Promoting tourism and enhancing visitor experiences in digital space

Dong Nai’s tourism sector is accelerating solutions for promotion and communication based on scientific and technological applications, aiming to build a smart tourism ecosystem that both enhances visitor experiences and develops tourism in the digital space.

Foreign visitors explore Dong Nai tourism at the 2025 Ho Chi Minh City International Travel Expo. Photo: Ngoc Lien

Currently, several destinations such as Nhon Trach Tunnels, the Provincial Museum, Tran Bien Temple of Literature, and Cat Tien National Park have integrated QR codes to provide information and visitor guidance. Virtual Reality (VR) 360 Tour models have also been developed, allowing visitors to explore destinations remotely before visiting the destinations in person.

Multi-experience tourism products

Having experienced a VR360 tour at a provincial tourism event, followed by an in-person visit to the Nhon Trach Tunnels (Phuoc An commune), Tran Thi Thanh (from Tran Bien ward) expressed her excitement at experiencing the same destination through two different formats. She shared that after exploring the tunnels through VR technology at a provincial tourism event, she and her friends decided to visit Nhon Trach Tunnels in person. Thanks to her prior exposure via the device, she already had basic knowledge and could act as a “tour guide” for her group.

Sharing the interesting experiences of visiting the same destination through different channels, Thanh said the virtual tour offered vivid visuals and useful information when she “visited” the tunnels via a digital device. However, the on-site visit provided a deeper experience, from the surrounding landscape to more detailed insights, including walking through the tunnels and hearing stories about past struggles against foreign invaders. “If I hadn’t experienced it through technology first, I would never have known about the Nhon Trach Tunnels or had the chance to visit and better understand the country’s history. I hope virtual tourism technology will become more widely accessible so more people can discover destinations they might otherwise never encounter, as I once did," she said.

Representing the unit responsible for developing VR tourism products to serve visitors and residents at the province’s cultural and tourism events in recent years, Tran Thi Thu Trang, Deputy Director of the Provincial Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion, said that strengthening tourism promotion through destination branding and digital applications not only improves competitiveness but also helps better leverage the province’s tourism potential and advantages. Next time,  the center will continue to expand and update more destinations while developing a smart tourism ecosystem on digital platforms to promote Dong Nai’s image and people to both domestic and international audiences.

Dong Nai currently has 28 tourist sites and attractions in operation, offering diverse products, such as sightseeing, entertainment, ecotourism, sports, spiritual tourism, and cultural tourism. In the first quarter of 2026, the province welcomed over 1.5 million visitors to its tourist sites for sightseeing, leisure, and recreation.

Building a smart tourism ecosystem

As tourism increasingly affirms its role as a key integrated economic sector, modernizing tourism promotion in a more professional and strategic manner - linked to destination branding and the application of digital technologies - has become an inevitable trend. This is also a crucial solution to enhance promotional effectiveness, improve accessibility for visitors, and strengthen the competitiveness of local tourism.

Tran Thi Thu Trang said that developing a smart tourism platform is one of the key solutions, as it can integrate functions for management, promotion, and visitor support. The platform includes components such as a smart tourism portal, a digital tourism map, a destination database, a mobile application for visitors, and a system for feedback and service evaluation.

Trang emphasized that through this platform, visitors can easily access information on attractions, accommodation, restaurants, tourism products, and ongoing cultural-tourism events. It also enables authorities to monitor visitor flows, manage destinations, and improve the effectiveness of tourism promotion.

Providing direction for the province’s communication, promotion, and tourism development efforts in the coming period, at the scientific seminar on Orienting Dong Nai Tourism Development in the New Context, Le Truong Son, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, emphasized that the tourism sector must consistently pursue green transition and digital transformation as its two key pillars of development. According to the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, Dong Nai’s tourism must develop sustainably on the foundation of nature conservation, particularly forest ecosystems in Cat Tien, Bu Gia Map, the Dong Nai Nature and Culture Reserve, and the system of protection forests across the province. At the same time, strong application of technology is required to enable smart management and destination promotion, providing visitors with maximum convenience in the digital era.

By Ngoc Lien – Translated by Minh Hong, Thu Ha