{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T15:58:57Z","timestamp":1780329537345,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":63,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,5]],"date-time":"2025-06-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1749081600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100015260","name":"Macau University of Science and Technology","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["FRG-24-007-FHTM"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["FRG-24-007-FHTM"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100015260","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Systems"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study thoroughly investigated the inhibiting factors pertaining to the development of metaverse convention tourism in Macau through a qualitative investigation. This study employed semi-structured interviews and data that were analyzed using NVivo software 14 through a grounded theory approach, involving open, axial, and selective coding to identify emergent themes. Despite Macau\u2019s established and prosperous tourism industry, it has experienced obstacles when assimilating metaverse technologies into its convention operations. Based on stakeholder theory, this study reviews the inhibitory factors relating to metaverse technology in the development of convention tourism in Macau. The foremost challenges include insufficient infrastructure, a shortage of skilled professionals, limited government support, high costs, and lack of standardized platforms. Notwithstanding, the metaverse offers significant potential to enhance global involvement, interaction, and reachability in convention tourism. Efforts to maximize this potential include upgrading the infrastructure, developing talent, implementing clear government policies, and providing financial support. The current results offer practical recommendations for policymakers, industry experts, and researchers to promote sustainable development of the metaverse in convention tourism, positioning Macau as a leader in this emerging field.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/systems13060438","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,5]],"date-time":"2025-06-05T05:49:22Z","timestamp":1749102562000},"page":"438","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Inhibiting Factors Affecting Metaverse Convention Tourism in Macau"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Songhong","family":"Chen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao SAR 999078, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-2608-2073","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chunhui","family":"Cai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao SAR 999078, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5779-1152","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jian Ming","family":"Luo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Liberal Arts, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao SAR 999078, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lam","family":"Fai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Macau Convention & Exhibition Magazine, Macao SAR 999078, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Freeman, R.E. 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