Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences.
  • Register
  • Login

Social Determinants of Health

  • Home
  • Journal Info
    • About the Journal
    • Aims and Scope
    • Editorial Team
    • Indexing & Abstracting
    • Privacy Statement
    • Journal History
  • Issues
    • Current
    • Archives
  • Publication Ethics
  • Journal Policies
    • Copyright and Licensing
    • Archiving
    • Repository
    • Pre-Print
    • Reviewing Policy
    • Plagiarism Check
    • Using Artificial Inteligent
    • Article Processing Charges
  • Guidelines
    • Author's Guideline
    • Preparation Checklist
    • Reviewers' Guideline
  • Contact
Advanced Search
  1. Home
  2. Archives
  3. Vol. 11 (2025): Continous Issue
  4. Original Articles

Vol. 11 (2025)

Dey 2025

Challenges of metaverse technology for the tourism industry

  • Reza Shokouh Saljoughi
  • Somayeh Hassani

Social Determinants of Health, Vol. 11 (2025), 1 Dey 2025 , Page 1-9
https://doi.org/10.22037/sdh.v11i1.47138 Published: 2025-01-17

  • View Article
  • Download
  • Cite
  • References
  • Statastics
  • Share

Abstract

Background: The challenges associated with integrating metaverse technology into tourism are multifaceted, encompassing technical barriers, ethical considerations, social acceptance issues, and market dynamics. Aim of this study was identifying the Challenges of Metaverse Technology for The Tourism Industry.

Methods: Qualitative interviews were generally conducted in person. The statistical population of this research is tourism industry experts and metaverse technology experts. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with participants and field notes kept by the researchers.

Results: The findings are presented in three themes, including discussion in relation to relevant research: Stakeholder Perceptions and Adoption Barriers, Ethical and Privacy Concerns, Economic Implications, Future Directions and Opportunities, Digital Addiction and Mental Health, Cultural Authenticity and Representation, Control and Governance Issues and Ethical Use of Technology.

Conclusion: The integration of metaverse technology into the tourism sector presents various challenges that stakeholders must navigate. These challenges can be categorized into technical, ethical, and social dimensions.

Keywords:
  • Industry
  • Social Norms
  • Technology
  • Tourism
  • PDF

How to Cite

Shokouh Saljoughi, R., & Hassani , S. (2025). Challenges of metaverse technology for the tourism industry. Social Determinants of Health, 11(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.22037/sdh.v11i1.47138
  • ACM
  • ACS
  • APA
  • ABNT
  • Chicago
  • Harvard
  • IEEE
  • MLA
  • Turabian
  • Vancouver
  • Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)
  • BibTeX

References

Aamir S, Atsan N. The trend of multisided platforms (MSPs) in the travel industry: reintermediation of travel agencies (TAs) and global distribution systems (GDSs). Journal of Tourism Futures. 2020;6(3):271-279. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-10-2019-0121

Lee LH, Braud T, Zhou PY, Wang L, Xu D, Lin Z, Kumar A, Bermejo C, Hui P. All one needs to know about metaverse: A complete survey on technological singularity, virtual ecosystem, and research agenda. Foundations and trends® in human-computer interaction. 2024;18(2):100-337. http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/1100000095

Corbisiero F, Monaco S, Ruspini E. Millennials, Generation Z and the future of tourism. Channel View Publications;2022. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=nJhxEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT9&dq=Millennials,+Generation+Z+and+the+Future+of+Tourism%3B+Channel+View+Publications:+Bristol,+UK&ots=WeFpdD_UL2&sig=qR8DRCgUk3Kyj3ln0UbdvRkAdWk#v=onepage&q=Millennials%2C%20Generation%20Z%20and%20the%20Future%20of%20Tourism%3B%20Channel%20View%20Publications%3A%20Bristol%2C%20UK&f=false

