Metaverse in Tourism and Hospitality Research – A Systematic Literature Review

Authors

  • Unnikrishnan T Department of Tourism Studies, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
  • Sibi P. S. Department of Tourism Studies, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12727/ajts.34.12

Keywords:

Tourism, Metaverse, Hospitality, Review, SLR

Abstract

This research paper consolidates the current literature on the convergence of the Metaverse, Tourism, and the Hospitality sector. Using a systematic literature review guided by the PRISMA framework, the study thoroughly examined 137 papers from the Scopus Database, eventually selecting 22 relevant sources. A content analysis was used to investigate the subtle details of studies connected to the Metaverse in the context of tourism.The study revealed that there was a strong emphasis on conceptual and qualitative approaches, which indicates that the integration of the Metaverse in these businesses is still in its early stages. The findings notably emphasise a lack of research in essential sub-domains such as MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), cultural heritage, and tourism marketing. This highlights the necessity for additional exploration and empirical research in these domains to fully comprehend the diverse influence of the Metaverse on the tourist and hospitality industry. This research enhances our understanding of the changing interactions between the Metaverse and traditional sectors, providing valuable insights for academic researchers and industry professionals.

References

Aburbeian, A. M., Owda, A. Y., & Owda, M. (2022). A Technology Acceptance Model Survey of the Metaverse Prospects. AI, 3(2), 285–302. https://doi.org/10.3390/ai3020018

Alfaisal, R., Hashim, H., & Azizan, U. H. (2022). Metaverse system adoption in education: A systematic literature review. Journal of Computers in Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40692-022-00256-6

Aloqaily, M., Bouachir, O., & Karray, F. (2023). Digital twin for healthcare immersive services: Fundamentals, architectures, and open issues. In Digital Twin for Healthcare (pp. 39–71). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-32-399163-6.00008-1

Baker, J., Nam, K., & Dutt, C. S. (2023). A user experience perspective on heritage tourism in the Metaverse: Empirical evidence and design dilemmas for VR. In Information Technology and Tourism (Vol. 25, Issue 3, pp. 265–306). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-023-00256-x

Ball, M. (2022). The Metaverse—And How It Will Revolutionise Everything. Liveright.

Bisht, D., Singh, R., Gehlot, A., Akram, S. V., Singh, A., Montero, E. C., Priyadarshi, N., & Twala, B. (2022). Imperative Role of Integrating Digitalization in the Firms Finance: A Technological Perspective. Electronics, 11(19), 3252. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11193252

Buhalis, D., Leung, D., & Lin, M. (2023). Metaverse as a disruptive technology revolutionising tourism management and marketing. Tourism Management, 97, 104724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2023.104724

Buhalis, D., Lin, M. S., & 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, 35(2), 701–716. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-05-2022-0631

Buhalis, D., O’Connor, P., & Leung, R. (2023). Smart hospitality: From smart cities and smart tourism towards agile business ecosystems in networked destinations. In International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management (Vol. 35, Issue 1, pp. 369–393). Emerald Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-04-2022-0497

Chengoden, R., Victor, N., Huynh-The, T., Yenduri, G., Jhaveri, R. H., Alazab, M., Bhattacharya, S., Hegde, P., Maddikunta, P. K. R., & Gadekallu, T. R. (2023). Metaverse for Healthcare: A Survey on Potential Applications, Challenges and Future Directions. IEEE Access, 11, 12765–12795. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3241628

Chu, C.-H. (2023). Deep resource allocation for a massively multiplayer online finance of tourism gamification in Metaverse. In Information Technology and Tourism (Vol. 25, Issue 4, pp. 565–583). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-023-00267-8

Corne, A., Massot, V., & Merasli, S. (2023). The determinants of the adoption of blockchain technology in the tourism sector and Metaverse perspectives. In Information Technology and Tourism (Vol. 25, Issue 4, pp. 605–633). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-023-00263-y

Darbellay, F., & Stock, M. (2012). Tourism as complex interdisciplinary research object. Annals of Tourism Research, 39(1), 441–458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2011.07.002

