The Saudi Ministry of Tourism and Saudi Toursim Authority has announced the creation of NFT (non-fungible token) souvenirs, in a move that reflects the Kingdom’s advancement in digital tourism. His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minster of Tourism of Saudi Arabia BoD Chairman of the Saudi Tourism Authority presented the personalized digital mementos in a first of its kind initiative to the heads of delegations participating in the 116th session of the Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in Jeddah, as a token of appreciation for their visit to the Kingdom. Through NFTs, creators can tokenize real-world objects such as art, music, audio recordings, and an endless list of collectibles. With their ownership stored on the blockchain, this innovative technology allows some of the world’s most exciting new artworks to have a unique digital existence. The Ministry’s groundbreaking souvenirs blend the physical world and the metaverse, which is an immersive virtual reality world with a simulated digital environment that uses augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), blockchain, as well as digital media elements for social interactions. On the sidelines of the event, a virtual reality art show was held where an artist painted a collection of stunning 3D landscapes inspired by Saudi landmarks that exist within the virtual world. These paintings were then converted into NFTs and gifted to the guests along with a ledger wallet that provides an address on the blockchain to access their exclusively owned artworks. His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, said the NFT souvenirs embody the leadership’s vision for the future of the Kingdom. “As technology advances, it is important that we remain at the forefront of …
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