Travel's next disruptive technology – and what it means for you

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

The rapid development of smartphones and mobile commerce demonstrated their potential in enabling disruptive changes in tourism. As the development of three-dimensional simulations matures, the functionality of immersive extended reality (XR) technologies such as mixed reality (MR), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in supporting tourists to preview destinations before purchase and complement real destination experience will be increasingly acknowledged. 

Metaverse has drawn much attention after Facebook changed its name to Meta and repositioned its business around the Metaverse, so users can switch between them for work, education and training, health, exploring interests and socialising.

Covid-19 forced many people to meet, learn, consult and engage using online meeting platforms. However, this was two-dimensional, confusing and often felt unreal. The innovation and opportunity emerging from the Metaverse is that the immersion will allow users to interact naturally in both physical and digital environments. 

ENHANCING EXPERIENCES

Metaverse is still a conceptual development. While many news articles and industry reports illustrate the business potential of Metaverse, details about how this disruptive technology may revolutionise consumer behaviour and management practices are limited. Through providing users with immersive experiences before travel and augmented content when they are physically at the destination, Metaverse is envisioned to be able to enhance travellers’ real experiences.

In tourism, Metaverse will be a disruptive technology because it will empower travellers to access virtual resources and digital environments when they are away from the destination, allowing them to “pre-visit” attractions and facilities to assess their desirability and suitability. This is expected to enhance their experience when they are onsite as they will be better prepared. 

While physically at the destinations, Metaverse will empower access to virtual resources to enhance customer experience and destination interpretation. For example, visitors will be able to use XR to experience an ancient ceremony in an archaeological temple or indeed a volcano eruption in a safe way. Being able to use XR whilst at location will revolutionise engagement and also support the personalisation and contextualisation of immersive and media-rich content.

All this will affect the staging of tourism experiences and consumer behaviour leading to developments in marketing and operational strategies. It’s also expected to motivate more travel and tourism activity, as people who experience destinations and tourism activities virtually will be motivated to visit physically. Furthermore, it will support users to engage with places they have already been, motivating repeat visits and loyalty.