Díaz, J. E. M., Saldaña, C. A. D., & Ávila, C. A. R. (2020). Virtual World as a Resource for Hybrid Education. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 15(15), 94–109. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i15.13025

Doyle, D., & Kim, T. (2007). Embodied narrative: The virtual nomad and the meta dreamer. In International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media (Vol. 3, Issues 2–3, pp. 209–222). https://doi.org/10.1386/padm.3.2-3.209_1

Drianda, R. P., Kesuma, M., & Lestari, N. A. R. (2021). The Future of Post-COVID-19 Urban Tourism: Understanding the Experiences of Indonesian Consumers of Hallyu with South Korean Virtual Tourism. International Journal of Technology, 12(5), 989. https://doi.org/10.14716/ijtech.v12i5.5221

Dube, K., Nhamo, G., Kilungu, H., Hambira, W. L., El-Masry, E. A., Chikodzi, D., Chapungu, L., & Molua, E. L. (2023). Tourism and climate change in Africa: Informing sector responses. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2023.2193355

Dutta, D., Srivastava, Y., & Singh, E. (2023). Metaverse in the tourism sector for talent management: A technology in practice lens. In Information Technology and Tourism (Vol. 25, Issue 3, pp. 331–365). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-023-00258-9

Dwivedi, Y. K., Hughes, L., Wang, Y., Alalwan, A. A., Ahn, S. J. (Grace), Balakrishnan, J., Barta, S., Belk, R., Buhalis, D., Dutot, V., Felix, R., Filieri, R., Flavián, C., Gustafsson, A., Hinsch, C., Hollensen, S., Jain, V., Kim, J., Krishen, A. S., … Wirtz, J. (2023). Metaverse marketing: How the Metaverse will shape the future of consumer research and practice. Psychology & Marketing, 40(4), 750–776. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21767

Eric Hazan, Greg Kelly, Hamza Khan, Dennis Spillecke, & Lareina Yee. (2022). Marketing in the Metaverse: An opportunity for innovation and experimentation. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/marketing-in-the-metaverse-an-opportunity-for-innovation-and-experimentation

Fazio, G., Fricano, S., Iannolino, S., & Pirrone, C. (2023). Metaverse and tourism development: Issues and opportunities in stakeholders’ perception. In Information Technology and Tourism (Vol. 25, Issue 4, pp. 507–528). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-023-00268-7

Firmansyah, E. A., & Umar, U. H. (2023). Metaverse in business research: A systematic literature review. Cogent Business & Management, 10(2), 2222499. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2222499

Gao, Z., & Braud, T. (2023). VR-driven museum opportunities: Digitized archives in the age of the metaverse; [Oportunidades museísticas impulsadas por la realidad virtual: Archivos digitalizados en la era del metaverso]. In Artnodes (Vol. 2023, Issue 32, pp. 1–14). Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. https://doi.org/10.7238/artnodes.v0i32.402462

Go, H., & Kang, M. (2023). Metaverse tourism for sustainable tourism development: Tourism Agenda 2030. In Tourism Review (Vol. 78, Issue 2, pp. 381–394). Emerald Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-02-2022-0102

Gursoy, D., Malodia, S., & Dhir, A. (2022). The Metaverse in the hospitality and tourism industry: An overview of current trends and future research directions. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 31(5), 527–534. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2022.2072504

Gursoy, I. T., Aktas, E., Tecim, V., & Kurgun, O. A. (2023). Beta tourist world: A conceptual framework for organising an event in the Metaverse. In Information Technology and Tourism (Vol. 25, Issue 4, pp. 529–548). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-023-00266-9

Hollensen, S., Kotler, P., & Opresnik, M. O. (2023). Metaverse – the new marketing universe. Journal of Business Strategy, 44(3), 119–125. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-01-2022-0014

Huang, X.-T., Wang, J., Wang, Z., Wang, L., & Cheng, C. (2023). Experimental study on the influence of virtual tourism spatial situation on the tourists’ temperature comfort in the context of Metaverse. In Frontiers in Psychology (Vol. 13). Frontiers Media S.A. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1062876

