Metinburgh! A Vision for Metaverse Digital Tourism in Scotland
The Metaverse ushers in an immersive digital layer where tourism experiences can be explored in revolutionary ways.
There are many technologies that the tourism industry can harness to grow the sector, with Augmented and Virtual Reality an especially potent innovation to harness.
The Metaverse—a dynamic blend of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and blockchain—ushers in an immersive digital layer where tourism experiences can be explored in revolutionary ways.
These can be applied in a practical way to boost success for Scottish businesses. Tourism is a great example. Enhancing the experience with these types of exciting innovations will draw in even greater visitor numbers and continue the massive economic success of this industry.
Immersive Tourism
This Conversation article comments on the details of this economic success and the critical role immersive experiences can play in facilitating this boost.
Simple examples include AR tourism guides, such as this one for Inverness Castle, and for Loch Lomond they inserted ‘Zapcodes’ into the local guide magazine, to trigger AR links that enhance the printed word with a virtual experience.
You can discover Fife and discover the Highlands via AR.
Another great example is described in this news, about Blair Castle adopting the Smartify app. Via easy-to-use interfaces and well designed technology available as a native and web app, the Smartify guide allows visitors to follow their own interests and curated tours, with additional features such as e-commerce, targeted push notifications and donations.
Metaverse Worlds
‘Metinburgh‘ is a concept for how a full Metaverse experience could be developed for tourism, for Edinburgh in this case. It aims to redefine global tourism by creating immersive digital replicas of real-world locations, starting with Edinburgh, specifically Castlehill at the foot of Edinburgh Castle.
Metinburgh blends VR and augmented reality (AR) to offer authentic exploration experiences, allowing users to visit iconic sites, engage in gamified activities, and collect blockchain-based digital items like NFTs.
These items are interoperable across SITEnetwork’s virtual worlds, such as Metahattan and Mayaverse, and are supported by partners like MRKD and New York Culture Club using NFC technology. The project enhances cultural exploration, education, and e-commerce, with potential to boost physical tourism. Metinburgh is preparing for a closed-alpha phase, setting a new standard for virtual tourism.
Featured Vendor: BizzTech
BizzTech is a vendor who can be used for this type of scenario. They offer immersive, AI-powered metaverse platforms that reshape how people interact with cities, industries, and education.
From urban planning and industrial efficiency to education and civic engagement, we are redefining how cities, industries, and communities interact with technology. Using AI, digital twins, and the photorealistic metaverse, we bring history to life, optimize infrastructure, and create immersive experiences that empower governments, businesses, and individuals alike.
