Tech Start-Up Aims To Build Bali Metaverse Tourism Experience

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Bali Twin Metaverse is an innovative start-up looking to build a digital twin of the Island of the Gods. The project is set to change how tourists can interact with the local culture. The Metaverse experience is marketed as metatourism and offers gamers and blockchain enthusiasts the chance to explore a play-to-earn, full-scale metaverse replica of Bali. 

Bali Twin Metaverse has been backed by the Indonesian government. The digital assets are owned by PT Blackstone Indonesia, Black Lava Camp, Grahadi Bali Entertainment, and Kicau Mania. However, Bali Twin Metaverse is open, meaning anyone from anywhere in the world, at any given moment, can explore the digital version of the tropical paradise. 

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In an Instagram post, Bambang Soesayto, the founder of Blackstone Indonesia, explained how the project works. “Metaverse is an Augmented Reality (AR) technology that enables individuals to interact with other individuals virtually. In this metaverse world, users can do anything in virtual forms, such as gathering, holding meetings, working, playing, organizing various events, attending concerts, shopping online, or buying a digital property.”

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Essentially, the Bali Twin Metaverse will make art, landscapes, and buildings in Bali into digital replicas that can be traded as NFTs in the metaverse marketplace. According to the company’s litepaper, the project’s mission is to “merge the borders between blockchain and traditional gaming and contribute to Bali cultural preservation.” 

They have big aspirations, and with backing from such formidable partners as the Indonesian Government, Blackstone Indonesia (though not to be confused with The Blackstone Group), AWS, and Epic Games, they will surely make a tangible impact. Bali Twin Metaverse’s goals include the creation of an advertising platform for brands and landowners. They aim to “create the highest detail digital twin in the world.” They are focusing on every last detail. 

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In the last week, Bali Twin Metaverse announced a partnership with Kicau Mania which has one of the most extensive collections of Bali bird sounds in the world. The hope is that the sounds can be integrated into the meta verse experience to bring an additional layer of authenticity to the digital experience. 

The metaverse is a game described as a “sandbox with real-world simulation that reveals mysteries of ancient Bali civilizations in a futuristic setting.” The metaverse will enable users to build their own businesses, earn real money, build and monetize objects and even buy, rent, or sell land in the digital Bali.

The game’s visuals are bold, and the NFT digital artwork is equally impressive. The company launched its first ‘drop’ of the NFT Hanuman and Barong masks into their digital marketplace in late August. They hoped that by digitalizing and creating a modern take on traditional Balinese art that the initiative can help promote the island’s unique culture. 

Bali has become a haven for blockchain and cryptocurrency entrepreneurs. Indonesia is actively promoting and developing its digital economy. At face value, the trends seem to go hand in hand. Though many people are concerned that the rapid expansion and changing atmosphere in Canggu are not necessarily positive.

Canggu, in particular, has a strong community of digital entrepreneurs. There are hopes from the provincial government that more digital nomads and tech entrepreneurs will set up a base in Bali. Tourism Minster Sandiaga Uno has confirmed that digital nomads can reside in Bali for up to six months, tax-free, using the B211a socio-cultural visa.

With major international events, like the G20 Summit, arriving in Bali within a few months, Indonesia is keen to promote its commitment to developing the digital economy. With the eyes of the world’s twenty largest economies falling on the Island of the Gods in mid-November, there has surely never been a better time for Bali to promote itself as the home of choice for digital nomads and tech entrepreneurs.