Non-cash payment is gradually becoming a trend in key tourist areas across Da Nang. The expansion of cashless transactions brings many positive benefits to the development of the trade, service and tourism industries.

Non-cash payments are applied at many tourist attractions across Da Nang. Photo: CHIEN THANG

After five years of returning to Da Nang to travel, Ms. Nguyen Hong Ngoc, a tourist from the northern province of Quang Ninh said she was pleased with a fact that the city had to made many changes in payment methods.

Wherever she went, she could transfer money via bank accounts or electronic wallets.

Ms. Ngoc said paying through e-wallets and digital banking helps her no longer worry about having to carry or preserve cash every time she travelled.

When she came to any attraction, she just needed to bring a smart phone with an internet connection to be able to buy high or low value items quickly and conveniently without any fees deducted, including public cycling fees.

Sharing the same experience, Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Ha, a tourist from the capital city of Ha Noi challenged herself to travel without using cash for the first time. From booking air tickets to paying small expenses such as sugarcane juice, ice cream, candy and cakes, it only took very little time.

“A few years ago, when the waiter's attitude towards customers booking online was not good, now it is completely different when the service quality for customers booking through the app is equivalent to customers booking directly. At the same time, if I book online, I can apply many discount codes, incentives, and good discounts, helping me save 10 - 15% compared to before when paying in cash. The bigger advantage when going out is not to bring too many belongings, which can easily be lost or misplaced.”, Ms. Ha added.

Through records at stores providing food and beverage service products, accommodation, souvenirs, and entertainment on tourist-packed routes such as Ho Nghinh, Vo Nguyen Giap, Nguyen Van Thoai, Do Ba and Phan Dang Luu, the use of online payment accounts for more than 80% and some places record more than 90%.

Mr. Mai Xuan Thien, the manager of ‘I'm coffee tour’ shop located in My An Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District, said that his store implemented non-cash payment 4 years ago but not many people used it.

Over the past few months, there has been a big change when the number of customers paying via bank transfer or e-wallet reached 95% of the total payment receipts. Not only do tourists use cashless payment, but more local people also use this form of payment.

Up to this point, in the An Thuong tourist quarter in My An Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District, there have been more than 150 business households effectively implementing the cashless street model.

Chairman of My An Ward People's Committee Bach Ngoc Hai informed that the city is interested in investing and upgrading infrastructure in the An Thuong tourist quarter for the sake of service and tourism development.

Deploying and applying online payment will create favourable conditions for tourists, helping to modernise services at this tourist attraction.

My An Ward is working with relevant units to accelerate implementation process, aiming for 100% of the business establishments in An Thuong tourist quarter to trade with non-cash payment solutions to strengthen the implementation of e-commerce activities and modernise services to meet the needs of locals, tourists and businesses in the new era.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Nhat Anh, Director of Vietnam Payment Solutions Joint Stock Company (VnPay) in Central Viet Nam, said that in order to bring convenience in payment to tourists, at many tourist and service locations such as the markets of Con, and Han, the downtown busy streets of Nguyen Van Linh and Le Duan, and An Thuong tourist quarter, VnPay has widely deployed online payment solutions for shopping.

A representative of the Da Nang branch of the Military Industry and Telecommunications Group (Viettel Da Nang) remarked that Viettel has carried out many activities to support the development of the city's tourism industry, in coordination with mass organisations and community-based digital technology groups in developing online forms and solutions.

Viettel Da Nang aims to accompany the city to continue expanding the number of cashless routes, thereby creating motivation for the development of industries, and tourism in particular.

Reporting by CHIEN THANG - Translating by A.THU