A group of Overseas Vietnamese students in Manchester city, the UK, has developed a mobile application named Tubudd in a hope to create a network that will connect foreign visitors with local tour guides in Viet Nam, thus providing the visitors with a new and trustworthy way to explore Viet Nam.

Connecting visitors with local 'buddies'

The name Tubudd is short for 'Tour Buddy', implying a tour of 'buddies'. According to 26-year-old Vu Thi Thai An, alias Annie, one of the application’s creators, the use of Tubudd is very simple.  Users just need to visit http://www.tubudd.com/ to log in to the application on their mobile phones in order to 'book' a local tour guide – a buddy - in the place they wish to visit at their selected time.

Available tour guides are posted on the application with adequate personal information to make it easy for users to find their best-fit companion for their trip.

Meanwhile, the tour guides are required to be fluent in a second language and have a love of the city where they are living and show a certain understanding of the local geography and culture. They will be invited to join a quick online interview to test the buddy’s foreign language fluency before becoming an official buddy for Tubudd.

An said that a total of about 300 people have used Tubudd and most of them are Overseas Vietnamese students in the US, Germany and the UK.

An’s team expects to benefit Tubudd’s users as much as they can. Tubudd will allow visitors to see VIetnamese towns, cities and provinces in the best way that they can be shown. Tubudd is also designed as a perfect companion for those who want to experience life and culture in the manner that the locals do.  This, hence, will help visitors have a deeper insight into the unknown place. In addition, Tubudd will help Vietnamese young people enhance their English skills and increase their income.

Advertising the charm of Viet Nam

Mr Petr from Canada and his friends are some of the first travellers to experience a Viet Nam tour with a local guide that they found on Tubudd. He recalled that his group met with Annie by chance in Ha Noi, and their meeting turned out to be a wonderful blessing that he had never expected on his trip. Annie introduced the Canadian friends to a fresh look at Viet Nam which the group had never heard before. They were updated on a list of restaurants, cafeterias and shops in Ha Noi,

In Ho Chi Minh City, they continued to have interesting experiences, tasting delicious local dishes and visiting beautiful places with the support from a buddy here.

Mr Petr said that as a foreign visitor to Viet Nam he found that having Vietnamese youngsters as travel companions is the best way to explore life of the Vietnamese people and learn about the cultural identity of the country.

Ms Tran Thi Thao from Ho Chi Minh City is one of first tour guide members of Tubudd. She said she felt lucky to have the opportunity of introducing foreigners to her city, and helping them enjoy local tasty street food.

As a Tubudd member, you will never feel as though you are working or undertaking a task, Thao said, adding that all you need is an open heart and the willingness to support, considering the visitors as your friends, and you will complete your work as an enjoyable experience.

The application’s developers are working hard to perfect their product in a bid to further advertise the image of Viet Nam to worldwide travellers.

(Source: NDO/ DA NANG Today)