The 24th East Mediterranean International Tourism & Travel Exhibition (EMITT), the world's fourth-largest tourism exhibition, will convene between Jan. 30 and Feb. 2, welcoming figures from the tourism industry and holidaymakers alike. This time around, the fair will host a virtual reality (VR) trial area to introduce attendees to the concept of Tourism 4.0.

The EMITT will also host the virtual exhibition "Mona Lisa: Beyond the Glass" in Turkey for the very first time. Visitors can also explore the ancient site of Göbeklitepe and take a virtual hike up Mount Everest through the wonders of virtual reality technology.

The advent of VR technology provides a new way for curators to reach out to people beyond the walls of the museum. The first exhibition of its kind put on by the Louvre Museum will be unveiled for the first time in Turkey for tourism professionals and attendees of the EMITT tourism exhibition.

VR technology allows one to inspect the masterpiece, painted on wooden board, with far greater accuracy – allowing for a more detailed inspection of its minute details, the texture of the board between paint layers and the cracks that have appeared on its surface. By applying the technology to the "Mona Lisa," the Louvre Museum has cast a light on the crucial role digitalization can play in the tourism industry.

The third day of the EMITT will allow visitors to visit Göbeklitepe, a site near Şanlıurfa in Turkey's east, whose discovery made history as one of the world's most ancient places of worship. 2019 was declared the "Year of Göbeklitepe," and a talk on the topic "Can the history-changing Göbeklitepe be transformed into a tourism destination?" will be held on Feb. 1 in the venue's conference hall.

Following this event promoting Şanlıurfa that blends both offline and online worlds, visitors can look forward to a hike up the world's tallest peak, Mount Everest. Attendees will get the chance to discover what lies at the summit of "the roof of the world" thanks to the stunning realism provided by VR technology. Attendees wishing to partake in the climb must conquer the mountain by following the risky trail from the main camp, where they are required to make essential preparations before heading out over the danger-laden Khumbu Glacier to the 4th Camp. From there, they are tasked with venturing up the near-vertical Hillary Step rock to make it to the top.

The EMITT exhibition, which also invites visitors to use Google Earth VR to wander the crowded streets of Tokyo and Rome's Colosseum, will emphasize the importance of tech-based user experiences in the tourism sector.