Metaverse as a driver for customer experience and value co-creation: implications for hospitality and tourism management and marketing

Abstract

Purpose

Metaverse blends the physical and virtual worlds, revolutionizing how hospitality customers and hospitality organizations facilitate the co-creation of transformational experiences and values. This paper aims to explore the opportunities and challenges that Metaverse introduces for hospitality and tourism management and marketing as part of the customer experience and value co-creation process. This paper also discusses how the advent and development of Metaverse can potentially transform hospitality customer experience and value co-creation.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive literature review was undertaken to explore conceptual developments on Metaverse and best practice examples from around the world.

Findings

Metaverse not only opens many exciting opportunities for hospitality and tourism but also poses some great challenges. Hospitality and tourism organizations need to use the Metaverse strategically to customize and co-create hybrid virtual and physical experiences, allowing consumers to engage with them and also with other customers before, during and after their visit. A range of research opportunities also emerge for the adoption and operationalization of Metaverse.

Research limitations/implications

This paper critically analyzes the early applications of Metaverse in hospitality and tourism as well as promotes future solutions for hospitality and tourism management and marketing. The conceptual model in this study can help different stakeholders better understand the flow, logic and potential of Metaverse in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Originality/value

The paper defines and conceptualizes the potential of Metaverse in hospitality customer experience and value co-creation. Besides putting forward a research agenda for further exploiting the full potential for both hospitality customers and hospitality organizations, this paper elucidates the impacts of Metaverse on hospitality management, rooted in the previous literature in value co-creation and technology-enhanced experience.

Citation

Buhalis, D., Lin, M.S. and Leung, D. (2023), "Metaverse as a driver for customer experience and value co-creation: implications for hospitality and tourism management and marketing", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 35 No. 2, pp. 701-716. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-05-2022-0631