The Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) or the development of information technology (IT) is considered one of the tailwinds that can help Vietnam's tourism industry take a leading position in the region.
This is the viewpoint of Chief of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT)'s Office Vu Quoc Tri on the sidelines of the seminar themed “Application of digital technology solutions for smart tourism approaching the Fourth Industrial Revolution” held by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and MobiFone held on August 29.
 

The seminar themed “Application of digital technology solutions for smart tourism approaching the Fourth Industrial Revolution”. Photo: Ha Phuong

According to Vu Quoc Tri, Vietnam can only achieve the leading position of tourism in Southeast Asia when the smoke-free industry knows how to tap into the advantages of IT. However, besides the advantages, the tourism industry also faced many challenges during the Fourth Industrial Revolution which are IT engineers and policies needed to encourage technology application in the tourism industry.
Speaking at the seminar, General Secretary of the VCCI Nguyen Quang Vinh stressed the necessarity of Vietnamese travel companies applying IT solutions to develop in a sustainable way and improve competitiveness.
According to a report by VNAT, in 2017, the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam acquiring information on the destination via Internet accounted for 71%. In addition, the number of international travelers booking and buying online services for the trip to Vietnam accounted for 64%.
Meanwhile, about 100% of Vietnamese travel companies use website to advertise their products, but only 50% of domestic companies apply online sales and payment. In addition, Vietnamese companies currently own about 10 online tourism exchange, taking a 20% market share, while foreign firms take the rest.
“To make use of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the tourism industry needs to improve its competitiveness based on appropriate strategic programs and, on that basis, to apply information technology to improve efficiency and create a smart tourism ecosystem,” said Vu Quoc Tri.
During the seminar, representatives of nearly 100 travel companies in Vietnam discussed issues related to Vietnam's tourism as well as the need of developing a number of technology-based products, building digital solutions to support the development of smart tourism in Vietnam.