Representatives of the Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism’s Tourism Information Centre and SHB signed the agreement. Photo courtesy of SHB

HÀ NỘI — Digital transformation has been identified as a key driver for tourism growth in the new development phase, steering the sector towards a modern, professional, green and sustainable model.

Against this backdrop, Saigon – Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB) and the Việt Nam National Authority of Tourism’s Tourism Information Centre recently signed a cooperation agreement for the 2026–30 period to jointly develop an integrated smart tourism ecosystem, with technology, data, and digital finance as its core pillars.

Under the agreement, the two sides will leverage their respective strengths to deploy technological solutions that foster innovation and accelerate digital transformation across the tourism sector. SHB will provide digital banking and financial solutions, contributing to the promotion of cashless payments in line with Government policy, improving the efficiency of State management and tourism business operations, while enhancing convenience and experiences for travellers.

In parallel, the partners will collaborate to promote Việt Nam’s tourism to both domestic and international visitors, with a strong focus on digital communication campaigns across online platforms, social networks, and multimedia publications.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Nguyễn Trùng Khánh, Director General of the Việt Nam National Authority of Tourism, stressed that the sector’s goal is not only to increase visitor numbers, but more importantly to improve the quality of growth, competitiveness and long-term sustainability.

“Tourism is a comprehensive service industry with strong inter-sectoral and inter-regional linkages. This requires closer coordination and cooperation among localities, businesses and partners,” Khánh said.

A highlight of the cooperation programme is the launch of comprehensive finance–tourism solutions integrated directly into the 'Tourism Management and Business' application for service providers and tour guides, and the “Vietnam Travel” app for tourists.

These core applications, part of the national smart tourism ecosystem, will enable users to access information and carry out transactions - including accommodation booking, tours, air and rail tickets, entrance tickets and shopping - on a single platform through SHB’s digital financial solutions.

The integration of SHB’s digital finance tools into tourism applications is expected to accelerate cashless payments and create a closed service chain from information provision and service connection to payment and transaction management. This will enhance transparency, safety and operational efficiency in the tourism market.

For travellers, regularly updated official data ensures access to reliable information, while feedback and incident-handling mechanisms help protect consumer rights and strengthen the accountability of service providers. For tourism businesses, the platform offers direct access to domestic and international markets, reducing reliance on intermediaries and optimising costs and revenues. Transparent payment and reconciliation tools provided by SHB will also support enterprises in accelerating digital transformation and improving governance efficiency.

Ngô Thu Hà, CEO of SHB, said the bilateral cooperation would help build a modern, smart and sustainable tourism ecosystem aligned with the national digital transformation strategy, improving experiences for citizens, tourists and businesses while supporting more effective State management.

The partnership is expected to contribute to the development of a smart tourism ecosystem.

Data generated from tourism activities will be collected and consolidated into a unified database following the principles of being “accurate, sufficient, clean, live, standardised and shared”. This data will be analysed to support management, market trend analysis and product development, in line with the orientation of treating data as a key resource of the digital economy.

Through the partnership, SHB and the Tourism Information Centre will strengthen connectivity between data, technology platforms and market services, expanding the provision of digital financial solutions for the tourism sector. Services such as electronic know-your-customer (eKYC), online payments, cash flow management and transaction reconciliation will be embedded into tourism applications, enhancing user experience and helping tourism enterprises manage finances more effectively.

The cooperation marks an important step in the roadmap to building a data-driven, technology-enabled and digitally financed smart tourism ecosystem, contributing to improved management efficiency, service quality and visitor experience, and supporting the sustainable development of Việt Nam’s tourism industry. — VNS