article · Current Issues in Tourism
Immersive technologies like the Metaverse offer new ways to experience destinations, but poorly designed virtual visits can fail to inspire actual travel and may trigger negative outcomes. Unchecked, virtual tourism risks displacing real-world trips and creating an unappealing virtual space termed the Darkverse. Using a human-centred approach and the technology acceptance model alongside content analysis and scenario-based experiments, specific design methods have been identified to make these experiences sustainable. Key interventions include limiting session durations to reduce cybersickness, incorporating clear exit controls, and deliberately structuring content so that it complements rather than substitutes physical travel. When optimised to support traveller wellbeing, immersive virtual experiences can act as a catalyst for physical visitation. These established design principles provide a framework for developing responsible immersive tourism that supports the broader travel sector.
Virtual reality tools can change how destinations market themselves. If virtual trips become unpleasant or fully replace real journeys, tourism economies could suffer. Establishing clear design rules ensures immersive media actively encourage physical travel, protect user comfort, and support destination marketing rather than undermining it.
The findings offer design guidelines directly relevant to virtual reality developers, tourism marketing organisations, and policy planners building digital promotional experiences. By outlining practical features such as exit controls and duration limits to reduce cybersickness, the work sits at an applied, conceptual stage that can inform near-term software design and destination marketing campaigns.
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The rapid adoption of immersive technologies such as the Metaverse promises to transform the tourism industry. However, some Metaverse tourism experiences fail to elicit positive feelings about corresponding authentic destinations or motivate in-person visitation. Unless redesigned, Metaverse tourism risks becoming a ‘Darkverse’ that displaces – rather than complements – actual travel. This study provides a human-centered approach by applying the technology acceptance model through mixed methods, including content analysis and scenario-based experiments. Strategies such as limiting duration to mitigate cybersickness, providing exit controls, and carefully crafting experiences prove critical to harnessing Metaverse technology sustainably. By optimising Metaverse technologies to complement – not replace – wellbeing-focused actual travel, this novel approach presents new opportunities for the tourism industry to responsibly leverage immersive technologies. The proposed design principles guide innovators and policymakers seeking to maximise the benefits of Metaverse tourism while avoiding the risks of a ‘Darkverse’ virtual tourism dystopia.
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DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2024.2322694
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