Metaverse to enhance tourism and hospitality industries, say panelists at SITTF 2022

Sharjah: Tourism trade specialists are in awe with journey hitting new highs after the gradual progress previously two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Journey trade is again on monitor with statistics hitting pre-pandemic ranges, stated Edwardo Soares, Managing Director of Intellias Center East, throughout the closing panel dialogue titled ‘An Open Horizon and Endless Possibilities’, on the ninth version of the Sharjah Worldwide Journey and Tourism Discussion board (SITTF) on Thursday.

“Data sits right in the centre of what is happening in the travel sector. Knowledge-sharing between public and private sectors through data analyses will help streamline new experiences for end users,” stated Soares, highlighting the advantages of journey predictions in offering enhanced buyer experiences.

He added that integration of providers from a number of sectors is a should for an optimum expertise. “Companies should leverage their technologies and also the understanding of its customer base to adjust their offerings accordingly,” he stated.

Cliff Szue, CEO of Multiverse, shed gentle into his expertise of constructing the digital twin of Sharjah metropolis on the metaverse. “Sharjahverse was created in collaboration with the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Authority. We used geospatial data from satellite images to create a 3D explorable environment. For the interiors, we captured images using special video cameras and combined them using algorithms and AI. This digital twin city was created to bridge the journey between the physical and digital worlds. Creating such experiences have shown to increase employee productivity, and is a new way to connect to customers,” he stated.

“When the Gen-Z will turn into primary economic spenders, they will be on the metaverse as emails will then feel outdated. Immersive travel and hospitality experiences are going to be on the forefront soon as this category will want to go through a virtual experience before they attend it for real,” he added.

Pekka Kelkka, Net 3 and Blockchain Advisor and Educator, stated that customer support initiatives on the metaverse are doing wonders creating holistic experiences for customers. “Translating these experiences to different sectors within the hospitality and tourism industry will give a boost to tourists with no borders. We are transitioning from 2D internet to 3D simulations slowly and steadily. Today, we can chat with public entities in the UAE with our digital avatars, this  is one of the early forms of us entering the 3D world,” he added.

“In the same way that we build architectural marvels in the real world, we can revel in the metaverse  and build imaginations that will provide an enjoyable interactive experience for the users to visit hotels and tourist facilities in advance,” stated Kelkka.

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