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

The hospitality industry is constantly evolving with technologicaldevelopment 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 internationalhotels, 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.