Benidorm and the Metaverse boom: tourism, land parcels and new economies
Since the announcement late last year about the metaverse and the rebranding of the parent company to Meta, the buzz around this digital frontier has only grown. The idea that the internet could transform as profoundly as it did in its early days continues to drive discussion among tech audiences and investors alike.
Though the spotlight has often rested on the guiding vision of a single founder, a handful of metaverse projects are already altering how people connect and transact. Decentralized worlds are experimenting with ownership models and commerce, reshaping social interaction and economic activity in real time.
Two well-known platforms, both built on decentralized principles, offer virtual land that owners can develop and monetize. Unlike some projects that build entire standalone worlds, OVR presents a different approach: a digital layer superimposed on the real world, represented by hexagonal plots each covering a 300 square meter footprint.
Today, more than 1.6 billion OVRLands span the globe, each tied to precise geographic coordinates and named with a three-word identifier such as blue.sky.dream. These parcels enable location-based augmented reality experiences and open opportunities for tourism, marketing, and immersive storytelling across continents.
Benidorm’s leap into the metaverse to attract visitors
These plots can be bought or bid on through online platforms or apps, with auctions determining the final price. The starting auction price tends to hover around 6 OVR units, depending on the perceived value of the location. The OVR token trades around 1.35 euros, so acquiring a virtual slice of land in this augmented reality world can be affordable—potentially around 8 euros if there are no competing bids. Auctions generally close within 24 hours of the last bid.
What motivates people to invest? Reasons include hosting virtual events, showcasing works, or renting spaces for experiences that blend real-world venues with digital overlays accessible via AR glasses or mobile screens. Because the plots map to real geographic locations, a physical store owner can recreate their storefront in 3D for remote visitors to explore from anywhere.
In Alicante, residents are exploring this space with immersive experiences that let users interact with others, hear voices, and explore detailed 3D renditions of local icons—like a Ferrari rendered in vivid detail inside and out, viewable from home. Other plots feature dinosaurs, dragons, or ships, and the Esplanade can host drones and shields from the city’s emergency services.
The potential is vast, but tourism and culture stand out as the most active sectors in early adoption.
Ownership of OVRLands translates into control over augmented reality experiences tied to specific locales. For instance, if the Archaeological Museum of Alicante (MARQ) sought to stage a 3D exhibition accessible from the virtual plot corresponding to the real site, ownership or a lease of the digital parcels would be required. The same applies to advertising, where brands or individuals can lease land to run campaigns via smart contracts. Virtual events such as roundtables, concerts, or fashion shows already take place in other metaverses and are emerging in OVR as well.
There is also a speculative edge. If a public institution or major venue owns land within the metaverse, disposal of those geo-located plots would require negotiation with the owner, unless the space is freely available. In some cases, platforms report payments up to 1,500 euros per month for transferred parcels in smaller metaverses.
GameFi and a digital economy that could grow quickly
What’s happening elsewhere mirrors this shift toward a real-world map of digital ownership. A few years ago, an incident involving a domain name highlighted how value can emerge from digital assets tied to places. In the current metaverse landscape, there is little room for a similar misstep—vital assets live on the map and move only under clear digital agreements. If a central venue relocates or redefines its footprint, the virtual land tied to that location follows the real-world anchor.
The OVR ecosystem is evolving with tools that let creators build interactive experiences on parcels they own. A beta suite enables each user to craft and publish experiences tied to their plots, inviting others to explore and engage. This blend of creativity and infrastructure is shaping a new layer of digital culture connected to physical places.
Spain in a leading position for metaverse land
OVR operates as a decentralized data store with a global footprint, though country-by-country activity varies widely. At the time of review, thousands of auctions remained active, with tens of thousands of plots already sold. Spain ranks prominently, behind the United States but ahead of other countries, with Madrid, Barcelona, and Alicante as particularly active hubs. The Alicante region features thousands of parcels sold, with ongoing opportunities in nearby Elche, Torrevieja, and Benidorm.
Potential buyers can see which plots are sold, which are up for auction, and which remain available by checking the platform. In publicly discussed areas like the Port of Alicante, ownership records show wallet addresses and purchase histories, illustrating how value accrues across time. Most port-area parcels in that city are registered to a single address and were purchased in a short window, with average prices reflecting the demand in this growing market.
Geographic clusters with high purchase activity coincide with the busiest real-world streets and districts. The two-story street area around Maisonnave stands out as a popular metaverse hotspot in Alicante. A virtual tour of Alfonso el Sabio, the Esplanade, and Plaza de los Luceros lets visitors view a range of completed sales and signaled transactions in a single immersive walk-through. Across the city, more than 770 parcels are owned, with Elche, Torrevieja, and Benidorm contributing substantial volumes. Despite rapid growth, many locations remain untouched, offering new frontiers for metaverse exploration.
These dynamics suggest a future where digital geography maps closely to real-world corridors. The ongoing growth of metaverse land indicates a trend toward stronger ties between physical spaces and virtual experiences, with developers, cultural institutions, and businesses exploring how to blend presence and participation across both worlds.