Hwang, G.-J., & Chien, S.-Y. (2022). Definition, roles, and potential research issues of the Metaverse in education: An artificial intelligence perspective. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3, 100082. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2022.100082

Ioannidis, S., & Kontis, A.-P. (2023). Metaverse for tourists and tourism destinations. In Information Technology and Tourism (Vol. 25, Issue 4, pp. 483–506). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-023-00271-y

Jo, H. (2023). Tourism in the digital frontier: A study on user continuance intention in the Metaverse. In Information Technology and Tourism (Vol. 25, Issue 3, pp. 307–330). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-023-00257-w

Jung, T., Cho, J., Han, D.-I. D., Ahn, S. J. (Grace), Gupta, M., Das, G., Heo, C. Y., Loureiro, S. M. C., Sigala, M., Trunfio, M., Taylor, A., & tom Dieck, M. C. (2024). Metaverse for service industries: Future applications, opportunities, challenges and research directions. In Computers in Human Behavior (Vol. 151). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.108039

Kim, J. (2021). Advertising in the Metaverse: Research Agenda. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 21(3), 141–144. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2021.2001273

Koo, C., Kwon, J., Chung, N., & Kim, J. (2022). Metaverse tourism: Conceptual framework and research propositions. Current Issues in Tourism, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2022.2122781

Koohang, A., Nord, J. H., Ooi, K.-B., Tan, G. W.-H., Al-Emran, M., Aw, E. C.-X., Baabdullah, A. M., Buhalis, D., Cham, T.-H., Dennis, C., Dutot, V., Dwivedi, Y. K., Hughes, L., Mogaji, E., Pandey, N., Phau, I., Raman, R., Sharma, A., Sigala, M., … Wong, L.-W. (2023). Shaping the Metaverse into Reality: A Holistic Multidisciplinary Understanding of Opportunities, Challenges, and Avenues for Future Investigation. In Journal of Computer Information Systems (Vol. 63, Issue 3, pp. 735–765). Taylor and Francis Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2023.2165197

Kouroupi, N., & Metaxas, T. (2023). Can the Metaverse and Its Associated Digital Tools and Technologies Provide an Opportunity for Destinations to Address the Vulnerability of Overtourism? In Tourism and Hospitality (Vol. 4, Issue 2, pp. 355–373). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI). https://doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp4020022

Kye, B., Han, N., Kim, E., Park, Y., & Jo, S. (2021). Educational applications of Metaverse: Possibilities and limitations. Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions, 18, 32. https://doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2021.18.32

Lee, W., & Kim, Y. H. (2021). Does VR Tourism Enhance Users’ Experience? Sustainability, 13(2), 806. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020806

Liberati, A., Altman, D. G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Clarke, M., Devereaux, P. J., Kleijnen, J., & Moher, D. (2009). The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care interventions: Explanation and elaboration. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 62(10), e1–e34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2009.06.006

Lin, K. J., Ye, H., & Law, R. (2023). Understanding the development of blockchain-empowered metaverse tourism: An institutional perspective. In Information Technology and Tourism (Vol. 25, Issue 4, pp. 585–603). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-023-00262-z

Loureiro, S. M. C., Guerreiro, J., & Ali, F. (2020). 20 years of research on virtual reality and augmented reality in tourism context: A text-mining approach. Tourism Management, 77, 104028. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2019.104028

Metaverse Market Report Scope. (2024, 15 January). Grandviewresearch.Com. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/metaverse-market-report

Mongeon, P., & Paul-Hus, A. (2016). The journal coverage of Web of Science and Scopus: A comparative analysis. Scientometrics, 106(1), 213–228. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-015-1765-5

Ng, S. L. (2022). Bibliometric analysis of literature on mountain tourism in Scopus. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 40, 100587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2022.100587

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71

Park, S.-M., & Kim, Y.-G. (2022). A Metaverse: Taxonomy, Components, Applications, and Open Challenges. IEEE Access, 10, 4209–4251. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3140175

Poria, Y., Schwartz, Z., & Uysal, M. (2015). IF you can keep your head: The unintended consequences of the Impact Factor on tourism research. Tourism Management, 51, 300–302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.05.010

