Nghe An tourism industry strives for digital transformation.

Thanks to digital transformation, tourists will experience convenient tourism products and resort services, as well as high-class and memorable entertainment activities…

Enhancing competitiveness

Digital transformation in the tourism sector began in 2018, based on the "Overall Plan for the Application of Information Technology in the Tourism Sector for the period 2018-2020, with a vision to 2025." The Prime Minister set the goal that Vietnam should prioritize the development of digital and smart tourism. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the roadmap slowed down in 2020, but from 2022, to revive the economy , the Government decided to restart tourism activities, using digital transformation as a breakthrough, with people and businesses at the center.

Nghe An participates in a forum to stimulate tourism in the Central and Central Highlands provinces after the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: Nguyen Hai

Mr. Nguyen Manh Loi – Deputy Director of the Nghe An Department of Tourism shared: In Nghe An, tourism is identified as a key economic sector, so right from the transition to the new normal, the Provincial Party Standing Committee has paid special attention to it and identified it as a priority task. Therefore, since 2022, based on the orientation of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the Nghe An Department of Tourism has advised on the development and submission to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee for approval of the Nghe An Tourism Development Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2035, which sets the goal of forming a smart tourism ecosystem in Nghe An.

Recreating the image of Khue Van Cac (Hanoi) on Ho Tung Mau pedestrian street in Vinh City. Photo: Nguyen Hai

Having gone through the Covid-19 pandemic, those in the tourism industry have recognized more than anyone else that digital transformation is an urgent requirement and an inevitable trend for the tourism industry now and in the future. However, like other economic sectors, this is not an easy task. To implement it, it is necessary to build and upgrade a synchronized and modern digital infrastructure system; build, create, store, process, and exploit a centralized digital database for the tourism industry to serve industry management and user search needs...

Tourists enjoy a sightseeing and experiential tour at the tea plantation island in Thanh Thinh commune, Thanh Chuong district. Photo courtesy of Nghe An Newspaper (Mai Hoa)

Due to its relatively low starting point, Nghe An prioritizes building a centralized digital database system and promoting tourism on digital media platforms such as social networks, tourism portals, and apps. The initial goal of Nghe An's tourism digital transformation is to improve the efficiency of state management, comprehensively manage tourism activities, promote the tourism image, and support tourists in preparing before, during, and after their trips, thereby enhancing the quality of information and the tourist experience. Leading the way in tourism digital transformation are the hotel systems of Muong Thanh Group, Vinpearl Cua Hoi , Saigontourist, etc. These units have invested in building smart software and applications to promote, introduce, and manage their systems.

Thanks to the increasingly widespread application of information technology, tourism businesses in Nghe An have built, maintained, and operated websites and social media platforms such as Facebook, Zalo, TikTok, etc., to communicate, promote, and serve their tourism business activities. Furthermore, through these software applications, accommodation businesses and tour operators can interact with and better understand the psychology, behavior, and needs of customers, thereby introducing, promoting, and adjusting products and services accordingly.

- Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien - General Director of Muong Thanh Song Lam Hotel, Chairman of the Nghe An Tourism Association

Many challenges and difficulties

Mr. Nguyen Manh Loi, Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism, added: Thanks to the active and proactive implementation of digital transformation activities associated with smart tourism, awareness of digital transformation in tourism in the province has changed significantly. Currently, the province has built and operated the Visitenghean tourism portal - which updates information on tourist destinations and tourism products and services; at the same time, it supports investment in developing digital infrastructure at some tourist destinations such as providing free Wi-Fi at public places in Cua Lo and the pedestrian street in Vinh City ; applying interactive 3D/360 ^° smart digital tourism map technology at the Kim Lien National Special Historical Site…

Leaders of Nghe An province press the button to inaugurate the smart tourism portal. (Photo: BNA Archives)

Despite achieving some results, the tourism industry in general, and the digital transformation of tourism in Nghe An in particular, has not yet developed to its full potential.

Mr. Nguyen Van Nam, Deputy Director in charge of the Provincial Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center, frankly stated: For tourism products to be effectively promoted and marketed, they must first be complete, attractive, and high-class. Compared to other provinces, Nghe An still lacks truly high-class "big players" in the tourism industry, and many tourism products remain unfinished and in the potential stage.

An experiential tourism activity at Sao Va Waterfall, Que Phong District. Photo: Nguyen Hai

Except for the Muong Thanh Group's accommodation system, which has a strong brand, most of the investment projects intended to highlight tourism in Nghe An are still incomplete (such as the cable car complex to Ngu Island, the project of Song Ngu Son JSC on Lan Chau Island, the Thanh Chuong tea island project, and the Nghi Thiet tourist area); some adventure tours and community tourism destinations are still spontaneously developed, with limited infrastructure and service quality.

In fact, since 2021, the province has issued a plan and policies to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in digital transformation. Over 150 tourism businesses participated in the plan, but due to procedural obstacles in disbursement, they have yet to implement smart software and applications. Training to improve digital transformation capacity for businesses in general, and tourism businesses in particular, faces many difficulties.

Representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises from districts and towns in the Phu Quy region participated in a training course organized by the Nghe An Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center (NAPC). Photo: Nguyen Hai

Hopefully, in the near future, the Ministry of Finance will provide guidance for businesses to develop specialized software; and at the same time, the province will develop a smart tourism digital map. In addition, when Project 06 on population data is completed, and citizen data on smartphones is synchronously connected with the national data system, the digital transformation of tourism in Nghe An will become more evident.

- Mr. Nguyen Van Nam - Deputy Director in charge of the Provincial Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion

Source: https://baonghean.vn/du-lich-nghe-an-no-luc-chuyen-doi-so-post273992.html