Nearly half of global travellers say they would turn to virtual reality next year to plan their vacations, according to a report by online reservation site, Booking.com.
With nearly half (43%) of global travellers reporting that they will be turning to virtual reality next year to inspire their vacation choices, travel will enter the ever-evolving 3D virtual space of the metaverse in earnest in 2023.
More than a third (35%) of travellers say they are keen to embark on a multi-day virtual reality travel experience, and the metaverse will be more than just a “try before you buy” offering says the Booking.com report.
Travellers will no longer be limited by physics, and can experiment with different travel experiences in a year when metaverse worlds will begin replicating and reimaging destinations.
Virtual reality travel
Moving beyond 2023, haptic feedback, the use of touch to communicate with users, will make virtual reality travel a truly immersive experience.
It is forecast that future equipment will delivering a credible sense of 3D touch, meaning it will be able to replicate feelings such as the feel of soft grains of sand and the warmth of the sun.
Travellers will become bolder in their real-life trip choices, after being able to visit them in the metaverse first via their online avatars – especially handy for those who might feel anxious about trying somewhere new, with 46% more likely to travel to destinations that they wouldn’t have previously considered after experiencing them in virtual reality first.
While the metaverse will offer a new way to experience travel in the year ahead, it still won’t stop people from booking a ticket to their next destination, as three in five (60%) believe that a virtual reality experience is not fulfilling enough to check it off the bucket list.
Booking.com included virtual reality travel among its predictions for the creative reimagining of travel in 2023.
It also forecasts a rise in corporate holidays – where businesses arrange leisure trips for employees – and an insistence on value as key components to travel next year.
Speaking on the trends Arjan Dijk, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com said: “If the last few years have taught us anything it’s that travel should not be taken for granted.
“This year’s travel predictions research shows the undercurrent of intentional paradoxical behaviours that will put us all more comfortably in the driving seat amid relentless instability.
“It also demonstrates a desire for travel to be a way to seek unapologetic moments of happiness and escapism to counteract the heavy realities of our news feeds.”
Companies in Dubai, in industries as varied as tourism, banking and fashion, are already gearing up for a move into the metaverse. Check out 10 of the most innovative here.
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