Islets in Cat Ba archipelago, a tourist attraction off the coast of Hai Phong city (Photo: VNA)
Hai Phong (VNA) – The northern port city of Hai Phong is looking to take advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) to create a breakthrough for tourism.
Speaking at a recent workshop on the application of Industry 4.0 in tourism development jointly held by the municipal Department of Tourism and the Department of Science and Technology, Tran Duy Hao, founder and CEO of Star Global JSC, said that Hai Phong is a "diamond mine" in terms of culture and tourism.
The application of information technology in the management and display of artifacts, the supply of information for visitors and researchers, and the creation of a digital database of artifacts in three-dimensional form will contribute to preserving and restoring artifacts towards the formation and development of smart tourism and digital museums, thus promoting the value of Hai Phong’s tourism industry.
About the city’s strengths, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Duong Duc Hung said that Hai Phong has two outstanding marine tourism resources - the Cat Ba archipelago and Do Son beach.
With 367 islands, more than 300 beaches, and a diverse, rich ecosystem, Cat Ba archipelago in Cat Hai district is an attractive destination to both domestic and foreign tourists all year round.
The amazing landscapes are characterised by limestone cliffs, coral reefs, lagoons, beaches, and mangrove forests. In 2004 UNESCO recognised the archipelago as a World Biosphere Reserve.
Cat Ba has been included on the bucket list of many nature-lovers who wish to explore its variety of natural ecosystems. Particularly, Cat Ba National Park has 4,500 hectares of primeval forests, providing habitat for many rare flora and fauna species as well as animals that have been listed in the Red Book of Vietnam such as langurs and black squirrels.
Meanwhile, Do Son is considered one of the oldest tourism sites in the northern region. Recently, with the development of the Doi Rong and Hon Dau tourism sites, tourism in Do Son is gradually growing.
In addition, in 2022, Food Tour Hai Phong has become one of the key words most searched by young tourists.
Hung said the city will carry out a smart tourism development project to put into operation several apps to meet the needs of tourists.
On September 6, the northern port city debuted the “Hai Phong City Tour” digital map, an online tourism platform, and a tourism promotion campaign on TikTok.
Nguyen Thi Thuong Huyen, Director of the municipal Tourism Department, said at the launch ceremony the department has promoted local destinations on websites, including dulichhaiphong.gov.vn and sodulich.haiphong.gov.vn, along with social networks like Facebook and Youtube.
“Hai Phong City Tour” is based on the Google map and features a modern and professional design to provide convenient and effective support for visitors.
Tourists can access this digital map at haiphongcitytour.vn to search information about their desired restaurants, check-in locations, and hotels. The map also shows visitors’ reviews of local places.
Meanwhile, the online tourism platform can be accessed via the website dulichhaiphong.gov.vn or the Traveloka app.
It provides multiple useful information about Hai Phong, reputable accommodation facilities, experiences, and recommendations, while also assisting users to book services, according to Director of Traveloka Vietnam Huynh Thi Mai Thy.
From September 20 to November 20, the tourism promotion campaign #HelloHaiPhong will feature on TikTok to encourage users to create short video clips about the city’s landscapes, culture and cuisine.
This drive aims to attract 1,000 clips and 150 million views to inspire people’s interest in local tourism.
On this occasion, the department launched its official TikTok channel, Haiphongtourismofficial to step up tourism promotions on digital platforms./.