Metaverse Tourism: An Overview of Early Adopters’ Drivers and Anticipated Value for End-Users

Abstract

The current study aims to explore the early adoption of the metaverse in the hospitality and tourism industry, with a particular focus on understanding adoption drivers for tourism providers and the anticipated benefits for end-users. Addressing the need for practical insights in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, the review identifies 33 real-world early cases of metaverse and non-fungible token (NFT) adoption, spanning from the first metaverse hotel in 2006 to ongoing digital twins of tourism destinations up to 2023. This study follows the PRISMA technique and examines early metaverse adopters at both the enterprise and destination levels, categorizing them into metaverse-based, NFT-based, and complementary-to-tourism cases. The analysis applies two theoretical frameworks: the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to examine adoption drivers and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to assess expected end-user benefits. Key findings highlight promotion, brand engagement, new revenue streams, and community building as primary motivations for adoption, while user benefits include enhanced entertainment, social interaction, improved decision-making, and immersive experiences. By bridging theory and practice, this study contributes both actionable guidance for tourism stakeholders and a theoretical foundation for future research on digital transformation in tourism.