To boost digital technology application in tourism dissemination

Tourism propaganda and promotion play an important role in promoting tourism development, contributing to the province's overall economic growth. To carry out this task, the Provincial Tourism Promotion Center has, in many ways, applied digital technology to promote tourism, contributing to bringing tourism information closer to more people and attracting more tourists to Binh Duong.

Visitors visit the tourism booth organized by the provincial Tourism Promotion Center and are instructed to download the smart tourism app, scan the QR code to find out about Binh Duong tourism information.

Diverse application forms

Talking to us, Pham Hong Thi, Deputy Director of the provincial Tourism Promotion Center, said that since 2015, the provincial Tourism Promotion Center has applied information technology to information activities and promote tourism. The first is the construction and launch of the dulichbinhduong.org.vn to promptly inform local tourism activities to residents and tourists. Next, the center integrates tourism information through QR codes on all tourism information publications, tourism gift products as well as a system of standees, hoardings, and signs. Tour guides are located in tourist areas and destinations. These activities have helped tourists easily use smart mobile devices to access tourism information.

In addition to the above activities, in recent times, the center has also used LED screen systems, electronic boards, and touch computers to serve the tourist information needs of visitors at the unit's headquarters, as well as through tourism events inside and outside the province. Most recently, the provincial Tourism Promotion Center also coordinated with relevant units to digitize 3,600 nearly 50 tourist areas and attractions, integrating them onto the website and linking with the province's digital Binh Duong application to serve the information needs of residents and visitors.

It can be seen that the application of tourism digitalization has created conditions, helping people and tourists easily access information and have interesting experiences with intuitive, vivid images on platforms that center on tourism has done. “Recently, we have also promoted information, images, videos, and livestreams about Binh Duong tourism through applications such as YouTube, Zalo, Facebook. Especially, in 2022, Binh Duong tourism has launched Smart travel application. With many features and utilities, the travel app has provided a variety of travel information to domestic and foreign users, thereby, attracting more tourists to Binh Duong," said Pham Hong Thi.

Effects brought about

Talking about the application of digital technology in the tourism industry today, Mr. Pham Hong Thi said that this is an inevitable requirement in the process of integration and development, not only increasing utilities for tourists and managers. but also improve competitiveness with other domestic and foreign tourism markets. Digital transformation also allows tourism businesses to create new products and services, meeting the demanding and diverse needs of the market and tourists.

In recent years, the outstanding development of information technology, especially the internet, along with the policy of digital transformation from central to local levels, especially in the field of tourism, has solved these problems related to management, information, and tourism promotion in the most basic and clearest way than before. It has a short time to reach tourists and a wide access space, high efficiency and low cost. Thereon, the application of information technology and digital transformation opens up tourism management units and businesses the opportunity to exploit a new form of marketing or build new effective tourism products with high efficiency and affordability.

Pham Hong Thi said: "The application of information technology, especially in the context of the 4^th industrial revolution in the tourism sector, is a prerequisite for success. With the rise of mobile devices, social networks, online booking and new payment methods, technology has penetrated the travel industry more deeply than ever before. Some technologies enhance the experience for both tourism businesses and tourists. This will improve services and provide a seamless travel experience, allowing tourism organizations to enhance their competitiveness in the modern evolving environment.”

According to Pham Hong Thi's assessment, the application of digital platforms in tourism information and promotion work of the provincial Tourism Promotion Center has supported units to connect, share and disseminate tourism information easily, quickly, effectively and cost-effectively. Furthermore, the application of digital technology in its work has helped the unit diversify the forms and content of information and tourism promotion to tourists.

In particular, during the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the application of information technology has actively contributed to promoting information being deployed continuously, without interruption, and tourism promotion work is increasing day by day further to more domestic and foreign tourist markets, especially bringing many options to access, experience and attract more and more tourists to Binh Duong.

Contact information: Binh Duong provincial Tourism Promotion Center, address: No. 239 Thich Quang Duc, Chanh Nghia Ward, Thu Dau Mot City, Binh Duong Province. Phone: (0274) 3855.636. Website: dulichbinhduong.org.vn. Email: ttxtdl@binhduong.gov.vn

Reported Hong Thuan – Translated by Vi Bao