Rethinking the metaverse in tourism research: past, present and future

Almost every era produces technological concepts that have a significant impact on tourism development. Stakeholders are increasingly aware of the metaverse as a potentially key technology for tourism, even if they do not fully understand it. This paper systematically reviewed 109 articles (2022–2025) and aims to address six research questions: (1) What is metaverse tourism? (2) What are the common research methods used in metaverse tourism research? (3) What are the common theoretical foundations of the metaverse in tourism? (4) How is the metaverse tourism experience realized? (5) What are the advantages and disadvantages of metaverse in tourism? (6) What are the future research agendas for metaverse tourism? The findings of this study present a clearer concept of metaverse tourism, providing insights into research on metaverse tourism (e.g. theoretical foundation, methodology) and practical knowledge for tourism managers and stakeholders.