The metaverse, a collective virtual shared space that is created by the convergence of physical and virtual reality, is poised to revolutionize the way people experience travel and tourism.

With virtual reality technologies advancing at a rapid pace, the potential for virtual travel experiences within the metaverse is expanding.

This has led to significant investment and interest from industry players, indicating the emergence of a new era in tourism.

This article explores the rise of the metaverse in tourism, along with its potential impact and the figures that underscore its growing influence.

The concept of a metaverse, a virtual universe where people can interact with each other and digital environments, has been gaining traction in recent years.

With the advancement of technology, the metaverse has become an increasingly popular destination for people looking to escape the confines of the physical world and explore new places and experiences.

As a result, the tourism industry has also started to take notice of the potential of the metaverse as a new and exciting way for people to travel.

One of the main attractions of the metaverse for tourists is the ability to visit destinations that may be impossible or impractical to see in real life.

Virtual tourism platforms offer users the chance to explore exotic locations, historical landmarks, and even fictional worlds from the comfort of their own homes.

This opens up a whole new world of travel opportunities for people who may be unable to travel for various reasons, such as financial constraints, physical disabilities, or time constraints.

In addition to visiting virtual destinations, the metaverse also provides a unique opportunity for tourists to connect with other travellers from around the world.

Virtual tourism platforms often feature social elements that allow users to meet and interact with other avatars, creating a sense of community and camaraderie that is similar to traditional travel experiences.

This social aspect of the metaverse can be particularly appealing to people who are looking for ways to connect with others and share their travel experiences.

Furthermore, the metaverse also offers exciting possibilities for the tourism industry to promote destinations and experiences in creative and immersive ways.

Virtual travel experiences can be used as marketing tools to showcase the beauty and unique features of different destinations, enticing potential visitors to consider adding them to their travel bucket lists.

Additionally, virtual tourism experiences can also be used to preview real-life destinations, giving potential tourists a taste of what they can expect when they visit in person.

As the metaverse continues to evolve and expand, it is clear that virtual travel experiences will play an increasingly important role in the future of the tourism industry.

While they may never fully replace the thrill of real-life travel, they offer a convenient, accessible, and innovative way for people to explore the world and connect with others.

With the potential for endless creativity and imagination, the rise of the metaverse in tourism represents an exciting new frontier for travellers and industry professionals alike.

As of now, the metaverse is still in its early stages, but it is already making its mark on the tourism industry.

According to a report by Statista, the virtual reality market is expected to reach a value of $22.9 billion by 2024, with a significant portion of this growth driven by virtual tourism experiences. This demonstrates the immense potential for virtual travel within the metaverse.

Several key players in the tech industry are heavily investing in the development of the metaverse. For example, Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms, has announced its plans to invest $10 billion into the development of the metaverse in the coming years.

This significant investment indicates the growing interest and commitment towards the development of virtual environments that can be leveraged for various purposes, including tourism.

Furthermore, virtual tourism platforms and experiences are becoming increasingly popular. For instance, platforms like Second Life, Decentraland, and Sansar are gaining traction as destinations for virtual travel.

These platforms offer users the ability to explore and interact with a wide range of virtual destinations, from realistic cityscapes to fantastical realms.

In terms of user engagement, virtual tourism experiences are also resonating with a broad audience.

According to a report by Greenlight Insights, the number of active virtual reality users is projected to reach 171 million by 2018, indicating a growing interest in immersive virtual experiences.

This growing user base presents a significant opportunity for the tourism industry to leverage virtual travel as a means to reach and engage with potential travellers.

Moreover, the potential reach of virtual tourism is vast, offering the opportunity to showcase destinations to a global audience. Virtual experiences can be easily shared and accessed by people from all corners of the globe, providing an effective way to promote tourism destinations and attractions to a broad and diverse audience.

In conclusion, the rise of the metaverse in tourism is backed by substantial figures, from market projections to investments in technology.

