Travelzoo META is gearing up to assist a million people in their virtual travels around the world.
The company began accepting founding members of its new virtual travel initiative. The web browser-based program will allow travelers to visit destinations through the metaverse from anywhere in the world. While Travelzoo’s new, groundbreaking feature is turning heads, some wonder if this marks the beginning of the end for real-world travel.
The Future Of Travel
Travelzoo META General Manager, Arveena Ahluwalia, reassures travelers that real-world travel isn’t going anywhere. Instead, she is confident Travelzoo META will aid in the continual evolution of the travel and tourism industry. She believes it will give travelers a more immersive experience.
“We are working in partnership with cutting edge creators, and we have access to the latest immersive experiences that are intended to allow members to access hard to reach corners of the world, time travel and discover new spaces that are beyond imagination,” Ahluwalia said.
Although headsets may be introduced in the future, Travelzoo META is currently a browser-based experience. Unlike real-world travel, members will be able to travel beyond destinations on Earth. They will be able to venture into outer space and back in time.
“What Travelzoo META will do is give you an opportunity to go to places which otherwise you wouldn’t be able to go to,” she said.
Founding members only have to pay 20 dollars to access the program’s travel features. Upon registering, Travelzoo META combines travel and personal preferences to create virtual travel companions for each user. Founding members will also get a first look at upcoming beta Metaverse travel experiences and exclusive discounts to the upcoming annual membership.
Ahluwalia said the pandemic created a space for the digital world to thrive without boundaries. Many people were unable to travel or leave their homes for weeks on end. This drove more travelers to seek out virtual ways to experience the world. While virtual travel is popular amongst Gen-Z and millennials, Ahluwalia says Travelzoo META is being embraced by travelers of all ages.
“Our experiences are meant to be for everyone,” she said. “We want everyone to enjoy it and that’s what we’re seeing that the demographic is definitely beyond millennials.”
Accessibility Beyond Your Imagination
The long-term vision of Travelzoo META is to expand travel accessibility for individuals all over the world. However, this vision is two-fold. The program allows travelers to visit places they’d never thought possible. Whereas climbing to the top of Mount Everest may be overwhelming in real life, travelers can reach the summit with ease through Travelzoo META.
Additionally, Ahluwalia says travel accessibility is about more than cost. Virtual travel will make travel easier for those who have the funds but lack time to see the world.
“A lot of people can afford to travel,” she said. “However, some people don’t have time, or the physical ability, or the flexibility to travel.”
Moving forward, Ahluwalia expects constant evolution as Travelzoo META grows. Although this is just the beginning of the virtual travel wave, she believes a fun, utopian introduction to VR travel will entice users to wait to see what’s coming next.
“It is always going to be an evolution,” she said.
