– Hanoi is entering a phase of accelerating digital transformation in tourism , with the goal of building a smart, green and sustainable ecosystem. From government to businesses, from heritage destinations to modern resorts, every “digital piece” is being connected to make the capital become Asia’s creative tourism center.
Digital tourism associated with green and sustainable development
Thanks to the application platform and QR Code, tourists can easily access a huge database of destinations, services, history and culture of Hanoi . This is a step forward to fundamentally change the way tourism is promoted and experienced, towards greater personalization and interaction.
In particular, Hoan Kiem district is the pioneer in launching the "Hoan Kiem tourism app" and the e-book "Hoan Kiem district tourism guide". With just a QR code scan, visitors can freely explore the system of relics, craft streets, and culinary spaces of Hanoi's Old Quarter. The image of Hoan Kiem thus appears both ancient and modern, clearly demonstrating the spirit of "digitalization associated with conservation".
In parallel, the “Hanoi Cuisine App” launched in August 2024 helps users look up locations, menus, prices and suggestions for typical culinary experiences of the capital. This is a tool that directly connects sellers and tourists, contributing to spreading the value of Hanoi culinary culture in the digital environment.
In Ba Dinh district, where many heritage sites are concentrated such as Thang Long Imperial Citadel, One Pillar Pagoda, Presidential Palace or Quan Thanh Temple, etc., the local government has developed the website visitbadinh.com along with YouTube channels, TikTok, and fanpages to promote tourism images, creating a space to connect heritage, culture and people on digital platforms.
The Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam has implemented the sale of electronic tickets using QR codes for group visitors since 2023, helping to reduce congestion, save time and create a modern impression. After two years, the system has helped to improve financial transparency, increase revenue, and expand digital tourism products such as night tours and automatic guides, despite difficulties in network infrastructure.
On a city-wide scale, Hanoi has deployed the “Digital Capital Citizen” (iHanoi) platform with the “Tourism” section providing information on scenic spots, cuisine, parks, festivals and typical types of tourism. Although newly launched, this application shows strong integration capabilities, contributing to shaping a comprehensive digital tourism ecosystem for the capital. Along with that, the Hanoi digital tourism map system and the “Hanoi Tourism” application are being completed, aiming to unifiedly manage destination data, serve tourist flow forecasting, infrastructure coordination and policy planning.
According to Mr. Ha Van Sieu - Deputy Director of the National Tourism Administration, Hanoi has all the conditions to become the leading smart tourism center in the region, where heritage, culture, technology and innovation converge. The key factor is connecting three pillars: Technology, people and institutions.
Statistics show that in the first 9 months of 2025, Hanoi welcomed more than 26 million visitors, with revenue of nearly 100,000 billion VND, an increase of 24% over the same period last year, demonstrating the strong resilience of the capital's tourism industry. In addition to digital transformation, the city also develops tourism in clusters, routes, and regions, associated with green criteria and local identity. New products such as the "Five Doors" night cruise ship, the "South Thang Long Heritage Road" tour, city bike tours, or agricultural community tourism are contributing to creating the image of a dynamic, creative, and attractive Hanoi.
Breakthrough with digital thinking, connecting smart ecosystems
Developing smart tourism is a strategic step in the digital transformation process of the entire tourism industry in the capital. Mr. Nguyen Huu Viet - Deputy Director of the Center for Tourism Information and Promotion (Hanoi Department of Tourism) emphasized that each touch on the phone can open a new journey, each technology application can enrich the experience of tourists. Smart tourism is not only an inevitable trend, but also the key to improving competitiveness and affirming the image of Hanoi - a city with a thousand years of culture transforming in the digital age.
According to Mr. Viet, Hanoi has applied technology early in managing, promoting and connecting tourism products, but to form a comprehensive smart ecosystem, the city needs the cooperation of the government, businesses, technology partners and the community. Recently, on August 19-20, the Hanoi Department of Tourism organized a series of seminars with three topics on travel, accommodation and destinations to equip businesses with solutions to optimize management and business. This approach is considered an effort to connect the three parties: government, businesses and technology units, to form a common platform for Hanoi's smart tourism ecosystem.
Mr. Ha Van Sieu - Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism highly appreciated the direction of the Capital when taking digital transformation as a breakthrough, considering it a way to concretize the spirit of Resolution 57-NQ/TW of the Politburo on developing science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation. According to Mr. Sieu, for this process to be truly effective, the tourism industry needs to develop synchronously on three pillars: Technology, people and institutions.
Technology is the foundation, with the application of artificial intelligence (AI), big data and comprehensive digitalization of resources, destinations and tourism products. People are the center, as the tourism team needs to be trained to operate and exploit the digital environment. And institutions are the skeleton to ensure legal corridors, data transparency, prevent fake information, and protect a healthy business environment. "The success of digital transformation comes not only from technology, but also from the digital thinking capacity of tourism workers, from leaders to frontline staff," Mr. Sieu emphasized.
According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Viet, with the companionship of businesses and support from the State, Hanoi is not only a "Creative City" of UNESCO but also aims to become a smart, friendly and leading destination in Asia. Digital transformation in tourism is not simply the application of technology, but a journey to redefine the way of doing tourism to be more modern, more connected and more sustainable, so that the Capital can both preserve its heritage and spread its wings in the technological sky of the new era.
Source: Government Electronic Newspaper
Source: http://sodulich.hanoi.gov.vn/ha-noi-chuyen-minh-manh-me-trong-hanh-trinh-du-lich-so.html
Comment (0)