Metaverse Tourism:

A Myth or (Virtual) Reality in 2023?

• Pundits are predicting that metaverse travel will be the next defining moment for the travel industry, not to replace physical travel, but to enhance the experience.  

• You can now explore the Louvre museum, hike the Grand Canyon and even conquer the summit of Mount Everest, all in virtual reality. Virtual travel and education via augmented and virtual reality, virtual airline staff training and hospitality NFT loyalty programs are just a few of the ways in which companies are exploring the possibilities within Web3 travel. 

• As the industry develops and our assumptions about businesses change, we need to ensure that brands are prepared for this new future and bring to life authentic and enhancing experiences for consumers to be immersed in. 

* If you are new to Web3 and the metaverse, see our earlier blogs on the topics here.

Metaverse travel brings together two key threads of the work we do at KINDUSTRY: tourism and Web3. Tourism has remained important to us after working with the Caribbean Region to develop a strategic and communications roadmap for more resilient, sustainable and globally competitive regional branding. Web3 and the metaverse is central to many of our projects from educating and advising global brands on how to see the space thoughtfully. What better way to kickstart the Culture Lab in 2023 than to share the ins and outs of travel in the metaverse, ahead of what is likely to be a big year for the industry. 

The Metaverse: What exactly is it? 

Imagine a virtual world where millions of people live, work, learn, explore new places and more, all from their own homes in the physical world through the use of immersive VR goggles (incoming Apple…), a laptop or even a mobile phone. 

Tech giants including Meta, Google, Microsoft, Apple and Qualcomm are investing billions of dollars in developing the metaverse experience to a level the current and future consumer would thrive in. Many companies across multiple industries, including travel, are already thinking about how to offer and integrate metaverse experiences. 

There are even countries implementing metaverse entertainment and services for example, South Korea has recently launched the first version of Metaverse Seoul, a virtual environment that will allow residents to access official documents, file complaints, and receive answers to questions on filing taxes.

This new version of the internet isn’t just for gamers or developers. It has a place and purpose for everyone and it has the potential to enhance  the way we live and the way we travel and understand the world. Books and movies have transported us through storytelling across the globe and the metaverse can be an extension of that escapism. 

The Next Defining Moment For The Travel Industry

Fifty-three percent of travel executives state that the metaverse will have a positive impact on their organisations, with 25% expecting a breakthrough or transformational impact (Accenture, 2022).

For travel, the metaverse isn’t simply about cool games, styled avatars, and branded exploration. It can generate breakthrough value for businesses. Whether it’s pre-journey (researching a destination - see below for the Joali Being example), during the journey (navigating the airport, and elevating the hotel and hospitality services, and streamlining travel organisations processes) or even post journey (reliving the trip in 3D), companies are reimaging how to enhance the travel experience through the metaverse. 

How Could This Work? 

Travel in virtual reality 

You can now explore the Louvre museum, hike the Grand Canyon and even conquer the summit of Mount Everest, all in virtual reality. It is expected that increasingly more countries, businesses and hotels will allow people to travel to their locations virtually, through the use of VR headsets.

Discover the Grand Canyon with Oculus Rift here.

Virtual Mt Everest and Louvre museum

This new way to travel could be seen as a ‘try before you buy’ experience that travellers use in order to help them decide where they would like to have their next adventure. 

Additionally, VR travel has been used in palliative care, providing terminally ill patients with an imaginative  experience that  has been proven to reduce anxiety and improve comfort.

Metaverse operations at the airport 

SITA predicts that airports are going to become increasingly automated, using metaverse technologies to optimise processes throughout the airport, allowing for more efficient operations. This could include training courses for staff using augmented reality and virtual reality, guiding travellers around airports and optimising passenger verification processes. 

The Future Is Already Here 

Below are a few examples of companies already transforming their operations with metaverse technologies. 

How travel businesses interact with customers: Engagement and Loyalty

Millennium Hotels and Resorts opened M Social Decentraland and became the first hospitality group to open a hotel in the metaverse. The virtual hotel blends real and virtual experiences in ways designed to intrigue and engage. Guests can tour the hotel, which resembles real-world Millennium properties, via their avatar, and are incentivised to visit virtually with the chance to win prizes in the physical world.

How airlines work

To improve its aircraft turnaround time, KLM airlines began offering their cleaning crew virtual fleet tours on an iPad using a VR headset to familiarise them with each cabin. Opting for immersive 360° images instead of the standard 2D rendering on a sheet of paper increased overall efficiency, allowing staff to finish cleaning 15 minutes ahead of schedule and free of errors. After a successful test run, the airline now uses this technology for all cabin crew and caterers.

What products and services are on offer 

Emirates has announced their upcoming launch of “signature metaverse experiences” for customers. They are also developing non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for both utility and collectible purposes.

Emirates is already using blockchain to improve its rewards program, Emirates Skywards. The project is in partnership with blockchain firm Loyyal and enables the creation of a shared system between multiple parties to report and track how passenger points are used.

Emirates CEO has outlined his plans to invest in the metaverse and advanced technologies to “improve business processes, enhance our customer offering, and enrich [their] employees’ skills and experiences” and focus on “revenue, brand experience, and business efficiencies”.

Not Without Doubt

While the new developments and potential within metaverse travel are all very compelling, the prospect is not without concern, as with any technological invention.

Some think that metaverse travel detracts from the very essence of travel - immersing yourself in new, real-life cultures and experiences and creating meaningful connections with new people and places. 

KINDUSTRY’s take 

Industry leaders that dismiss the metaverse, or consider it “something to think about later” are risking future competitiveness. While this is an emerging area, it’s not too early to begin shaping new opportunities in the metaverse. 

As these technology advancements challenge our basic assumptions about business and life, we must ensure the metaverse is designed with responsibility at the core. Brands, organisations and even countries should look to the metaverse and Web3 as an extension of their communications plan, not a tool to replace their core offerings. In the same way social media, AirBnB and Tripadvisor became the trusted voices of travel, this new era of internet and technology could shape the way humans explore the world. 

KINDUSTRY is dedicated to helping organisations navigate the rapidly evolving metaverse and Web3 landscape in 2023, through thoughtful education sessions and brand playbooks that uncover new growth opportunities. 

Reach out to discuss metaverse travel and how these innovations are relevant to your brand strategy here.