Virtual tourism is gaining momentum and becoming a significant component of the broader travel industry. As technology continues to advance, and as more users engage with virtual experiences, the role of the metaverse in tourism is likely to expand even further in the coming years.

The rise of the metaverse in tourism is not just a futuristic concept but a tangible reality backed by substantial figures.

As virtual reality technologies continue to mature and garner a growing user base, the potential for virtual travel experiences within the metaverse is undeniably significant. The soaring market projections, substantial investments, and increasing user engagement in virtual tourism experiences point to the transformative potential of the metaverse in reshaping the tourism industry.

As the metaverse expands and evolves, it holds the promise of offering travellers immersive, accessible, and diverse virtual travel experiences that can complement traditional tourism and provide a gateway to destinations worldwide. The road ahead for the metaverse in tourism is paved with countless possibilities, presenting both the industry and travellers with an exciting new frontier to explore.

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The Writer, Prof. Ojo Emmanuel Ademola is the first Nigerian Professor of Cyber Security and Information Technology Management, and the first Professor of African descent to be awarded a Chartered Manager Status.

Passengers can now fly for from the listed states to Lagos and then connect flights to London through Air Peace with their luggage arriving at Gatwick airport.

An X user Kalu Aja @FinPlanKaluAja1 had admonished the airline to open up its local routes to international flights.

Was Air Peace assuming they would let him gain market share without a fight?

Oga Allen, they will fight for every seat, It is called competition and it's not all fair

They have their advantage, they can use their currency to pay for maintenance and insurance, Air Peace has to…

— Kalu Aja (@FinPlanKaluAja1) April 11, 2024

Few days later, the airline introduced the service via its X handle stating, “Embark on your London adventure from Abuja, Asaba, Benin, Enugu, Owerri, Warri, or Port Harcourt! Seamless connections via Lagos. Make your journey smooth and convenient.”

Nigerians have expressed excitement following the development, stating that Air Peace would have an advantage over other carriers on the route if the service is seamless.

DOK – Ayanfe with X handle @PrinceofSydney stated: “Air Peace has woken up; this is how to maximise that Lagos to London route”.

Another X handler user with name Victor @VC_Ekezie, wrote: “Thank you air peace for heeding to good counsel…”

This also gladdens the heart of PIED @obehieguakhide who wrote: “Brilliant move! Keep this up. There are those of us rooting for you all to succeed!”

Another X User @hackSultan commented: “”This is great.  Instead of flying to Abuja or Lagos first before going to London, all the locations on air piece (sic: Air Peace) can route individuals directly to London via their Lagos terminal”.

Barely two weeks after Air Peace commenced Lagos-London route, all foreign carriers reduced fares on the route by over 50 percent.

Airlines such as British Airways (BA), Virgin Atlantic, Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and others have continued to slash fares on the route as competition is seen to drive price war.

Air Peace had pegged its return economy class ticket at N1.2million, and N4 million for Business Class, thereby slashing fares on the route.

Before the local airline’s maiden flight to London, BA and Virgin which operates direct flight from London to Lagos charged between N3 million to N3.5 million. Other airlines cost an average of N2 million for a return ticket.

Currently on the Lagos-London route, an economy class ticket on Egyptair cost ₦585,620; Air Peace – ₦816,130, British Airways – ₦981,848, ⁠Virgin Atlantic – ₦1.1m, Royal Air Maroc – ₦569,422, ⁠RwandAir – ₦679,070, ⁠Ethiopian Airlines – ₦677,824, Turkish Airlines – ₦807,408 Air France – ₦1.1m and KLM – ₦1.1m.

She made the above assertion as one of the resource persons at a workshop which came with the theme, “Tourism/Hospitality Industry As An Alternative to Oil & Gas in Revenue Generation” on Saturday, 5th August, 2023 at Lekki, Lagos.

Sandra said apart from oil and gas industry which serves as major source of foreign exchange earnings, the tourism and hospitality sector if well harnessed can boost the economy of the nation.

According to her: “In developed countries of the world and some African countries, tourism is a big business and creates employment opportunities for many people. Aside from direct jobs at the sites, those in the hospitality business such as hotels and restaurants also make a lot of money through the influx of tourists.

