Digital transformation needed for tourism development amid pandemic

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam speaks at the conference (Photo: VietnamPlus).

Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has emphasised the urgent need to promote digital transformation in all aspects of tourism towards soon recovering the tourism industry amid difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Addressing the National Tourism Conference 2020 with the theme of "Linking, Action and Development" in the central province of Quang Nam on November 28, Deputy PM Dam asked the sector to pay heed to strengthening digital transformation, improving quality in all segments, restructuring the customer market; and ensuring safety of tourism activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital transformation for tourism development remains slow

Digital transformation in tourism development has recorded progress in the recent past but the process is still slow, the Deputy PM said, adding that the work should be carried out more drastically in the time to come.

In fact, most of technological platform-based tourism services in Vietnam are invested and developed by foreign enterprises, he noted.

Ministries, localities, and tourism associations and businesses need to actively join hands in building digital platforms serving not only the “non-smoke” industry, but all other economic sectors, Dam said.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam attends an event on the sidelines of the conference (Photo: VietnamPlus)

He also pointed out limitations of the sector, such as poor quality of services, downgraded infrastructure in destinations and localities, and inadequate cooperation among localities, between State agencies and enterprises, and between enterprises and enterprises.

All cultural heritage, tourist attractions, and antiquities in museums must also be digitised to become a shared database system serving tourism development, he said.

Via digital platforms, tourists can be provided new experiences before they decide to book tours, accommodation services and make field visits.

Young people enjoy at a tourism site in the ancient city of Hoi An (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Promoting closer cooperation to realise key tasks

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam urged the tourism industry to focus on four key tasks.

Due attention should be paid to improving the quality of tourism products and services suitable to each market segment, restructuring the tourism market, developing new products and services, promoting public-private cooperation and regional linkages between localities, and ensuring safety of tourism activities amid the pandemic.

In the context of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, Vietnam needs to give priority to developing the domestic tourism market as a fulcrum for its economic recovery and sustainable development of green economy, he said.

It is necessary to carefully study the needs of Vietnamese visitors, thus building suitable products and services, Dam noted.

Safety is also the key to sustaining tourism activities at present, he stressed.

The Deputy PM praised localities and enterprises for their great efforts in enhancing digital transformation and application of information technology to improve their operations, saying that State management agencies need to have solutions to help businesses perform the work effectively.

Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam asks for closer coordination among ministries, sectors, localities and travel agencies towards promoting the recovery of the sector as soon as possible.  (Photo: VietnamPlus) 

In the framework of the National Tourism Conference 2020, several activities were also arranged, including an online forum discussing ways to develop linkages between the central key economic region and the two major cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

An exhibition was organised featuring 12 booths of seven localities, four airlines and the host resort, to introduce destinations of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the central region.

The event was of important significance to Quang Nam and other central provinces as tourism activities in the region have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a move to implement the Government’s directions on implementing the dual task of effectively containing the pandemic and restoring economic activities./.