Artificial intelligence ecosystem Multiverse Labs has launched a new metaverse city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a move the emirate said could enhance the region’s tourism industry. The new metaverse city, dubbed Sharjahverse, was described by Multiverse Labs as a “photorealistic, physics-accurate” metaverse that encompasses the emirate’s 1,000 square-mile surface area. The virtual city will support the local tourism industry and potentially create new metaverse jobs, which aligns with efforts announced by the neighboring emirate Dubai earlier this year. The metaverse city is backed by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, or SCTDA, which is the main government …

El Salvador’s adoption of Bitcoin (BTC) as legal tender in September 2021 has triggered a notable surge not only for its gross domestic product but also for the local tourism development. According to El Salvador’s tourism minister Morena Valdez, the tourism industry in El Salvador surged more than 30% since the adoption of the Bitcoin law in September 2021. “We did a poll to check the activity according to the before and after of Bitcoin. The tourism sector increased in November and December. This increased by more than 30%,” Valdez said in an interview with the local news agency El …

The travel industry is still growing at an unprecedented pace, now making up the second-fastest-growing industry. Success in this industry is defined by user comfort and the ability to participate in experiences in a cost-effective manner. Unfortunately, the industry still faces a few barriers before it is able to address all consumer concerns. As it currently stands, the industry itself is broken out into flights, car rentals, hotels and tours, among other factors, each of which may be plagued with large commissions and additional fees, a long chain of intermediaries, bad reviews, overbooking and other human errors that affect the …

A push in Thailand to boost gross domestic product (GPD) by targeting crypto digital nomads is coming closer to fruition according to local media. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has been looking into launching its own utility token called TAT Coin since September as part of a planned “cryptourism” campaign. The initiative aims to attract crypto wealthy digital nomads and the TAT has been in discussions with the Stock Exchange of Thailand regarding TAT Coin’s issuance. According to a Nov. 24 report from the Bangkok Post, the infrastructure behind the TAT Coin is “ready” to go and is now …

Ethereum-based decentralized travel marketplace Winding Tree has announced a new collaboration with American Airlines that will allow select travelers to receive tailored booking options, opening up a potential new use case for blockchain technology. Through the collaboration, American’s largest corporate travel buyers will have access to Winding Tree’s marketplace to book travel directly and receive “uniquely tailored and cost-efficient travel options,” the companies announced. Neil Geurin, who serves as American Airlines’ managing director of digital and distribution, said Winding Tree gives customers “provides a frictionless approach” to accessing travel accommodation. Winding Tree said its marketplace accommodates all sorts of peer-to-peer …

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is considering creating its own utility token to capitalize on the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies. Named after the agency’s acronym, the plan to launch TAT Coin will have to navigate through Thailand’s complex legal framework and regulations before coming to life. The Bangkok Post reported on Wednesday that the TAT is in discussions with the Stock Exchange of Thailand regarding its ambitions and how the transfer of value can be achieved without introducing the speculative aspects of trading. TAT Coin “would involve the transfer of vouchers into digital tokens that could help operators gain …

In its latest effort to revive the Kingdom’s pandemic-battered tourism industry, Thailand’s tourism authority is targeting cryptocurrency holders from Japan. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) wants to establish the country as the first to go out of its way to welcome cryptocurrency holders, specifically those from Japan which it views as a regional hub of crypto activity. The authority has conducted a feasibility study on implementing cryptocurrency payments at tourism destinations. Thailand has been angling for well-heeled tourists ever since the collapse of the industry in the first quarter of 2020 when Asian nations began closing their borders in …

Jeju Island, a major tourist destination in South Korea, is introducing a government-backed, system for tracking COVID-19 contacts based on blockchain technology. On Jan. 14, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and blockchain technology firm Iconloop announced that the blockchain-based contact tracing system is now fully operational. Called “Jeju Safety Code,” the project was initiated in August 2020 to enable COVID-19 contact tracing for Jeju Island’s 15 million annual visitors. The project has been developed jointly by Iconloop and Jeju Island through a public-private partnership agreement. Since August, the local government and Iconloop have been implementing the system at public institutions …

Chinese nonprofit blockchain consortium FISCO BCOS reports that blockchain-based health records have successfully enabled China to resume mainland tourism to Macau. From May, Macau’s blockchain-powered medical data system has recognized ID codes of the Guangdong health system on the mainland, allowing mainland Chinese tourists to verify their health status using the DLT-powered system when entering the autonomous region. To date, more than 17 million tourists have cleared customs between Macau and China’s mainland using Macau’s blockchain health code. The announcement boasts that it takes just 100 seconds for mainland Chinese to generate a Guangdong health code for the first time, …

Australian-based blockchain company ShareRing has partnered with Tripadvisor experience marketplace Viator to allow users to pay for almost 400,000 tourism experiences with a variety of cryptocurrencies. The ShareRing platform, built on Tendermint, will allow users to book, register, and pay for Viator’s 395,000 global activities and experiences, using local fiat currencies or major crypto assets, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and its native SharePay token (SHRP). The platform uses the ShareRing ID system to ensure that sensitive personal and financial information is securely handled, and has contact tracing features to help with tourism safety during the pandemic. “We're very happy …

Micheal O’Leary, the CEO of major budget airline Ryanair, has come out very bearish on Bitcoin (BTC). Recently speaking to The Times, O’Leary likened Bitcoin to a Ponzi scheme and advised investors to avoid it: “I have never, and would never, invest one cent in Bitcoin, which I believe is equivalent to a Ponzi scheme. [...] I would strongly advise everyone with any shred of common sense to ignore this false story and avoid Bitcoin like a plague.” O’Leary was referring to an apparent crypto scam, “Bitcoin Lifestyle,” which claimed to have his approval in a promotional campaign. A bogus …

Cryptocurrency travel agency Travala.com announced that it started a collaboration with Binance Chain aiming to decentralize its services. Travala.com intends to roll out decentralized reviews, decentralized accommodation bookings, a decentralized referral system and a decentralized salesforce. The firm’s CEO Juan Otero explained that — in the future — users will be dealing directly with the property owners, leveraging blockchain’s disintermediation potential: “Under this decentralized model, accommodation seekers will be able to book stays without the need for an intermediary. Said another way, individuals seeking to rent an apartment, bedroom, or hotel room will be able to deal directly with property …