Metaverse tourism – all you need to know
We seem to be mixing the Metaverse with everything, so here comes Metaverse tourism! Mark Zuckerberg said it’s the “embodied internet,” a virtual world that works like a real-life location. His company changed its name from Facebook to Meta. Some people might ask, “What can Metaverse tourism do?”
This new tech era may soon revolution various industries, specifically tourism. The coronavirus pandemic had a huge negative impact, but this new tech world may breathe new life into it. The travel industry may soon bring new travel experiences and promote its growth. Read further to explore what meta tourism can do!
Many people cannot wrap their heads around what the Metaverse is all about. That’s why I will start by talking more about it and then explaining what it can do for tourism. If you’re still not convinced, I will show you recent examples from around the world. More importantly, we will talk about how you should respond to these changes happening around you.
What can the Metaverse do?
The idea for this tech world first appeared in the 1992 sci-fi novel “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson. We’ve seen it depicted in films like “The Matrix” and “Ready Player One.”
They showed the same premise, a virtual space that you can enter and exit like a real place. Nowadays, numerous companies want to make this happen.
Do they just love sci-fi? Maybe, but they pump millions of dollars into this idea because it can bring various benefits. Here’s what it did for the following brands:
- IKEA – The Swedish furniture brand offers a mobile app that features augmented reality (AR). It allows shoppers to see how pieces of décor would look in their homes. You could even change its color and move it around your place, allowing for an immersive online shopping experience.
- Nike – The fitness brand launched its 3D space in Roblox called Nikeland. It features an apparel store where players could purchase real-life Nike products as in-game items. As a result, Nike goodies become useful in the game and real life.
- Disney – The famous amusement park brand probably saw opportunities in this tech world, so it decided to patent a “virtual-world simulator.” However, the company said that it has no plans to use it soon. Sadly, you can’t book a virtual tour yet!
How can the Metaverse help tourism?
People had to stop traveling in the real world because of COVID-19. Countries made it harder to go to other countries and return, so we explored the online ones instead.
Of course, this wasn’t enough to satisfy our wanderlust. That’s why you’d see many posts on social media recalling their past travel experiences.
Some even motivated themselves by posting promises of heading out to other countries soon. On the other hand, the tourism sector misses the travelers too.
According to Statista, the world tourism market lost 100.8 million jobs in 2020. Most of the losses came from the Asia Pacific region, which shed 63.4 million jobs.
Fortunately, Metaverse tourism or “meta tourism” might be the solution. It allows overseas travel even if people can’t head to the real place. Here are its other benefits:
- It lets you try out your hotel or destination before confirming a booking. The info found on hotel booking sites can’t help you figure out what your stay would be like. Some hotels already provide such a booking experience with the help of virtual reality (VR) headsets.
- This type of tourism may help promote destinations. Once you explore a tourist spot via digital space, you might want to head there to get the full experience. That way, you get the sounds, smells, and other stuff that the online version couldn’t give.
- It’s easy to get lost during a trip abroad. The place is new, few people speak your language, and map apps might not work. Exploring it with VR could help you find your way once you go to the real thing. With the help of meta tourism, you’d know your way around even before getting there.
- This type of tourism may highlight other places that aren’t often found in travel guides. Tourists will have more places to visit, so the less popular areas can also benefit. Those folks will pay for nearby products and services which help local businesses.
Read More: What Is The Metaverse?
Can we see examples of Metaverse tourism?
The #Future is exciting, are you ready?
📸in-game screenshot! 😍
Keep building 24/7… 💪💪#ArivaMetaverse #ArivaWonderland #ArivaMan #Metaverse #ComingSoon pic.twitter.com/DseaBqG2e9
— Ariva Digital (@ArivaCoin) January 14, 2022
Ariva is one of the companies that want to make this happen. Its first product is a blockchain platform that makes casual and business travel easier.
Now, it announced a Metaverse project named Ariva Wonderland. It works like Decentraland and Sandbox because it lets you buy areas in its space.
Ariva’s new project aims to mix travel and VR to improve tourism. At the time of writing, there weren’t a lot of related details, but it released a video teaser on YouTube.
As I said, tourism in Asia took a big hit, so countries like Japan held the Sumida Meta Tourism Festival on August 24, 2021. Now, it plans to lead this new type of tourism.
Lastly, the Meta company saw a lot of potential in the Philippines. That’s why Asia Pacific VP Dan Neary wants to help local businesses use this tech world.
He said in an online event that it would let these companies provide customer service like never before. Also, he added that this works for services as well as products.
That’s why Neary invested $10 billion for the project. However, he noted that more internet access and upskilling are a must. Still, this is a great start for the Philippines!
Should I learn more about the Metaverse?
Social networks are trying to bridge online spaces and our world as if we’re in “The Matrix.” This tech world brings video games that allow players to earn money while having fun.
We have Metaverse tourism which could bring global travel back to life. In other words, the concept is bringing so many changes we thought we would only see in movies.
Would we be trapped in these worlds? Will they replace real-life? Of course, that’s not going to happen because we still have bodies in real-life. Still, you should learn more about it.
COVID sparked changes we’ve never seen around the world. Once we’ve rid the world of the virus, we will step into a different world from the one before the pandemic.
You don’t have to start a life there without knowing how everything works. You can find so many great online articles like this one to learn more about meta.
That’s not the only way you can learn, though. You might want to try meta platforms like SandBox and Decentraland. That way, you can get a feel of how they work.
Buying land in a game with real money might sound silly, but those might be a part of the Metaverse once it’s up and running. Also, many people have earned millions from it.
If you don’t want to buy land, maybe the coins might suit you. These platforms have cryptos that go up in value. If you buy them at a low price, you could sell them later for a profit.
What’s more, why not try a play-to-earn game like Axie Infinity? It lets you earn tokens that you can exchange for real money. It’s helped many Filipinos make ends meet.
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Final thoughts
That’s all there is to know about Meta tourism. Of course, it’s always changing, so you might find a new tool or service that didn’t make it in this article.
This article cited a lot of assets, but it’s not meant for investment advice. You should talk to an expert about that. What’s more, have a plan before you buy an asset.
Again, it’s a good idea to learn more about the Metaverse. Start by reading other Inquirer USA articles. They will show you the latest in tech and more!
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