Changing the face of tourism with modern technology and heritage

Chú thích ảnh

Thang Long Imperial Citadel. Photo: VNA

Not only playing the role of the political and cultural center of the whole country, Hanoi is also a "living museum" with nearly 6,000 cultural and historical relics. Among them, the Central Relic Site of Thang Long Imperial Citadel was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Cultural Heritage. Therefore, the application of modern technology to exploit, preserve and promote heritage values is becoming the "key" for the Capital to break through, shaping the image of a smart and sustainable tourist city.

Digital technology and green transformation: Two strategic pillars

According to Mr. Nguyen Quyet Tam ( Tourism Digital Transformation expert, Member of VINASA Digital Government Committee, Chairman of the Board of Directors of VietISO Joint Stock Company), digital transformation and green transformation are becoming two inseparable strategic pillars in the orientation of smart tourism development. For Hanoi - a heritage destination with great attraction and increasing operational pressure, this is not only a trend but also an inevitable roadmap for sustainable development and breakthrough.

Mr. Nguyen Quyet Tam emphasized that e-ticketing is one of the key solutions, bringing "double benefits" when it supports green transformation by reducing paper use, optimizing resources and improving the tourist experience through the ability to book tickets online, control the flow of visitors and instant interaction. The goal by 2030 is that 80-90% of destinations in Hanoi will apply e-ticketing and online booking/schedule. This demonstrates the city's strong determination in realizing the comprehensive digital transformation roadmap for the tourism industry.

To achieve this goal, Hanoi needs to build an interconnected e-ticket ecosystem, develop a centralized data platform, standardize business processes, invest in technology infrastructure and promote green consumption from tourists.

In recent years, many destinations in Hanoi have initially deployed electronic tickets, integrated QR codes, smart control gates and online payments such as: Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Hoa Lo Prison relic, Duong Lam Ancient Village... These applications help to make the process transparent, reduce congestion; at the same time increase the civilized and convenient experience for tourists.

Hai Ba Trung Ward has deployed a pilot model of information technology application in propaganda and promotion of relics at Lien Phai Pagoda. Up to now, the locality has successfully deployed QR codes at more than 28 historical relic sites in the area to serve tourists. Visiting Lien Phai Pagoda for the first time, Mr. Nguyen Minh Thang (Cau Giay Ward) shared that digital information is convenient. With just a smartphone, people and tourists from all over the world can scan the QR code to get information and images of the historical relic of Lien Phai Pagoda. Thanks to that, exploring and learning about the relic becomes easier and more interesting.

According to the Management Boards of the relic sites, since applying technology to promotion, the number of visitors to the sites has increased. Specifically: At the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, 3D mapping technology and interactive software are being deployed in the exhibition. The digitization of exhibition spaces and exhibits in 360, 3D formats and virtual tour programs allow viewers to use smart devices to learn, creating the attraction of the Heritage for visitors. The application of modern digital technology has helped visitors connect and interact better with the heritage; thereby significantly increasing the visiting experience.

Not only improving management efficiency, technology applications also open up new directions for Hanoi to combine heritage conservation with digital economic development, promoting the image of the capital to international friends.

Temple of Literature - Imperial Academy: A pioneering bright spot

Chú thích ảnh — Art space & 3D Mapping tells the story of Vietnamese universities at Thai Hoc yard, Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam relic site. Photo: Dinh Thuan/VNA

As the largest and oldest Confucian architectural complex in Vietnam, the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam welcomes about 2.5 million visitors each year. Recognizing the role of digital transformation, the Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities of the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam has proactively converted to digital and applied technology in the work of preserving and serving tourists. Since 2023, this relic has officially applied online electronic ticket sales for group visitors, using QR codes to enter the gate. Previously, during peak times, tens of thousands of visitors lined up to buy paper tickets, causing congestion. The application of electronic tickets has overcome this situation, helping to save time and create a positive impression right from the beginning of the journey.

Ms. Nguyen Lien Huong, Deputy Director of the Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities of the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, emphasized: "Applying technology not only improves service quality but also contributes to preserving the sacredness of the relic, while expanding the space for experiencing modern technology."

Results after 2 years of implementation show that the electronic ticketing system has helped increase management efficiency, financial transparency, fraud prevention, operational process optimization and increased revenue from additional digital services. At the same time, the relic has more conditions to develop creative tourism products such as night tours, automatic guides, e-books about Doctor's steles, etc.

In addition to positive results, the process of deploying technology at relics still faces many difficulties. Specifically, the network infrastructure is not stable, which can easily disrupt the electronic ticket system when the connection is lost. The application of electronic ticket sales is more suitable for group visitors, while individual visitors sometimes have to wait a long time if they lack supporting devices. In addition, the design of electronic tickets also needs to be improved to avoid the situation of small, easy to lose and lack of bilingual elements, causing difficulties for international visitors and especially tickets without commemorative value. The operating staff needs to be trained regularly to handle problems, ensuring the system operates continuously, especially during peak seasons.

Heritage - the foundation for developing cultural industry

To continue promoting the effectiveness of technology, experts suggest that Hanoi needs to upgrade network infrastructure and equipment, build a temporary offline mode for the ticket printing system; improve ticket design, integrate more bilingual information in Vietnamese and English and souvenir elements. The city should strengthen multilingual guidance and communication, deploy ticket sales applications via fanpages, websites or mobile apps; train specialized staff, and build a periodic maintenance process to ensure stable system operation. At the same time, developing digital tourism platforms that integrate data, coordinate services, and monitor environmental impacts will open up new directions, bringing Hanoi closer to the goal of becoming a leading smart and sustainable tourism city in the region.

Hanoi currently leads the country in the number of cultural heritages. This huge amount of heritage, when combined with digital technology, will become a great resource for developing the cultural industry, making the capital's tourism breakthrough. The digitization of heritage does not only stop at archiving and preserving, but also creates conditions for the formation of high-quality digital cultural products, suitable for the public of the new era. From there, heritage is widely spread, increasing economic value and affirming Hanoi's position on the global tourism map.

From the practice at the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam and many other destinations, it can be affirmed that: Applying technology to develop Hanoi tourism is an inevitable trend, not losing traditional values but on the contrary, increasing the depth of experience and improving accessibility to heritage.

With the determination of the government and the support of businesses and the community, Hanoi has enough potential to realize the goal of becoming one of the leading smart and sustainable tourism centers in the region, where heritage is preserved, honored and promoted in the new context.

According to VNA

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/doi-moi-dien-mao-du-lich-bang-cong-nghe-hien-dai-va-di-san-a460855.html