The recent announcement of Meta by Facebook along with Microsoft throwing their hat in the ring with Mesh is a clear indication of the virtual immersive experience that is coming to us faster than we anticipated. Maybe The Matrix is not so far in the future. However, even if the metaverse does not live up to the science-fiction dreams, it will become the key to digital experiences and a crucial element of the physical processes.
Different companies will probably create their own versions of the metaverse. Facebook, now renamed to Meta Platforms, and Microsoft have already announced that they are working on their own versions. Google, Apple and other tech giants around the world most probably will join the “metaverse rush.” The hope is that, similar to the Internet, all of these metaverse will be interconnected and you and your avatar can jump from one metaverse to another, similar to how now you can browse from one website to another.
On the surface, the metaverse is the ANTITHESES of travel. Travel is all about indulging your five senses: taste, smell, touch, hearing and sight. At best, the Metaverse can let you experience two of these: hearing and sight.
So how would the metaverse affect travel? One thing the metaverse and travel have in common is that both are social. This social aspect is central to understanding the metaverse, where people are represented by avatars and you can meet and interact with other people's avatars, but also with AI agents, bots and virtual agents. Similar to travel in the real world, your avatar can hang out with other avatars and plan and do things together.
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