Reaching new heights: investigating adoption factors shaping the moon landing of metaverse tourism

With the advancement of technology, the metaverse, as the future of the Internet, has gained popularity. As a result, numerous opportunities have been created, and the tourism industry is eager to take advantage of them. While it is critical to understand how the metaverse can influence tourism, tourists also need to be aware of its benefits. Therefore, this study is undertaken to empirically investigate the factors influencing the adoption of the metaverse due to its perceived benefits. To operationalise the constructs, qualitative methodology was performed. Subsequently, the source data were collected from 315 tourists, and the analysis was performed using quantitative methodology. The findings reveal that by virtually visiting hotels and other resources before making a reservation, the metaverse offers new sources of travel inspiration. The booking process is made more enjoyable and engaging by the metaverse. Metaverse-enabled enhanced travel inspiration and booking experiences lead to an increase in booking volume.