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visit a club holidays or a hotel from the living room of the house or sliding on the snow without having to put on skis: tourism and hospitality professionals are increasingly open to the possibilities offered by new technologies.

“The first reaction is to see a novelty as a threat. But in reality, they are authentic opportunities to discover territories and experiences, especially when the client dreams of traveling”, considers Vanguelis Panayotis, president of the MKG Consulting consultancy.

The pandemic accelerated the use of digital devices, which may make some professionals in the sector fear that clients prefer to visit the Taj Mahal or dive in the Great Barrier Reef virtually.

In addition, there is a worldwide reflection on the disastrous impact of tourism on the local population and the environment of the areas that receive the most travelers.

Gilles Maillet, director of travel, mobility and commuting at Meta, the parent company of Facebook, does not entirely share these fears. On the contrary, during the Food Hotel Tech show held in Paris on June 7 and 8, he explained how the metaverse can give new possibilities to professionals in the sector.

The Dutch hotel chain CitizenM has already integrated the metaverse into its business portfolio. In March it opened its first establishment in this digital environment: The Sandbox.

“At the moment, it is a learning phase to understand what the customer experience can look like in an increasingly digital world. We think that it can be lived in parallel with what we do in the real world,” a spokesperson for the group explained to AFP.

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Towards a hybrid experience

Club Med, a major French tour operator, is betting on virtual reality: since 2017, customers can virtually visit holiday clubs with a virtual reality headset, before booking. In addition, “we use a new tool that allows customers to visit interiors and exteriors in different seasons and at different times of the day,” explains Club Med.

An immersive visualization that allows “to give peace of mind and speed up decision-making”, and that goes with the evolution of customs: “before, 80% of sales were closed face-to-face”, but now “half are from a distance ”.

And although the use of these technologies in the sector is still anecdotal, “all hotel chains work to make the real and virtual world converge,” says Julien Maldonato, from the Deloitte advisor.

We also offer a complete experience to hotel customers, who “can interact with the digital version to order services, visualizing a spa before going or a sandwich before ordering it,” according to Maldonato.

The hotel industry could recover a digital link with customers that, today, is in the hands of reservation platforms.

“This 3.0 service poses a serious intermediation threat for the large platforms,” ​​estimates Maldonato, giving “more freedom” to customers and “a more direct relationship with hotels, even closer.”

Source: Elcomercio

James

I have worked as a journalist for over 10 years and have written for various news outlets. I currently work as an author at 24 News Recorder, mostly covering entertainment news. I have a keen interest in the industry and enjoy writing about the latest news and gossip. I am also a member of the National Association of Journalists.