Tourism is one of Da Nang's key economic sectors with rapid development. Therefore, digital transformation in this field is an inevitable trend to adapt to reality. Many businesses and units have been gradually digitizing to promote tourism products to a large number of tourists.

Applying technology and digital transformation in tourism activities greatly supports tourists during their trips. In photo: Tourists visiting the Marble Mountains special national scenic spot. Photo: THU HA

Digitising craft village products

At the elevator area of the Marble Mountains Special National Monument, Ms. Nguyen Thanh Huong, a tourist from the capital city of Ha Noi, is using her smartphone to scan the chip in a corner of the sculpted statues.

After having scanned, she learned that these statues were prize-winning works of the 1^st Non Nuoc fine arts stone sculpture competition in 2023 and they are now displayed here for domestic and foreign tourists to admire. Ms. Huong shared that attaching chips to products like this is very convenient for tourists, especially those traveling with families or alone without a tour guide.

Mr. Luu Van Tam Anh, the Head of the Management Board of Non Nuoc Stone Handicraft Village, said that the award-winning works of the craft village are embedded with blockchain technology chips.

At these products, when visitors use smart devices to scan the chip, they will see videos and images of the product in digital space. Visitors can learn more about the historical origin of the craft village, the product formation process, stories associated with the products, the quality and transparency of the products.

With this blockchain technology, as long as there is an internet connection, product information is stored, preserved and spread around the world. This is also one of the good ways to promote the unique products of the craft village to tourists from near and far.

It is known that currently at the Non Nuoc stone craft village, in addition to award-winning products that have been attached with technology chips, in the near future, products from the stone craft village with great economic value will also be attached to chips.

No matter where the product is, with just a smart device, visitors can know the origin of the product, the person who made the product as well as how to contact.

According to Mr. Tam Anh, the application of digital transformation in Non Nuoc fine art stone products will contribute to promoting the sustainable development of craft villages, spreading cultural stories bearing bold characteristics of craft villages and digitizing products to reach global customers, increasing the value of products as well as the attractiveness of craft villages.

Not only at the Non Nuoc stone carving village, at some museums, artifacts have also been digitised via chips or just click bandodisandanang.vn, visitors will see a digital map set up by the Museum of Da Nang. With this digital map, visitors can visit the Marble Mountains special national relic or communal village houses across the city.

When attached with a blockchain chip or QR code, visitors actively access product information. In photo: Tourists scanning codes attached to works on display at the Marble Mountains special national relic site. Photo: THU HA

Take advantage of technology to build a sustainable customer source

Currently, digital transformation is being strived by businesses and tourism professionals to reach a variety of customers.

According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Quynh, the Chairman of the Da Nang Hotel Association, the General Director of Bac My An Tourist Area Joint Stock Company (Furama Resort Da Nang), in the current socio-economic context, digital transformation is necessary.

Accommodation businesses in the city must build effective marketing channels and proactively obtain direct and sustainable sources of guests.

Mr. Quynh analysed that currently, due to competition between major destinations, some of Da Nang's traditional tourist markets are shifting to other destinations, as well as having interest in emerging markets, while accommodation establishments rely heavily on online travel agencies (OTAs).

Therefore, it is time for accommodation businesses to build effective sales channels to proactively gain a sustainable source of guests. Besides, to facilitate customers' understanding of products, businesses can proactively use the Chatbot automatic response system integrated with ChatGPT in a bid to support customers during the booking process and store information about guests.

Recently, the Da Nang tourism industry has made great efforts to implement digital transformation activities. During the 2023 - 2024 period, the Da Nang Tourism Promotion Centre under the Department of Tourism and Outbox Co., Ltd. cooperated in the digital transformation process through the application of market data to improve public efficiency, promotion and management of the Da Nang destination.

During this period, Outbox updates market data regularly and promptly for Da Nang through Outbox's customer tracking systems and cooperate in piloting the development of the Index of Da Nang Destination Attractiveness (IDDA).

Next, Outbox accompanies the city in the pilot implementation of IDDA tracking system aimed at comprehensively improving the city’s competitiveness to attract more tourists, as well as supporting training to improve market research capacity and tourist data application for Da Nang's tourism workforce.

According to the Da Nang Department of Tourism, the application of information technology and digital transformation of the industry has recently been promoted through the implementation of the Tourism Industry Digital Transformation Plan for the 2022 - 2025 period, with an orientation towards 2030.

Focus is on implementing digital transformation solutions in State management and tourism business activities, solutions to increase the rate of online public service records.

In addition, the tourism industry has also built a tourism database and digital culinary map integrated into the Da Nang tourism map, proposing investment policies for the project ‘Building Da Nang Tourism Information Portal’ and Danang Fantasticity application in a synchronized manner.

The city will implement Phase 3 of VR360 virtual reality technology project and develop VRmall features, build a 1:1 Metaverse Space multi-dimensional consulting portal.

As of September 2023, the total number of visits to VR360 virtual reality at https://vr360.danangfantasticity.com. had reached  748,000. Attention has been paid to supporting tourism businesses to implement digital transformation through popular knowledge training sessions and consulting digital transformation to improve business efficiency, as well as updating global tourism trends, and more.

Reporting by THU HA – Translating by A.THU