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.

• Desde la promoción y marketing de las experiencias turísticas, con gemelos digitales de los destinos turísticos donde los usuarios pueden recorrer los espacios, conocer en profundidad las actividades e inspirarse/imaginarse la experiencia turística más allá de las fotografías y vídeos promocionales.

• La gestión de la reserva y personalización de los servicios turísticos, a través del propio hotel virtual en el Metaverso, donde los usuarios pueden personalizar su estancia y viaje, de forma intuitiva y accesible. Por ejemplo, a través de su propia habitación de hotel en 3D, donde pueden elegir el tipo de almohada, de distribución y de otros servicios complementarios.

• Generando una comunidad de viajeros y fomentando la fidelización, a través de espacios virtuales multiusuarios e interactivos en los que celebrar eventos con personas de todas las partes del mundo. Espacios en el Metaverso donde compartir experiencias de viaje, obtener beneficios por ser parte del club virtual y conocer las últimas propuestas de la cadena hotelera o destino turístico, como en el caso de éxito 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.

• Turismo cultural. Si hay un proyecto que muestra el gran potencial de estas tecnologías en el turismo más cultural es el Metaverso de la ciudad de Zaragoza, recreando en 3D la experiencia de la tradicional Flower Offering durante las Fiestas del Pilar. Una acción turística que ha alcanzado a 51.000.000 millones de personas en impactos con más de 350.000 usuarios únicos. Presentando la cultura, tradición y folclore de la ciudad a través del nuevo mundo virtual.

• Una nueva forma de inspirar al viajero. Otra de las aplicaciones relevantes del Metaverso en el turismo es su capacidad de inspirar al viajero más allá de los vídeos, páginas web y fotografías. Los gemelos digitales permiten visitar el destino turístico con antelación, pudiendo conocer previamente los puntos turísticos. Entre los gemelos digitales turísticos más importantes encontramos la virtualización completa de la Rafa Nadal Academy de Manacor. En la cual es posible recorrer todas las instalaciones, conocer a fondo su historia y disfrutar de contenidos exclusivos.

• Fomento comunidad online. El Metaverso permite fortalecer la comunidad online y fomentar el cross-selling, al crear un espacio en el que, al viajar de vuelta a casa, la interacción con la marca siga en el mundo virtual. Como en el caso de Exclusiverse, donde se fomenta el loyalty de sus +80.000 miembros a través de contenidos exclusivos, descuentos y desbloqueo de nuevas experiencias interactivas.

• Turismo accesible. Las experiencias turísticas en el Metaverso también suponen un nuevo impulso al turismo más accesible. Ofreciendo espacios virtuales inmersivos que permiten conocer lugares de difícil acceso o que no cuentan con las adaptaciones necesarias para que personas con movilidad reducida o discapacidad puedan visitarlos de forma presencial. Como el caso del Castillo de Loarre, el cual, a través de la iniciativa social impulsada por Itainnova, ofrece LOARRE XR, un espacio en el Metaverso para recorrer virtualmente los más de diez siglos de historia y belleza de la fortificación.

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.