HÀ NỘI — More destinations in Việt Nam are going to be digitalised to provide different experiences for travellers and help introduce Vietnamese tourism to the world.

Through the newly launched VNGuide app and the website VnTrip360.com, tourists can enjoy virtual trips to beauty spots such as Quán Sứ Pagoda, Trấn Quốc Pagoda (Hà Nội) and the Củ Chi Tunnels (HCM City).

A conference was held yesterday in the framework of the Việt Nam International Travel Mart (VITM) to find solutions to develop tourism in the context of Industry 4.0.

Jason Lusk, director of the Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST), consultant to the Asian Development Bank, said it was a great step forward for innovation in Vietnamese tourism industry.

“The Fourth Industrial Revolution brings many opportunities for Việt Nam’s travel tech start-ups as well as the chance for Vietnamese tourism to boom,” he said.

Hà Văn Siêu, vice chairman of the Việt Nam National Tourism Administration (VNAT), said Industry 4.0 impacted all fields, including tourism.

“It’s a time for us to review the process of using technology in the tourism industry,” he said.

The 360 degree image technology allows tourists to check hotels before booking. Photo vntrip360.com

Beside digitalising destinations with VR technology, travel enterprises are also using apps to manage hotels, resorts and customer experiences.  

Nguyễn Chí Thanh, director of Toàn Dũng Media Company, the developer of VNGuide app, said it was time to make the term “smart tourism” popular.

“With 3D scanning technology, we can give tourists an overview of the destinations before they arrive, they can zoom in and out of the sites, and discover every corner,” he said.

“We have some difficulties such as the high cost of 3D technology and a lack of human resources to manage this technology.”

Thanh suggested that managers should be trained on VR technology so they can instruct travellers how to use the devices.

Yesterday, VNAT also launched a contest for start-ups in tourism development.

The initiatives should focus on accommodation, restaurants and transport.

The contest will run until June to seek ideas on how to use technology to develop tourism. — VNS