Metaverse to complement tourism and hospitality industries, say panelists at SITTF 2022

Metaverse to complement tourism and hospitality industries, say panelists at SITTF 2022

Sharjah: Tourism industry experts are in awe with travel hitting new highs after the slow growth in the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Travel industry is back on track with statistics hitting pre-pandemic levels, said Edwardo Soares, Managing Director of Intellias Middle East, during the closing panel discussion titled ‘An Open Horizon and Endless Possibilities’, at the 9th edition of the Sharjah International Travel and Tourism Forum (SITTF) on Thursday.

“Data sits right in the centre of what is happening in the travel sector. Knowledge-sharing between public and private sectors through data analyses will help streamline new experiences for end users,” said Soares, highlighting the benefits of travel predictions in providing enhanced customer experiences.

He added that integration of services from multiple sectors is a must for an optimal experience. “Companies should leverage their technologies and also the understanding of its customer base to adjust their offerings accordingly,” he said.

Cliff Szue, CEO of Multiverse, shed light into his experience of building the digital twin of Sharjah city on the metaverse. “Sharjahverse was created in collaboration with the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Authority. We used geospatial data from satellite images to create a 3D explorable environment. For the interiors, we