Take tourists on a tour with... mouse clicks

Mr. Nguyen Pham Bao Hau (37 years old, Tuy Hoa ward, Dak Lak) launched a VR virtual reality tourism project to introduce tourist attractions to tourists who live far away or are difficult to travel to, helping users experience realistic destinations with just a click of the mouse.

Mr. Hau collects images at relic sites - Photo: MINH CHIEN

With only a 360-degree camera, a flycam and a passion for "traveling", Mr. Hau, with his motorbike, has traveled everywhere in old Phu Yen , designing nearly 200 tourist attractions, historical and cultural relics using virtual reality technology.

Nurturing a virtual reality tour project since the COVID-19 pandemic

The virtual reality tourism website interface built by Mr. Hau is very vivid and detailed - Photo: Screenshot

Mr. Hau said that the opportunity to come to this project was in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the trend of virtual interaction and remote working was on the rise.

He asked himself: "Why not design a project to introduce the beautiful landscapes of Phu Yen to those who cannot come here to visit in person?".

After saving enough money and deciding to quit his job at the Central College of Industry and Commerce, Mr. Hau started working on his cherished project. He hired someone to build the website and collected data on the locations himself.

From mid-2024, the first destinations will appear on the website phuyenvrtour.com. What makes many people excited is that the whole of Phu Yen is shrunk down in a map filled with scenic spots, historical sites, dining places, hotels and traditional craft villages, ... divided into logical areas.

Just choose a destination, visitors can see every corner to explore .

Nghinh Phong Tower Square is uniquely designed to transition from day to night - Photo: Screenshot

Mr. Hau had to spend many days collecting images of the destinations - Photo: NVCC

For example, when choosing to visit Nghinh Phong tower, with just a click, visitors will see the entire square to the sea area, or walk between the carved relief paths at the twin towers.

The website is also designed in real time so visitors can see the destination change from day to night.

"I use a 360-degree selfie stick and a flycam to take wide-angle photos, then combine the pixels on specialized software into a complete destination.

The annotations are written by me through my own practical experience, as well as through introductory information on the portal of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, travel sites, etc. I will incorporate AI voiceovers into the explanation," said Mr. Hau.

When passion for travel blends with love for homeland

The 360-degree camera is Mr. Hau's companion in every destination - Photo: MINH CHIEN

According to Mr. Hau, this job is also very difficult when there are far away destinations that force him to take pictures 2-3 times and take many days. Or when it rains and the trip is postponed,... for the usual relic sites, the doors will be locked, making it difficult for him to access the inside.

Destinations with many complex details must be photographed with many pixels such as markets, craft villages,... all details must be reproduced, but must be as natural as possible.

"When they knew I was coming to take photos, the local tourists were very enthusiastic and helped me contact the caretaker of the relic so I could go inside to collect data. Sometimes encountering some problems or discovering many new points at the destination made me very happy and had many memories," said Mr. Hau.

Mr. Hau said that when collecting images at Nhan Tower, in addition to the main tower, he also discovered a very beautiful exhibition house, so he came back to take photos. Nearby, there was a martyrs' monument that he also linked and included into a tourist cluster.

Mr. Hau introduces sightseeing using VR glasses, as if helping tourists walk in the space at the destinations he designed on the website - Photo: MINH CHIEN

Mr. Hau proudly boasts that he has completed 2 special national relics and 21 national relics in Phu Yen using virtual reality technology. He will continue to work on provincial relics and expand to the west of Dak Lak.

"After merging Phu Yen and Dak Lak provinces, I also spent time collecting images at Dray Nur waterfall, Buon Don... In the future, I will invest in more AI chatbox technology for my website so that visitors can interact directly, such as asking for destination information or consulting a self-guided tour," Mr. Hau shared.

Currently, this is a non-profit project focusing on serving the community, and the website maintenance fee is funded by Mr. Hau in conjunction with restaurants, hotels, and eateries from advertising sources.

For Mr. Hau, this is not only a technology and online travel product, but also a project stemming from his love for his homeland.

Le My Xuan (student of Phu Yen University) happily said: "I often visit the website phuyenvrtour.com because of its intuitive interface and vivid images, including many places I have not been to.

This is like a miniature travel guide so I can explore many places in the province."

MINH CHIEN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dua-du-khach-tham-quan-bang-nhung-cu-click-chuot-20250925125933009.htm