One of the most popular tourist destinations in Texas, San Antonio, just became the latest American city to enter the metaverse. This week, the sales and marketing arm of the city, Visit San Antonio, announced the launch of the ‘210 Plaza’— a virtual replica of the city where users can learn, work, play, and socialize.
Described as a “digital embodiment” of San Antonio, 210 Plaza will let users explore the city and its attractions via avatars to learn more about its rich history, culture, food, and arts scene. It contains a digital visitor center with maps, blogs, links, and events happening around the San Antonio. Tourists and residents can enter the metaverse for up-to-date information on happenings around town.
According to Adriana Rocha, a Councilwoman in San Antonio, the aim of the project is to leverage Web3 technology “to capture the attention of a new, younger audience and inspire them to come and explore our beautiful city firsthand.”
Some other features of the metaverse include a podcast about the culture of San Antonio hosted by Gio DiZurita, and a culinary show hosted by “Star Wars” actor Greg Grunberg, featuring local restaurants like the Jerk Shack and 2M Smokehouse. There is also a reality theater that shows mini films about San Antonio.
Cities Use the Metaverse to Attract Visitors
Another big city entering the metaverse is exciting news for Web3 fans. But San Antonio is far from the only city to use Web3 technology to attract tourists and bring new experiences to residents. At Rarity Sniper, we’ve covered several cities around the world investing in metaverse and NFT technologies. Here are three of the most recent stories.
First, about three months ago, Miami, a city known as Web3 hub, entered the metaverse (again) with the launch of ‘Genius City.’ The Web3 and metaverse platform SmarterVerse designed the new virtual world to mirror the Wynwood Arts District in Miami, a neighborhood known for its open-air art installations and art galleries.
Next, nine months ago, Miami Gardens partnered with CEEK VR to create an immersive experience for tourists and residents. The virtual world contains many of the same attractions that can be found in the real city, including City Hall, Hard Rock Stadium, and Top Golf.
Ten months ago, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched a new metaverse city named the “Sharjahverse.” The virtual world is a “physics-accurate” and photorealistic version of the emirate’s 1,000 square mile area. The move is intended to boost local tourism and create new jobs in Web3 for residents.
It will be interesting to see if Visit San Antonio’s Plaza 210 will help attract tourists to the city, or at least to learn more about it via immersive VR experiences. For people who’ve always wanted to visit The Alamo but don’t have the means to get there in person, Plaza 210 could be the next best thing. We’ll keep you informed on any developments in the story.