The Tourism Information Technology Centre (TITC) under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has officially introduced the Viet-Smart Travel Card. Its objective is to introduce innovative features implemented during the digital transformation of the tourism sector to the community of tour operators and tour guides, thereby creating new prospects for tourism operations and businesses in the country.
Developed under the “Vietnamese Card – one national card” initiative led by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Smart Travel Card is integrated into the fields of tourism, health care, banks, trade, transportation, and education. It facilitates users with convenient one-touch and online payment capabilities.
Furthermore, the card has been seamlessly integrated into the “Vietnam Travel” application. By downloading the application, tourists not only gain access to the smart travel card but also unlock a comprehensive range of technological features. These include the ability to book airline tickets and hotels, purchase e-tickets, access tourist digital maps, and search for businesses that offer travel-related services.
According to Hoang Quoc Hoa, deputy director of the TITC, three key products, namely the Smart Travel Card, the Vietnam Travel application, and the Tourism Management and Business platform are widely used in the tourism community in Vietnam with the goal of promoting the digitalisation of the tourism industry.
The smart travel card will play a crucial role in streamlining the operations of tourism managers and fostering a culture of innovation in the application of digital technology to support the growth and advancement of the tourism sector.
Digital technology is being used at tourist sites and by travel businesses to build tour packages and attract visitors across the country. In Hanoi, to encourage tourism businesses to renovate their travel services, the city has successfully completed the data sharing of over 300 tourist attractions through an integrated database.
As OpenGov Asia reported, several tourist sites in the city have applied new technologies in product development and operation management. At the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, the management is using QR codes for visitors to find information about relic sites. Meanwhile, the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum launched the iMuseum VFA, a multimedia guide app. It is one of the museum’s first efforts to introduce artworks to visitors and promote museum artefacts in the digital environment. Using the database, domestic and foreign tourists can find out more information about destinations before setting out. With digital technology, tourism businesses can reach out to potential customers, expand new services to meet market trends, optimise human resources, operating costs, and save time.
The tourism industry has been experiencing significant growth. According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, over the five-day holidays of Hung Kings Commemoration Day, Reunification Day, and International Workers’ Day from 29 April to 3 May, Vietnam received over 300,000 foreign visitors and served approximately 7 million domestic tourists.
The total revenue generated from these tourists was estimated to be around VND 24 trillion (US$ 1.02 billion), indicating a 9% increase compared to the same period last year. Occupancy rates at tourist accommodation establishments were at 60% and even up to 95-100% at some sites. During this time, the Tourism Department of Hanoi reported that the capital city catered to approximately 719,000 tourists, out of which 69,500 were foreigners.
