Is Metaverse in Hotels A Friend or Foe? Perspectives Of Experts in Hospitality Industry

The hospitality industry is constantly evolving with technological
development in its fundamental strategic activities. Thus, to remain 
competitive and to keep up with the rapid changes, the usage of 
information technology is unavoidable. In this respect, virtual reality 
(VR) tourism / meta-tourism provides consumers with the opportunity to 
experience a destination in VR and can play a significant role in 
encouraging visitation and engaging in the particular travel activities 
and behaviors. Also, the experience of (VR) in hotels provide a glimpse 
of reality. Hence, guests will have an accurate representation of the 
location, hotel rooms, and amenities prior to making a purchase and will 
not be disappointed upon arrival. Metaverse hotel/ Meta-hotel enables 
hotel guests to virtually experience the hotel stay and services while the 
hotel will gain upselling virtually. This paper aims to identify if using VR 
and Metaverse in hotel will effect positively or negatively on the hotel 
occupancy percentage, to identify the category of hotels that can 
implement Metaverse. Also, contribute a comprehensive understanding 
of Metaverse technology, its applications, and its impact on hospitality.
Interviews were conducted with five hotels of five-star international
hotels, five hospitality experts as a sample to explore their perceptions 
about the advantages and disadvantages of Metaverse in the hospitality 
industry and online interview with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and 
founder of the Metaverse Hospitality website. The results showed that 
Metaverse is a friend of the hospitality industry, and its transformation 
has transformed it into a more digital industry. In this respect, The 
Metaverse hotel can be a friend and a very useful tool if hotel 
managements use it effectively under strict, secure policies and 
regulations.