The Metaverse in tourism: a key to grasping the opportunities

The numbers regarding the future of the metaverse are significant and describe a disruptive phenomenon, as underlined by Caroline Bremner, Head of Research on Travel & Tourism at Euromonitor International, who states that “By 2030, there could be almost 500 billion connected machines, including wearables, vehicles, drones, appliances, robots and smart sensors, and hyperconnectivity from 6G will lead to XR, holograms, digital twins and truly immersive experiences in real time”.

We have been wondering about this for quite some time and we are convinced that this is not a temporary trend, but a change that will also impact the world of tourism in the long term.

In the short term, the question will be not only when, but also how; only efficient and effective organisational models will be able to develop and consolidate, while the less performing ones may end up with an unjustified waste of financial resources.

Those who think that the metaverse will lead to replacing the real tourist experience with the virtual one are wrong. In fact, tour operators will have the opportunity to value the customer before, during and after the journey, by monetising also with services that leverage their own (new) value proposition and brand.

We stated in a Pambianco News article that “The metaverse will be a place where not being present means disappearing”. This, however, justifies the success achieved by the small village of Monteriggioni in Tuscany, which receives a lot of attention and is a pilgrimage destination for fans of the Assassin’s Creed videogame: those who are present will be able to seize incredible opportunities.

We at Twissen are observing the growing interest in the metaverse, in virtual, augmented as well as extended reality, which is materialising with huge investments and acquisitions in hardware companies. The opportunities are becoming clear for everyone and we are expecting a hype soon, however it is important to study the organisational model deeply in order to avoid unpleasant setbacks.

Photo credits: Milanosud

Twissen