often written by people who don't enjoy travelling. I have a family member like this, they claim they don't need to go abroad (or anywhere outside their city, really) because "everything is there in Google and Wikipedia".
I find it very sad.
It's about not being a shut-in and understanding there's more to life than what you can see on your computer screen. Google and Wikipedia are just excuses for this kind of people, anyway.
I cannot go into details because I don't want to overshare.
It rocked, and I'm sad for people who didn't get to have that kind of fun exploring new places.
now i mostly stay at home or close to home. to each his own.
I'm not being facetious: I really enjoy being other places, but the physical act of traveling, preparing luggage, etc, feels stressful to me. I hate airplane travel, as many people do.
But being there, when I'm not carrying heavy luggage... I love it.
If they don't like to travel I put them in the same category as people who don't like fancy coffee, playing sports, wine, video games, or science. I like a lot of those things but not everyone needs to [although I really wish more people understood science]. All these things cost resources and so far resources aren't infinite.