“Nigeria being a monolithic economy it is our responsibility as critical stakeholders in the Nigeria’s tourism and hospitality industry to advise the government to show commitment and partner the private sector in building the sector.

“Government and other investors within this lucrative and revenue generating space need to work our better ways of handling tourism business in the country and of course Nigerians too need to believe in their own, instead of travelling outside the country for leisure.

“It is really mind-boggling so see that our country Nigeria is losing billions of dollars annually due to lack of focus on the sector, whereas this is a money spinner if really given desired attention.

“According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), hospitality and tourism industry is one of the largest industries in the world for socio-economic gains. It is an important component which caters for tourists in any given destination, as such it is a valuable asset of the travel and tourism industry today and that is the simple truth.

“Even a layman understands that that tourism is travel for recreation, leisure, or business purposes even as it is defined as activities of persons travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business, and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the places visited. However, we must always find out ways on how to turn leisure to wealth creation and deepen human capital development or what I can still call employment opportunity” She stated.

Fielding questions from her audience at the well attended workshop, Sandra who is the Regional Manager at BON Hotels Nest Bodija, Ibadan Oyo State, noted further:

“The focus of hospitality is welfare. It is an aspect of tourism that looks out for the wellbeing of tourists. Service delivery and guest impression are the common dynamics that holds the industry together. In lieu of this, the field of tourism and hospitality is not excluded from the concept of sustainable development given the close relationship between the natural environment and tourism.

“Tourism is vast, its potentials and the values it adds to any nation that is ready to boost her economy is enormous and I appeal to the government and other key stakeholders not to rest on their oars, but to do more in giving the industry its place of pride.

“As we all know, tourism is in different categories. We have Medical, Business and Religious Tourism, etc. Let me speak more about Religious Tourism. From time immemorial, religious obligations have become a fashionable trend all over the world as a means of expressing beliefs and faith in the ability of God to protect and guide

mankind. Religious practices under the auspices of Christianity, Islam and Traditional practices have in no small way contributed to the development of tourism in the world and Nigeria isn’t an exception. People travel from one part of the country to another to attend religious programs, look at the number of people that usually attend programs organized by churches like RCCG, CAC, Winners Chapel, Deeper Life, Synagogue etc in Nigeria. This opportunity must never be taken for granted if we’re truly serious in business and profit making.

“It is a known fact that the Christian pilgrimages to Israel and the convergence of Islamic faithful twice in a year at Saudi Arabia have formed an economic platform for empowerment of the localities and contributed to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the host countries. In Nigeria, beyond several allusions by the government to the promotion of tourism, religion has continued to play a pivotal role in the development of tourism in the country.

“Many dignitaries have in recent times found Nigeria to be the essential balm to many of their spiritual problems, with many past and present heads of government from across the world visiting Nigeria to seek solution.

Sandra who again spoke about infrastructure deficit within the Tourism and hospitality space has this to say:

“Nigeria’s lack of infrastructures is most pronounced in the rural areas where incidentally most of its tourist sites are also located. Nevertheless, efforts at developing infrastructure to support tourism in Nigeria, paltry as these may be, stakeholders will have to nip these identifiable challenges in the bud as quickly as possibly and our government across board has a major role to play, through budget financing and bridging the deficit gaps, building excellent symbiotic relationships with the host communities and creation of relevant policies and legislations.

“Rural areas are where tourism is expected to have its most impact on economic development given the infrastructure and income it can attract to rural Nigeria to spur economic growth, and development in rural areas and the regions. In this regard, tourism can facilitate the replication of infrastructure to the regions and the rural areas of Nigeria, which are usually the areas which lack the required amenities.

“While tourism presents developing countries like Nigeria with huge opportunity and scope for economic diversification, efforts should be made to manage possible adverse social and environmental impacts. Although the quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to tourism, this cannot be taken for granted given their complex nature and peculiarities.” Sandra disclosed.