From metaverse experience to physical travel: the role of the digital twin in metaverse design

Purpose Designing an effective metaverse experience through a tourism digital-twin platform is crucial to the success of metaverse tourism. How such a digital-twin platform should appeal to target users, however, lacks exploration. The study aims to advance a conceptual contribution by successfully creating a metaverse experience through a well-designed digital-twin platform. It also aims to show how the design science approach in tourism can enrich our understanding of digital-twin platform design elements introduced in metaverse experience design. Design/methodology/approach Guided by the design science approach in tourism, this research conceptualizes the role of digital-twin elements in metaverse experience design and proposes a one-factor between-subject experimental design to examine the effect. Findings This research conceptualizes how eight unique configurations of digital-twin design, which are embellished in two or three dimensions, shape tourists’ metaverse experience and physical travel intention. Practical implications The results offer operators clear strategic guidance on designing an effective tourism digital-twin platform. Originality/value This study not only identifies the impact of digital-twin platform design elements but also clarifies how such elements affect customers’ metaverse experiences.