The Mediterranean Tourism Foundation joins hand with WIR Group for the development of metaverse technology in the Mediterranean region

Jakarta, Indonesia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 28, 2022) - PT WIR Asia Tbk (WIR Group) - the leading Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology company in Southeast Asia that holds 5 (five) global patents for AR registered with the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) - has agreed to work with with the Mediterranean Tourism Foundation (MTF) to build "Metaverse for Mediterranean Countries", starting from Malta and then followed by other Mediterranian countries that are MTF members. The MoU for this cooperation was signed by Andrew Agius Muscat, Secretary General of the Mediterranean Tourism Foundation and Yasha Chatab, Director, Group International Business and Government Relations of WIR Group in Malta, in the presence of Daniel Surya, President Commissioner & Co-Founder of WIR Group on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

MTF is a non-profit and non-governmental organization that was incorporated under the laws of Malta. The MTF consistently promotes and encourages tourism growth in the Mediterranean region.

The appointment of WIR Group by MTF to develop metaverse platform for these Mediterranean countries is a form of global recognition for WIR Group with its capabilities and expertise. It is also an acknowledgment of WIR Group's hard works to consistently innovate and develop technology, in line with its goal, which is "providing a livable world of metaverse for everyone."

The Mediterranean region has long been recognized as one of the global tourism icons that plays a key role in driving the European Union economy, with a 30% share of the global tourism market and a 23% contribution to global tourism revenue.

According to the article "Over 60 Millennial Travel Statistics" (2022), when traveling, the digital technology-savvy Gen Z and Millennials generation tend to like experiences that are authentic and have strong cultural heritage values. The article also mentions that technology is often used to order travel services or products, where as many as 66 percent of the Millennials use digital technology via smartphones.

Data from another research conducted by Advisia also revealed that 69.35% of respondents from Gen Z showed a positive attitude towards the metaverse, and as many as 65.81% stated that they were willing to spend money on the metaverse.

"Looking at the data, we see that tourism development through the application of metaverse technology in Mediterranean countries will be a breakthrough and benchmark for determining the right strategy to target future tourists (NextGen tourists)," said Yasha Chatab.