Metaverse in Hospitality and Tourism: A Focus on Customer Perceived Value and Experience

Abstract

In recent years, there has been significant academic discourse surrounding the transformation of hospitality and tourism offerings into metaverse experiences. However, how the metaverse will affect the customer is still not clear as it is in the early phase of development. Drawing on a multidisciplinary perspective on metaverse, we develop and propose a conceptual framework to explore the associations between customer perceived value, and experience. The premise is that perceived value serves as a catalyst for customers’ experience with the metaverse. This value can be delineated into utilitarian, hedonic, and social dimensions. We delve into the metaverse experience, considering its diverse facets encompassing cognitive, affective, social, and sensory elements. This multifaceted nature underscores the complexity of the customer experience. We propose a value-experience-intention model grounded on uses and gratification theory, and the stimulus-organism-response framework. In conclusion, we propose an agenda for future research aimed at expanding the theoretical and practical knowledge of the metaverse.

Keywords: Metaverse, Tourism, Customer Experience, Customer Value, Value-Experience-Intention Model

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