Meta State of Travel: Marriott
Virtual tourism was picking up during the pandemic, but the Metaverse will offer a new approach.
Metaverse travel may be the next big thing to hit the travel industry, hopefully not the way it hit the fashion industry (remember the horrors of the Metaverse Fashion Week?). Although we may not be there yet it does sound fun and interesting, like space tourism. However, unlike taking travellers to some distant spaceship for an overnight bunking amid the stars, which I would be super down for, the Metaverse is already here, ready to take you into a world where you can explore and live the moments within your devices, not like surfing the internet. A place where you could be sipping margaritas in Mexico one minute to drinking wine in France the next.
The Marriott Groups entered the Metaverse last December, as an attempt to explore this new and yet unformed space that Metaverse travel could inhabit, with three elements of virtual art seen last year in Art Basel Miami Beach 2021, a leading annual contemporary art show.
The alternative universe can be seen as a new form of digital marketing and a means to target a new audience. But for those of us who are watching the travel industry evolve believe the Metaverse could be much more in travel, possibly transforming the concept of travel as we know it.
Déjà vu, Marriott?
Innovating and making use of the latest technology isn’t new for the Marriott Group, they did it in the past too, in 2015 to be specific. When they tested virtual reality in their hotels through a collaboration with Samsung Electronics America. The hotel group launched the virtual travel content platform VR Postcard, which immerses users in a 3D travel experience using these virtual postcards.
Technology is making it possible for travellers to have their travel experience before they travel
Creating virtual theme parks, virtual museums, virtual zoos, and other similar attractions can provide a realistic experience to customers as they can enjoy something akin to what a real experience of this kind would be.
This could be more sustainable and animal friendly for instance a virtual zoo would not be required to obtain and constrain real animals by keeping them caged and away from their natural habitat. The animals in that zoo could include everything from current animals, to extinct animals, and even entirely fictional creatures.
Monetary Benefits for Tourism Industry
This could also lead to potential monetary benefits for the travel and tourism industry as:
Inspire Tourism-Related Purchases
Interactive virtual reality experiences can recreate real-world environments and provide travellers with a clear idea of what they might expect when they visit a particular destination, inspiring and encouraging tourists to complete a booking or purchase.
Enhance the Booking Experience
Aside from inspiring, hotels can use VR tours or digital avatars to help customers get a sense of how big rooms are, and what facilities are on offer by allowing them to walk around a realistic recreation of their property.
So currently,
As Metaverse travel technology edges through the starting stages, all we can do is wait and watch. As the world wends its way down the next rabbit hole, or the next Metaverse, it is best to be prepared but not to forget the importance of actual human touch and feel — as it is something that cannot be replaced.
