Untangling the bottlenecks in the smart tourism ecosystem

In recent years, the Vietnamese tourism industry has begun to form a smart tourism ecosystem. However, behind the results, there are still many gaps in infrastructure, data, human resources and business support mechanisms that need to be quickly resolved.

Digital Transformation Guide for the Tourism Industry.

Challenges in the digital tourism ecosystem

According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the tourism industry has now built a relatively comprehensive smart tourism ecosystem. The most important point is the national tourism database, integrating information on accommodation facilities, travel agencies, tour guides, destinations, means of transport, entertainment areas, etc.

Based on that data, many digital platforms have been designed. The national tourism application "Vietnam Travel" helps tourists look up destination information, book air tickets, book rooms, buy sightseeing tickets, shop, etc. "Viet Card - smart travel card" supports cashless payments, integrated with national applications to optimize the experience from searching to spending. The "online - interconnected - multi-modal" electronic ticket system is being applied at many tourist attractions, relic sites, and entertainment areas; the multimedia explanation system helps tourists access more vivid and intuitive information. "Vietnam Tourism Yellow Pages" plays the role of an online trading floor connecting service providers with tourists, supporting product promotion, sales in the digital environment, etc. Those efforts of the tourism industry in digital transformation to become a truly synchronized ecosystem but there are still many challenges to overcome.

The first and most important thing to be concerned about is the lack of synchronization in infrastructure and digital platforms between localities, between the public and private sectors. Many provinces and cities have built their own tourism applications, but most of them operate separately and are difficult to connect to the national database. The statistical reporting system, accommodation, travel and destination management system does not have a common industry-wide standard, leading to data fragmentation and wasting investment resources.

Next is the digital human resources problem. Tour guides, managers, hotel and travel staff in many places are only using some single software, have not been properly trained in digital skills, how to exploit customer data, operate smart management systems or apply artificial intelligence (AI) in business. Experts capable of designing, operating and analyzing big data in tourism are still very rare. In many businesses, digital transformation is still just a "concurrent" task and lacks a specialized team.

According to many businesses, the reason is that the cost of investing in equipment, software, technology infrastructure, and maintaining digital systems requires large financial resources while the financial support mechanism and preferential credit for digital tourism transformation are unclear, and professional consulting and companionship packages are limited. In addition, many businesses are still familiar with the traditional business model, selling tours directly, and are afraid to change the process. As a result, although many digital tourism applications have been born, the rate of businesses implementing them is still low. Some applications have duplicate functions and lack practical utilities, making it difficult to apply them in real life.

At the policy level, the legal framework for digital tourism is still not complete. The Tourism Law and guiding documents only generally mention the application of modern science and technology in tourism management and development, and do not have specific regulations on data sharing, technical standards for destination management systems, protection of tourist data or mechanisms to encourage businesses to invest in digital assets.

Multiple solutions are needed.

To solve the above-mentioned bottlenecks, in an interview with us, Mr. Vu Duc Binh, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, proposed a system of synchronous solutions, focusing on perfecting institutions, developing shared digital infrastructure, training human resources and supporting businesses in digital transformation.

First of all, it is necessary to perfect the legal framework for digital tourism. The upcoming amendment and supplement to the Law on Tourism needs to take into account the contents related to the management and exploitation of the national tourism database; create a legal corridor to promote startups and innovation in technology tourism. Regarding infrastructure and platforms, the central task is to build a shared national digital tourism platform, connecting data from central to local levels and connecting with businesses. On that basis, it is necessary to form a national digital tourism map, and at the same time build a large data center to serve the analysis of tourist behavior, forecast market trends, support operations and promotion.

Along with perfecting the infrastructure, it is necessary to accelerate the digitalization of the entire tourism service value chain, digitizing destinations, historical sites, museums, and craft villages; widely deploying e-tickets, digital maps, chatbots, and virtual tour guides; and applying AI to personalize itineraries and suggest destinations, restaurants, and services suitable for each customer group.

The next group of solutions is to develop human resources and raise awareness of digital tourism. Tourism training programs need to integrate content on digital skills, digital marketing, and data analysis. Training courses, specialized training, and retraining for state management officials, business officials, and local communities at destinations need to be implemented regularly, linked to actual needs. Along with that, there are widespread communication campaigns so that people and businesses clearly understand the benefits and role of digital transformation, thereby proactively participating.

In terms of finance, it is necessary to develop specific support mechanisms for tourism businesses to convert to digital, including preferential credit packages, tax policies, and funds to support digital transformation in the tourism industry; at the same time, build a national-scale Vietnamese digital tourism trading floor, develop a network of consultants and accompanying experts to help businesses choose suitable solutions, and avoid scattered and ineffective investments.

In the context that tourists' journeys do not stop at administrative boundaries, inter-regional coordination is an indispensable condition. Therefore, it is necessary to coordinate in building an inter-provincial digital platform, prioritizing the construction of smart tourism clusters in key areas such as the North, the Central Coast, and the Mekong Delta; sharing data, connecting products and destinations across local borders; encouraging technology businesses to participate in providing solutions and benefiting from the digital tourism ecosystem.

DANG TRAN BUI

Source: https://nhandan.vn/go-nut-that-trong-he-sinh-thai-du-lich-thong-minh-post929136.html