Tourism in the metaverse: what options are there and how much money would it move

The metaverse It is becoming increasingly relevant in the world since the term was born in 1992. In recent years, the idea of ​​creating through technology has materialized. digital experiences. Now, through augmented reality, people have chosen to live unimaginable experiences in the earthly plane through the virtual world.

With this potential business opportunity, some companies are relocating and finding their footing in the metaverse. And with the avatars, in search of new sensations, tourism found a possible business in the digital universe.

(See: Is the metaverse important in the future of ‘retailers’?).

From going to places difficult to visit, seeing the world in just a few hours, traveling through time or even going to the moon are some of the attractions of the metaverse.

For Dario Melo, entrepreneur and MBA from Cornell University, “the metaverse is set to be the disruptive force for several economic verticals over the next decade. With the ability to offer immersive and personalized experiences, the metaverse is changing the way people we interact with the digital world. This has huge implications for how economies will develop in the future.”

The offer includes that the avatars can climb great mountains, ski on the snow, fly in space or even create his home on Mars.

(See: Digital housing in the metaverse already costs 13 times more than physical).

“When you enter the metaverse you will realize all the amazing things you can do, from flying to sailing through space. But what will really captivate you are all the possibilities you will have to develop and materialize your ideas”Mel said.

All these opportunities have allowed the designs of the digital world to evolve in technological matters, to go from images with little resemblance to reality, to landscapes that at first glance are not easy to recognize if they are computerized or shots of the real landscape. Their reception has been to such an extent that they have even made the tourism and travel market project a growth of 26.6%, closing in 2028 at a value of US$220.8 billion.

“There are all the extended reality devices, the glasses, the virtual reality devices and also the implementation of the blockchain that works as the economy of the metaverse and artificial intelligence that is related to social interaction with people, avatars and bots that are designed to have a hyper-realistic conversation”, he pointed out about the Melo technology.

(See: Companies accelerate arrival in the virtual world of the metaverse).

In the case of Colombia, the expert points out that, through this new reality, it can provide an appetizer of the tourist attractions and make more visitors have a perspective of what the country would offer them during their visit.

Regarding gastronomy, the avatars will not eat precisely as it happens in real life, but the industry will be present. “We see how the entertainment industry motivates us to consume products and services, such as food, so from a marketing point of view, companies in the metaverse will be able to promote themselves. In addition, the gastronomic industry has reinvented itself in recent years, with multisensory experiences and experiences, things that could be done”.

(See: What is web 3.0 and why could it change the future of the internet?).

And although it is still a growing market, to date, 79% of active consumers in the metaverse have made a purchase, which demonstrates the importance of economic growth in this new technological world. “Things they said about the internet, and we did not imagine what it was going to be,” said Melo.

PAULA GALEANO BALAGUERA
Journalist Portfolio