Metaverse tourism for sustainable tourism development: Tourism Agenda 2030

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to define metaverse tourism and to provide a viewpoint and further research regarding metaverse tourism with respect to its potential for sustainable tourism. Design/methodology/approach This study investigated the potential of the metaverse for sustainable tourism based on United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reports, Google Trends data and previous studies including human–computer interactions, virtual reality and cognitive studies. Findings This research found that metaverse products and experiences could aid in expanding the range of tourism resources and support sustainable tourism by providing alternative and profitable resources. Producing licensed and profitable metaverse tourism products and experiences could increase profitability for tourism destinations and should be developed in accordance with the UNWTO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Research limitations/implications Using metaverse tourism products and experiences is a new approach to attain the SDGs. Analysis of accumulated data from further empirical studies and case studies is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is an original attempt to define metaverse tourism in the tourism and hospitality context and to consider its potential, linked to UNWTO’s SDGs. Insights from this paper could be useful for initiating further research and discussions on future metaverse tourism and sustainable tourism.