Tourism industry embarks on digital journey

Hundreds of guests had the opportunity to experience the technology products at the seminar

Hoang Quoc Hoa, deputy director of the Tourism Information Centre, asserted that digital transformation is an urgent requirement and an inevitable trend for the global tourism industry, including Vietnam. It would also be a strategic issue in the context that the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the pandemic are having wide and profound effects around the world, Hoa said.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has been focusing on creating a foundation for digital transformation, gradually forming a smart tourism ecosystem in Vietnam and encouraging localities, businesses, destinations, and tourists to participate in this endeavour.

Hundreds of guests also had the opportunity to experience the tech products that the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has built, including a dashboard system for management agencies, a tourism database for management agencies, the Vietnam Travel Guide application for tour operators and guides, the Vietnam Tourism Yellow Pages for businesses, and smart cards for tourists, among others.

Nguyen Duc Thanh, director of the B2C Division of Vietsens, said visitors' journeys become more convenient and simpler when using smart cards when travelling. Visitors do not need to buy paper tickets when going to attractions but can instead use convenient cards, thus also contributing to saving print and papers costs and reducing the environmental pollution.

“Smart travel cards can also be used as a payment option. The tap-to-pay function enables visitors to swipe the card to pay, with the card also being usable in healthcare, schools, hotels, and many other shopping points," Thanh added.

Responding to the call of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and related units in promoting digital transformation, Hanoi's Temple of Literature has coordinated with tourism units, including Vietsens, to launch a new ticket management system.

Le Xuan Kieu, director of the temple's Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities said, “We hope to put this system into operation before April 30, before the peak summer tourist season.”

Within the framework of the Vietnam International Tourism Mart Hanoi 2022, the programme Digital Transformation in Tourism contributed to raising awareness about the role and importance of digital technologies in tourism to support the industry's recovery and sustainable development in the coming time.