Can virtual traveling experiences ever equal or rival the real physical sort?
Definitely not. Even though you might enjoy virtual traveling, real life traveling will still and always be better than virtual.
The pain that you endure, the fun and the experience will not be replaced by any virtual tours as traveling in real physical form takes patience, packing up things, planning and many other things to consider which could help you grow as a person.
Virtual tour though can be used as a motivation because you can see the beauty of one's place and it can motivate you to go there in real life.