ABSTRACT The rise of the metaverse presents an outlook for revitalizing the hospitality and tourism industry and garnering recognition across professional spheres. This study explores the motivations and preferences of users engaging in hospitality and tourism using 5W1H analysis, which stands for five Ws (what, who, when, where, and why) and one H (how). This comprehensive examination sheds light on the evolution and potential advantages of hospitality and tourism and offers insights for future progress. The study reveals that users are primarily driven by their anticipated experiences when participating in hospitality and tourism. Additionally, time- and cost-saving benefits, along with opportunities to discover destinations, play an important role in attracting hospitality and tourism users. Compared to traditional metaverse hospitality and tourism, metaverse hospitality and tourism offer greater flexibility in terms of timing, location, and companionship. However, the two are not in opposition; they complement each other and can develop together.