Rahmadian, E., Feitosa, D., & Zwitter, A. (2022). A systematic literature review on the use of big data for sustainable tourism. Current Issues in Tourism, 25(11), 1711–1730. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.1974358

Sánchez, A. D., De La Cruz Del Río Rama, M., & García, J. Á. (2017). Bibliometric analysis of publications on wine tourism in the databases Scopus and WoS. European Research on Management and Business Economics, 23(1), 8–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iedeen.2016.02.001

Sánchez-Amboage, E., Enrique Membiela-Pollán, M., Martínez-Fernández, V.-A., & Molinillo, S. (2023). Tourism marketing in a metaverse context: The new reality of European museums on meta. In Museum Management and Curatorship (Vol. 38, Issue 4, pp. 468–489). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1080/09647775.2023.2209841

Shen, B., Tan, W., Guo, J., Zhao, L., & Qin, P. (2021). How to Promote User Purchase in Metaverse? A Systematic Literature Review on Consumer Behavior Research and Virtual Commerce Application Design. Applied Sciences, 11(23), 11087. https://doi.org/10.3390/app112311087

Singh, V. K., Singh, P., Karmakar, M., Leta, J., & Mayr, P. (2021). The journal coverage of Web of Science, Scopus and Dimensions: A comparative analysis. Scientometrics, 126(6), 5113–5142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-021-03948-5

Sutcliffe, A., & Hart, J. (2017). Analysing the Role of Interactivity in User Experience. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 33(3), 229–240. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2016.1239797

T, U., & P. S., S. (2023). Congruity and Incongruity between Projected (DMO) and Perceived (UGC) Destination image – A Comparative Content Analysis. Atna Journal of Tourism Studies, 18(2). https://doi.org/10.12727/ajts.30.7

Tlili, A., Huang, R., Shehata, B., Liu, D., Zhao, J., Metwally, A. H. S., Wang, H., Denden, M., Bozkurt, A., Lee, L.-H., Beyoglu, D., Altinay, F., Sharma, R. C., Altinay, Z., Li, Z., Liu, J., Ahmad, F., Hu, Y., Salha, S., … Burgos, D. (2022). Is Metaverse in education a blessing or a curse: A combined content and bibliometric analysis. Smart Learning Environments, 9(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-022-00205-x

Ud Din, I., & Almogren, A. (2023). Exploring the psychological effects of Metaverse on mental health and well-being. In Information Technology and Tourism (Vol. 25, Issue 3, pp. 367–389). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-023-00259-8

Vision Pro: Apple’s first spatial computer. (2023, 5 June). https://www.apple.com/in/newsroom/2023/06/introducing-apple-vision-pro/

Volchek, K., & Brysch, A. (2023). Metaverse and Tourism: From a New Niche to a Transformation. Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2023, 300–311. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25752-0_32

What is the Metaverse? (2022). McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-the-metaverse

Yang, D., Zhou, J., Chen, R., Song, Y., Song, Z., Zhang, X., Wang, Q., Wang, K., Zhou, C., Sun, J., Zhang, L., Bai, L., Wang, Y., Wang, X., Lu, Y., Xin, H., Powell, C. A., Thüemmler, C., Chavannes, N. H., … Bai, C. (2022). Expert consensus on the Metaverse in medicine. Clinical eHealth, 5, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceh.2022.02.001

Yang, X., Zhang, L., & Feng, Z. (2023). Personalised Tourism Recommendations and the E-Tourism User Experience. Journal of Travel Research, 00472875231187332. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472875231187332

Zhang, X., Yang, D., Yow, C. H., Huang, L., Wu, X., Huang, X., Guo, J., Zhou, S., & Cai, Y. (2022). Metaverse for Cultural Heritages. In Electronics (Switzerland) (Vol. 11, Issue 22). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11223730

Downloads

Published

2025-07-16

How to Cite

T, U., & P. S., S. (2025). Metaverse in Tourism and Hospitality Research – A Systematic Literature Review. Atna Journal of Tourism Studies, 20(2), 269 - 291. https://doi.org/10.12727/ajts.34.12