Sigala M, Kumar S, Donthu N, Sureka R, Joshi Y. A bibliometric overview of the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management: Research contributions and influence. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management. 2021;47(1):273-288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.04.005

Moreira CO, Ferreira R, Santos T. Smart tourism and local heritage: Phygital experiences and the development of geotourism routes. InHandbook of research on cultural heritage and its impact on territory innovation and development. IGI Global;2021. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-6701-2.ch012

Shafiee S, Rajabzadeh Ghatari A, Hasanzadeh A, Jahanyan S. Smart tourism destinations: a systematic review. Tourism Review. 2021;76(3):505-28. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-06-2019-0235

Hoffman SK. Online exhibitions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Museum Worlds. 2020;8(1):210-215. https://doi.org/10.3167/armw.2020.080115

Davis A, Murphy J, Owens D, Khazanchi D, Zigurs I. Avatars, people, and virtual worlds: Foundations for research in metaverses. Journal of the Association for Information Systems. 2009;10(2):90-117. https://doi.org/10.17705/1jais.00183

Buhalis D, Karatay N. Mixed reality (MR) for generation Z in cultural heritage tourism towards metaverse. InInformation and communication technologies in tourism 2022: Proceedings of the ENTER 2022 eTourism conference. Springer International Publishing;2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-94751-4_2

Moy C, Gadgil A. Opportunities in the metaverse: How businesses can explore the metaverse and navigate the hype vs. reality. New York, NY: JPMorgan Chase;2022. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375577281_Exploring_the_metaverse_opportunities_and_challenges

Saneinia S, Zhai X, Zhou R, Gholizadeh A, Wu R, Zhu S. Beyond virtual boundaries: the intersection of the metaverse technologies, tourism, and lifelong learning in China’s digital discourse. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. 2024;11(1):1-4. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03624-y

Dwivedi YK, Hughes L, Baabdullah AM, Ribeiro-Navarrete S, Giannakis M, Al-Debei MM, Dennehy D, Metri B, Buhalis D, Cheung CM, Conboy K. Metaverse beyond the hype: Multidisciplinary perspectives on emerging challenges, opportunities, and agenda for research, practice and policy. International journal of information management. 2022;66(1):102542-54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2022.102542

Shafizadeh K, Hezari N, Sohrabi MR. Factors affecting medical tourism: A case study of Azeri tourists in Iran. Social Determinants of Health. 2022;6(1), e36. https://doi.org/10.22037/sdh.v6i1.22372

Feigenson N, Spiesel C. Law on display: The digital transformation of legal persuasion and judgment;2009. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qfsvr

Pero J. Sorry, Metaverse is the word of the year whether you like it or not. Inverse;2022.

Buhalis D. Technology in tourism-from information communication technologies to eTourism and smart tourism towards ambient intelligence tourism: a perspective article. Tourism Review. 2019;75(1):267-272. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-06-2019-0258

Wang D, Xiang Z, Fesenmaier DR. Smartphone use in everyday life and travel. Journal of travel research. 2016;55(1):52-63. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287514535847

Rauschnabel P. XR in tourism marketing. Encyclopedia of Tourism Management and Marketing. Edward Elgar Publishing;2022.

Glover G. Bank of America shares how to invest in the metaverse and 13 other disruptive technologies that could transform our lives and become a market worth over $6 trillion by 2030;2022.

Katz J. Gaming in the Metaverse: online safety in another dimension. Public. io. Retrived on. 2022;2(5):2023-2037. https://www.public.io/blog-post/gaming-in-the-metaverse-online-safety-in-another-dimension

Koohang A, Nord J, Ooi K, Tan G, Al-Emran M, Aw E, Baabdullah A, Buhalis D, Cham T, Dennis C, Dutot V. Shaping the metaverse into reality: multidisciplinary perspectives on opportunities, challenges, and future research. Journal of Computer Information Systems. 2023;63(3):735-765. https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2023.2165197

Lundmark P. The real future of the metaverse is not for consumers. Financial Times;2022.

