A woman uses the Traveloka app to book a hotel online. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The collaboration with technology platforms and
tourism business sectors will bolster efforts to quickly adapt and take
advantage of digital transformation effectively.
Ha Van Sieu, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism
under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, made the statement at a
digital transformation roundtable discussion held in Hanoi on November 16.
Vietnam’s tourism development strategy to 2030, approved by the Prime Minister
on January 22, 2020, set an orientation to accelerate the digital
transformation process in the tourism industry, toward the formation and
development of a smart tourism ecosystem.
“The fact that we jointly build, cooperate and develop technology applications,
to support tourists in the digital environment is also concretising the purpose
of the above strategy. Therefore, the content of today’s talk has practical
significance, in line with current trends,” Sieu said.
He added that the spread of the Fourth Industrial Revolution along with the
development of technology has changed tourist behaviour, from searching for
information, booking services and experiences at the destination, to sharing
feelings and memories of the trip. Most of it took place in the digital
environment.
The change in the market with the focus on tourists has forced service
providers as well as the Government to have solutions to quickly adapt and take
advantage of digital achievements to transform the operating model and method
in the new era. Digital transformation as well as enhancing cooperation in the
digital environment is the right choice for organisations, businesses, and digital
service providers to strive to maintain operations in order to adapt flexibly
and develop sustainably.
Huynh Thi Mai Thy, Country Manager Traveloka Vietnam, said in the first half of
this year, Vietnam welcomed around 413,000 foreigners and 60.8 million domestic
visitors. The total tourism revenue reached 265 trillion VND. In addition, the
volume of international searches for Vietnamese tourism has continued to surge,
with one of the highest increases in the world, according to Google’s market
trend tracker tool.
Vietnam has also stepped up eight places in the 2021 Tourism and Travel
Development Index (TTDI), according to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Report
which was conducted based on enabling environment, travel and tourism policy
and enabling conditions, infrastructure, travel and tourism demand drivers,
travel and tourism sustainability. The country experienced the greatest score
improvement, rising by 4.7% to leap from 60th to 52nd in the overall index.
“However, in order to return to the golden age of the tourism industry, in
2019, there are still some challenges although Vietnam has orientation,
strategic plans and a roadmap for tourism development which was provided in the
strategy to develop Vietnam’s tourism to 2030 approved by the Prime Minister on
January 22, 2020,” she added.
She said digital transformation, tourism model 4.0, smart tourism model are no
longer unfamiliar terms to Vietnamese people, as well as the benefits of
digital transformation for the industry, businesses and travellers. However,
the connection and cooperation between these entities in the digital
environment for sustainable development of Vietnam’s tourism should be
promoted.
She added that with the strong rebound of tourism in recent months, it is
crucial for Vietnam’s tourism to take steps toward digital transformation by
embracing touchless and smart tourism in Vietnam.
“Therefore, we keep making innovations that can create other initiatives and
breakthrough programmes that will boost the digitalisation in the travel
industry.”
As a technology-based company, Traveloka is cementing its commitment to support
the Government and partners toward digital transformation and sustainable
growth in the tourism sector.
Traveloka encourages the stakeholders to work together and ensure the
sustainable growth of local tourism. Digital transformation is more than just a
temporary solution for the pandemic disruption, but is also a long-term journey
for the whole tourism sector to develop sustainably./.
