Metaverse and tourism: revolution in the sector.

Metaverse, Extended Reality, Web 3, Spatial Computing ... The virtual universe of interconnected worlds is already a reality, also for the tourism sector. The possibility of creating new experiences that are different, accessible and personalized makes the tourism and catering, one of the most developed sectors in the Metaverse. From virtual receptions that make it easy to book stays and take virtual tours to discover unimaginable places, to enjoying interactive museums and learning about the best routes in real time through Augmented Reality maps . These are just some of the proposals that have already been developed in the new virtual world, but there are many more. It's time to get an in-depth look at how the leap from tourism to the Metaverse .

Both the Extended Reality such as the Metaverse and other immersive technologies have great potential to boost the hotel/travel industry in the virtual world. These technologies are capable of extending the travelers' experience beyond their stay and trip revolutionizing the before, during and after. Before going into more detail on what the introduction of the new technologies will mean for the sector, it is necessary to tourist experiences in the metaverse, it is important to review what this technological trend consists of. The Metaverse is defined as a large virtual universe composed of multiple interconnected digital worlds. It is the next Internet leap where humans interact socially and economically through the use of avatars , NFTs and cryptocurrencies in digital experiences that go beyond the static websites we all know. The central idea of this new ecosystem known as Metaverse is to humanize the virtual world and our digital presence. You can learn more about this topic here: What is the Metaverse: everything you need to know. This more humanized interaction allows the tourism sector to connect with users/customers in ways previously unthinkable in the digital world. By developing experiences that help tourism agents to transform the customer experience at all stages of the journey.

• From the promotion and marketing of tourism experiences, with digital twins of tourist destinations where users can explore the spaces, learn about the activities in depth and get inspired by/imagine the tourism experience beyond promotional photos and videos.

• The management of bookings and personalization of tourism services, through the hotel's own virtual version in the Metaverse, where users can personalize their stay and trip in an intuitive, accessible way. For example, through their own 3D hotel room, where they can choose the type of pillow, the layout and other complementary services.

• Building a community of travelers and fostering loyalty, through interactive, multi-user virtual spaces where events can be held with people from all over the world. Spaces in the Metaverse where travelers can share travel experiences, earn benefits for being part of the virtual club and discover the latest offerings from the hotel chain or tourist destination, as in the success story Exclusiverse.

If there is one characteristic that sums up this added value offered by the Metaverse is the total immersion of the users. The Metaverse applied to tourism offers a unique and immersive experience for travelers. Allows explore destinations virtually interact with 3D environments and access exclusive content. All in first person and with a 360° vision that allows users to visit the space at their own pace and with great freedom of movement. Providing the opportunity to travel without limits, to live immersive and exciting experiences without leaving home.

Thanks to the Metaverse and other immersive technologies, a new trend in travel has been created: the virtual tourism . Virtual destinations offer a new innovative way to explore places without the need to physically travel to them. Thus, you can visit cities, paradisiacal beaches and even travel to places in the past or imaginary. All through Virtual Reality or virtual spaces in the Metaverse. These virtual destinations are designed in great detail and allow you to interact with the environment, personalize the experience and participate in gamified virtual activities. If you are interested in this topic, find out more about the Virtual tourism as a new trend .

The tourism sector is a sector of experiences, and the commitment for the coming years is to offer new experiences for travelers that go beyond the simple trip. . Thus, as we have seen, the Metaverse offers all sorts of benefits to Tourism for the digital transformation sector. These are some of the main benefits of tourism in the Metaverse :

Personalization of the tourist experience

The Metaverse applied to tourism revolutionizes the personalization of the experience by providing immersive virtual environments that adapt to travelers' individual tastes, preferences and needs. For example, adapting content depending on the segmentation of the traveler profile. Through these virtual twins travelers can explore the destination prior to arrival, plan customized itineraries and experience gamified 3D simulations. In addition, thanks to the incorporation of the Artificial Intelligence in the Metaverse can be analyze behavioral data and interaction preferences. All so that the integration of these technologies offers travelers a unique experience tailored to their tastes.

Increased accessibility.

One of the main benefits of Metaverse experiences in the tourism industry is the greater accessibility . Thus, new smart destinations are developed to which you can travel virtually. As a way to reduce costs for the traveler who simply wants to live unique experiences without the need to travel physically. Travel to the past, enjoy extreme sports, live an adventure in inhospitable areas around the world... This greater accessibility offered by the Metaverse and other immersive technologies also allows you to go beyond physical limitations The new system allows people with reduced mobility to explore different destinations and experience many more adventures.

Promote the link with the tourist destination

The combination of tourism with these technologies not only enriches the experience of the destination, it also strengthens the connection between the travelers and the tourist destination . The Metaverse facilitates the creation of online communities The objective is to generate a feeling of belonging, active participation and linkage with the brand, hotel, travel agency or tourist destination. This also facilitates cross-selling and the search for complementary activities to remain connected and committed to these places.

Below we present different practical applications of the Metaverse in the tourism industry through national and international examples that have already been implemented in all types of tourism companies.

• Cultural tourism. If there is a project that showcases the great potential of these technologies in cultural tourism, it is the Metaverse of the city of Zaragoza, recreating in 3D the experience of traditional tourism. Flower Offering During the Fiestas del Pilar. A tourism campaign that has reached 51,000,000 people with impacts of more than 350,000 unique users. Presenting the culture, tradition and folklore of the city through the new virtual world.

• A new way to inspire travelers. Another relevant application of the Metaverse in tourism is its ability to inspire travelers beyond videos, websites and photos. Digital twins make it possible to visit the tourist destination in advance and get to know its points of interest beforehand. Among the most important tourism digital twins is the complete virtualization of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, where you can tour all the facilities, learn about its history in depth and enjoy exclusive content.

• Fostering an online community. The Metaverse makes it possible to strengthen the online community and encourage cross-selling by creating a space where, once travelers return home, interaction with the brand continues in the virtual world. As in the case of Exclusiverse, where the loyalty of its 80,000+ members is fostered through exclusive content, discounts and the unlocking of new interactive experiences.

• Accessible tourism. Tourism experiences in the Metaverse also give a new boost to more accessible tourism. Offering immersive virtual spaces that make it possible to discover places that are hard to reach or that lack the adaptations needed for people with reduced mobility or disabilities to visit them in person. Such as the case of Loarre Castle, which, through the social initiative promoted by Itainnova, offers LOARRE XR, a space in the Metaverse to virtually explore the fortress's more than ten centuries of history and beauty.

At Imascono we know that the future of the tourism industry lies in the development of interactive and immersive experiences. that involve travelers and generate a real connection. Thus, the Metaverse is positioned as one of the main technological trends for the tourism sector. Thanks to its ability to revolutionize the before, during and after the trip. From the Exclusive Traveler Club to the Rafa Nadal Academy, the Goya Museum, the Loarre Castle or the Barceló hotel chain, there are many tourist companies, museums and public administrations that trust in Imascono for to make the leap to the new virtual context. With more than 12 years of experience in the development of amazing projects focused on the Metaverse, Extended Reality and Artificial Intelligence, our team of engineers and designers will be happy to help you to to boost your tourism business in the new virtual context . Contact with us and take your tourism experiences to the next level.