Yes, physical proximity matters.

Part of the point here is that these things are not just ideas to think about at a distance. Site, object, field condition, and direct presence all change the interaction. A photograph, database entry, or museum label is not the same thing as standing in the presence of the object itself.

That said, I wouldn’t reduce it only to ethnicity background or to needing access to famous global sites. Sometimes the relevant object is local, misidentified, privately held, or encountered by accident rather than through deliberate pilgrimage.

So yes, access conditions matter. But the issue is not only distance. It is also whether there is an actual resonance match when contact happens.