Worldline, a global payment services company, is aiming to demonstrate to its clients, which includes travel brands, that the metaverse has the potential to become a feasible new platform for marketing and selling products and services.
In a move to explore the potential of the digital world, the company has established a virtual “shopping mall” within Decentraland, a prominent Ethereum-based platform that boasts of being one of the largest metaverses. The company has extended an invitation to its partners to set up “stores” in the mall, with the aim of testing the functionality of the digital world.
Worldline’s mall for metaverse sales
In a recent development, The Chedi Andermatt, a high-end hotel located in Switzerland, has become the inaugural travel-industry client of Worldline’s mall. This move places the hotel in the company of a select few banks and merchants who are also participating in the mall.
In the words of Sascha Münger, who is the head of crypto-related projects and metaverse at Worldline, the company has been investigating the metaverse for approximately two years. Münger has stated that the company now considers the metaverse to be a feasible platform for conducting commercial activities.
Münger said, “The space is moving really fast here,”
The speaker thinks the metaverse is expected to become a commerce channel in the next five to 10 years, alongside traditional e-commerce and point-of-sale.
Münger says that the store of Chedi Andermatt is currently functioning as a promotional instrument, featuring a digital exhibition area that showcases images and videos of the opulent Swiss Alps property.
According to the user, the tool can also serve as a means to boost sales. The booking process is made easy for users as they can directly access the booking flow from the virtual store. Worldline’s system takes care of the payments, whether in fiat or cryptocurrency.
As stated by Jean-Yves Blatt, the general manager of the Chedi Andermatt, the hotel is renowned for its groundbreaking and inventive methods in the realm of high-end hospitality.
Tourism and hotel industry in metaverse
As shown in recent reports, an increasing number of guests are favoring the straightforward conveniences offered by the digital realm in today’s day and age. It is believed that the tourism and hotel industry will become inseparable from the metaverse in the future, much like how online shopping is currently integral to the fashion industry.
Münger blieves that Worldline is currently in talks with Chedi Andermatt regarding potential improvements. One such enhancement being considered is the integration of augmented reality technology, which would allow users to virtually explore the property. He adds there is a sense of hesitation among Worldline’s merchants despite their keen interest in exploring the metaverse.
“We have different metaverse players racing for the pole position – decentralized players and non-virtual reality players like Decentraland and then on the other hand players based on virtual reality and not using blockchain. We believe this will work out similar to social media today [where] you will have three to four players in the pole position and winning the race. … This is a concern of merchants of course. They want to choose the right path and this, at the moment, is a little bit hard to say.”
Over the past year, CitizenM and Leven have joined other hospitality companies in experimenting with establishing a presence in a metaverse.
Singapore’s Changi Airport has recently launched a metaverse experience in the form of a Roblox game, which is a popular global shared experience platform. In a collaborative effort with Accenture, the “ChangiVerse” has been developed as a digital representation of the airport. At the airport, users have the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities, including exploration, gaming, and collectible acquisition.
Content Source: phocuswire.com
