Dong Thap tourism model gets upgrade

Companies are being trained to switch to more modern models

To ensure supply of necessities to customers, Dong Thap Department of Information and Communications (DIC) has coordinated with relevant units to support local businesses to list the key products on e-commerce platforms like Postmart and Voso. Since the beginning of the pandemic, nearly 1,500 tonnes of agricultural products have been sold online with over 400 farmer households engaging in e-commerce platforms.

Dong Thap has gained some achievements in supporting farmer households to join e-commerce platforms, thereby contributing to the development of the digital economy in the agricultural and rural sectors in recent times. Riding on this success, the DIC has proposed the provincial people’s committee to issue incentives for tourism service providers to participate on e-commerce platforms. The goal is to promote the development of the local tourism industry along with the consumption of local agricultural products through postal and delivery services.

The province will assist local organisations and individuals in doing business in tourism, including attractions, agencies, and accommodation establishments. They will receive support to participate on e-commerce platforms to introduce and advertise products and services to both domestic and international markets (see box).

Under the “One Commune, One Product” programme, the province will connect all of its communes to promote agricultural products and specialities to tourists, contributing to promoting its delivery services. Other measures include boosting advertisements and business efficiency of both organisations and individuals offering tourism services on such platforms. To replicate this relatively new model, the DIC has coordinated with relevant units to pilot the scheme in Sa Dec city. The department has organised training on digital skills for farming households and tourism service providers.

Through training sessions, the participants can gain basic skills to participate in the digital world. They will learn how to register an account to list tourism products and services on e-commerce platforms as well as open online payment accounts serving e-commerce transactions.

The department will implement promotion and connection campaigns to facilitate tourism service providers to buy and sell products and services on the e-commerce platforms and, after training, the representative of tourism service providers can set up their own accounts, create online booths, and update products.

Homestay owner Thanh Hung expressed excitement that The Frog Flower House is the first tourist facility to join the Postmart and Voso platforms. He said that he will fully update the information and images of the services at the facility to promote his homestay to attract more tourists. At the same time, he will register for an online payment account for convenience and efficiency.

Nguyen Lam Thanh Thuy, deputy director of DIC, said that the initiative not only aims to promote local tourism products online so that tourists can quickly access the latest information – local companies can also expand their scope. In addition, the province is also promoting the consumption of local specialities through these delivery services at a time when the pandemic has greatly affected production and business activities in the province. Dong Thap will replicate the model across communes in the locality.