A photo of the APEC High Level Policy Dialogue on Sustainable Tourism on June 19 (Photo: VNA) Quang Ninh (VNA) – Membereconomies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) should step up the applicationof technologies in regional tourism development amid the Fourth IndustrialRevolution 4.0 (FIR), a Vietnameseexpert said.
At the APEC High LevelPolicy Dialogue on Sustainable Tourism that took place in northeastern Quang Ninh province’s Ha Longcity on June 19, General Director of the DTT Technology Group Nguyen The Trung,who is also member of the Government FIR Working Group, highlighted advantagesof applying artificial intellectual (AI) and technologies in the tourism sector.
According to theexpert, the FIR gives people more free time and saves labour force, thusincreasing the demand for travel. It also enables new areas for tourismdevelopment, such as space tours and blended travel.
APEC economies shouldimpose cross border digital management in order to boost travel informationexchanging, and facilitate data management, he said.
One-door policies havebeen applied in the fields of transport, healthcare, agriculture and trading inthe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Trung said, suggesting thatAPEC economies should also do the same in tourism cooperation.
APEC members shouldalso launch an information portal to share their best practices and connectcross-border campaigns on sustainable and responsible tourism, as well aspromote the region’s tourism potential, he said.
More cultural exchangesshould be conducted among APEC members to enhance understanding among regionalpeople, so that locals can provide better and more relevant support for tourists,thus luring more visitors from APEC members.
To date, Vietnam hasexempted entry visa for nine member economies and implemented electronic visasfor three other economies, creating favourable conditions for travelers.
In 2016, top ten sourcemarkets of Vietnam are APEC member economies. Vietnam welcomed a record number of10 million international visitors in the year, including over 8.1 millionforeign tourists, or 81 percent from APEC economies, including China, Russia,Japan, Australia, the Republic of Korea and the US.-VNA
