Hanoi: Changing the face of tourism with modern technology and heritage

The application of modern technology to exploit, preserve and promote heritage values ​​is becoming the "key" for the Capital to break through and shape the image of a smart and sustainable tourist city.

In the context of the world witnessing strong changes of the fourth industrial revolution and the trend of sustainable development, Vietnamese tourism in general and Hanoi tourism in particular are facing the need for comprehensive innovation.

Not only playing the role of the political and cultural center of the 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 and shape 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 appeal 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 selling electronic tickets is one of the key solutions, bringing "double benefits" by supporting green transformation by reducing paper use, optimizing resources, and improving the tourist experience through the ability to book tickets online, control customer flow and instant interaction.

The goal by 2030 is that 80-90% of destinations in Hanoi will apply e-ticket sales and online booking/schedules. 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, and increase the civilized and convenient experience for tourists.

Hai Ba Trung Ward has deployed a pilot model of applying information technology 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.

The first time visiting Lien Phai Pagoda, Mr. Nguyen Minh Thang (Cau Giay Ward) said that by simply using a smartphone, people and tourists from all over the world can scan the QR code to get information and images about 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 tours allow viewers to use smart devices to learn, creating the attraction of 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

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 Scientific and Cultural Activities of the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam has proactively transformed digitally and applied technology in conservation and tourist services.

The experiential journey at the Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam is divided into five areas, each area recreating a part of the learning and examination process of ancient scholars. From "Registration" to "Respect for the Way", participants will have the opportunity to transform into ancient scholars and experience interesting challenges. (Photo: Minh Son/Vietnam+)

Since 2023, this monument 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, easily causing disruption to the electronic ticket system when the connection is lost.

The application of electronic ticketing is more suitable for group travelers, while individual travelers 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 travelers and especially tickets that do not have commemorative value.

The operating staff needs to be trained regularly to handle incidents and ensure continuous system operation, 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.

3D Mapping light show on Turtle Tower combined with water curtain system. (Photo: Khanh Hoa/ VNA)

The city has increased multilingual guidance and communication, deployed ticket sales applications via fanpages, websites or mobile apps; trained specialized staff, and developed periodic maintenance procedures 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 its 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 a breakthrough.

The digitization of heritage is not only limited to storage and preservation, 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 the position of Hanoi 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./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/ha-noi-doi-moi-dien-mao-du-lich-bang-cong-nghe-hien-dai-va-di-san-post1060015.vnp