Senior and mid-level hotel managers’ perceptions of metaverse tourism: a multi-theoretical approach

Abstract

Despite growing interest in the Metaverse within the tourism and hospitality industry, empirical research examining managerial perceptions and adoption remains limited. Accordingly, this study explores senior and mid-level managers’ attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions toward Metaverse tourism through an integrated theoretical lens. Drawing on five complementary theoretical frameworks, the study adopts an exploratory qualitative research design to capture managers’ interpretive and decision-making processes. Data were collected from 45 senior and mid-level managers using a combination of convenience and snowball sampling techniques and analyzed through descriptive techniques and thematic analysis. The findings indicate that Metaverse tourism remains at an early stage of development; however, it already exerts a meaningful influence on managerial decision-making styles, attitudes, management approaches, and relationship management practices. The results reveal that managers face challenges in achieving institutionalization, struggle to manage relationships within a highly interconnected and dynamic ecosystem, and tend to rely heavily on external references, particularly successful industry examples, when considering adoption. Furthermore, managers characterized by risk aversion and uncertainty avoidance are more likely to adopt conservative strategies modeled on existing practices, prioritizing external legitimacy and perceived advantages. By examining managerial perceptions of Metaverse tourism through multiple theoretical perspectives, this study offers a structured roadmap and provides strategic insights for tourism stakeholders navigating the evolving Metaverse landscape. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2026.