Metaverse Tourism Development: Accessible Tourism Banyak Island Aceh Using Immersive Technology Based on Mixed Reality

Abstract

Tourism has entered a new era with the advent of the Metaverse, leading to the emergence of a concept known as Metaverse Tourism. Metaverse tourism offers a new dimension to traveling, enabling virtual 3Sixty tours. However, ease of access presents its own challenges when it comes to Accessible Tourism, where tourism should be enjoyable for everyone, including those with limited mobility such as people with disabilities and the elderly. Banyak Island, a collection of islands located in Aceh Singkil Regency, Aceh, is one of the renowned tourist destinations in Aceh due to its natural beauty. It is approximately a 3-4 hour drive from the Aceh Singkil Port crossing. Unfortunately, the beauty of this tourist area is not easily accessible to tourists due to limited access to the location. Immersive Technology, which is closely related to the Metaverse, can bridge this gap by combining the real world with the virtual world in real-time. Mixed Reality (MR) technology can provide a virtual 3D representation 3Sixty of real objects embedded in the physical environment to its users. The urgency of this research lies in developing the MR Application of Banyak Island Aceh, which is expected to be a gateway to Metaverse Tourism. This would allow more people to discover the natural potential of Banyak Island Aceh and could serve as a means to improve the community's economy. The objective of this research is to implement accessibility tourism on Banyak Island Aceh, allowing anyone to virtually visit the island in 3D, including people with limited mobility, without worrying about travel routes and safety during the journey. This study follows the MDLC (Multimedia Development Life Cycle) methodology.