Clegg N. Making the metaverse: What it is, how it will be built, and why it matters. Tech at Meta;2022.

Dwivedi YK, Hughes L, Wang Y, Alalwan AA, Ahn SJ, Balakrishnan J, Barta S, Belk R, Buhalis D, Dutot V, Felix R. Metaverse marketing: How the metaverse will shape the future of consumer research and practice. Psychology & Marketing. 2023;40(4):750-76. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21767

Chang HH, Sokol DD. How incumbents respond to competition from innovative disruptors in the sharing economy—The impact of Airbnb on hotel performance. Strategic Management Journal. 2022;43(3):425-446. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3201

Monaco S, Sacchi G. Travelling the metaverse: Potential benefits and main challenges for tourism sectors and research applications. Sustainability. 2023;15(4):3348-63. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043348

Chen Z. Beyond boundaries: exploring the Metaverse in tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management;2024. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-06-2023-0900

Zhong Y, Zhang L, Wei W, Chang JC. Attracting Gen Z workforce: the effects of organizational social media policy. Tourism Review. 2024;79(1):54-68. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-11-2022-0582

Kılıçarslan Ö, Yozukmaz N, Albayrak T, Buhalis D. The impacts of Metaverse on tourist behaviour and marketing implications. Current Issues in Tourism;2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2024.2326989

Chi M, Chen Y, Xu Y, Wu Y. Modelling barriers to metaverse adoption in the hospitality and tourism industry. Information Technology & Tourism. 2024;26(1):711-743. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-024-00298-9

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

Tsai SP. Investigating metaverse marketing for travel and tourism. Journal of Vacation Marketing. 2024;30(3):479-488. https://doi.org/10.1177/13567667221145715

Smith J, Adams R, Lee S. Stakeholder skepticism in adopting innovative technologies: A case study in tourism. Tourism Management. 2020;35(7):123-134.

Johnson P, Kim H, Miller L. Digital tools and generational differences in technology adoption. Journal of Travel Research. 2021;60(4):547-560.

Brown K, Taylor M. Privacy challenges in immersive technologies: A critical review. Virtual Reality & Society. 2019;12(2):87-102.

Miller A, Thompson R, Zhang Q. Cybersecurity in virtual tourism: Current trends and challenges. Journal of Cybersecurity Applications. 2022;8(3):201-215.

Thompson G, Green B. The complementary role of virtual and physical tourism. Annals of Tourism Research. 2020;82(1):102918-27.

Rodriguez M, Perez C, Lopez J. Long-term effects of virtual environments on physical travel demand. Tourism Economics. 2023;29(1):89-105.

Lee H, Park K. Digital addiction and the risks of immersive environments: Insights from virtual reality research. Computers in Human Behavior. 2021;125(1):106932-41.

Chen S, Yang H, Liu F. Balancing virtual engagement with mental health: Lessons from structured VR interventions. Psychology & Health. 2020;35(8):945-960.

Patel R, Singh N. Virtual representations and cultural commodification: Ethical implications. Cultural Tourism Quarterly. 2020;16(2):54-69.

Johnson D, Anderson T, Carter M. Authenticity in the metaverse: Local community perspectives. International Journal of Cultural Studies. 2022;25(3):345-360.

Davis J, Miller E. Governance challenges in commercialized virtual spaces. Journal of Virtual Environments. 2021;19(1):45-58.

Jackson T, Moore G. Ethical implications of consent in digital environments. Ethics in Technology Review. 2020;11(4):132-145.

  • Abstract Viewed: 838 times
  • PDF Downloaded: 411 times

Download Statastics

  • Linkedin
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google Plus
  • Telegram

Make a Submission

Make a Submission

Information

  • For Readers
  • For Authors
  • For Librarians
  • Home
  • Archives
  • Submissions
  • About the Journal
  • Editorial Team
  • Contact

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

 

 

 

Powered by OJSPlus