IT for tourism needed

Hanoi Times - Application of IT into tourism has seen marked growth since 2007. But more needs to be done. Like hotels, travel firms are racing to develop o­nline services.

From hotels

In late July 2008, Saigon Sheraton teamed up with Microsoft by introducing its Link@Sheraton service to the hotel. With computers integrated with Microsoft Wifi technology, Ethernet and Webcam, Link@Sheraton allows its customers to chat, surf the web or work o­nline o­n a 6Mb band. 

Previously, Duxton Saigon, launched its blog: “Saigon’s Heart”. This blog provides customers information about the hotel, promotional campaigns and HCM City. 

Sheraton and Duxton are two of many hotels and resorts in Vietnam which have strongly invested in IT, mainly Internet service in hotels and o­nline room reservation software. 

Tim Russel, Business and Marketing Manager of Duxton Saigon, says IT enables the hotel to better serve its guests and benefit the hotel’s advertising and brand development.
Stuart Murphy, Managing Director of Life Resort Vietnam, said the upgrade of its IT system helped his company cut losses caused by last minute cancellations.

With annual investment of $20,000 in IT, Victoria Hotels & Resorts, which is managing five hotels and resorts in Vietnam and a hotel in Cambodia, said IT has significantly contributed to its success and marketing activities. 

Victoria Hotels & Resorts’ IT manager Alex Hysbergue said the firm is completing an o­nline room reservation network, which allows its guests to reserve rooms o­n www.victoriahotels.asia.

… to travel agents

Like hotels, travel firms are racing to develop o­nline services. Last year, Vietravel invested around VND4 billion ($250,000) o­n its IT projects. o­ne of them is to upgrade website www.travel.com.vn to sell tours o­nline. Travelers can find out the latest information o­n tours, promotional programs and tourist sites inside and outside Vietnam o­n their website. 

Tran Doan The Duy, Director of Vietravel’s E-tour Centre, said over the first 30 days, the website received 10,000 o­nline orders. After nearly 6 months, the website had roped in more than 400,000 visitors. 

Saigontourist is also very successful with o­nline services. The firm brought its website www.dulichkhuyenmai.com o­nline early last year. This website provides the latest promotional information for inbound and outbound tours and ticket bookings. Visitors can also ask for consultancy services for their tours within 24 hours.

Saigontourist currently has four websites o­n tourism, including www.dulichtet.com, www.dulichhe.com, www.dulichkhuyenmai.com, www.dulichthudong.com, which attract nearly 2 million visitors a year.

Websites which use E-tour technology are mushrooming, such as www.dulichvn.org.vn, www.hanoitourist-travel.com, www.vietnamtourist.com.vn, www.hotels84.com, www.webdulich.com.

Some hotels have access to o­nline tourism services via tourism portals like www.worldhotel-link.com, www.hotels.com.vn, etc.

Seeking solutions

Yet, tourism officials said IT applications in tourism are still nit being used enough. Apart from Vietravel and Saigontourist, which have o­nline tour selling services, others are struggling with capital and technology.

Fiditour’s website is big o­n content but poor o­n speed. Carnival Company’s website is well updated with tour information but many of its other functions are poor.

A common problem for the sites, including Vietravel and Saigontourist, is they don’t have English versions or they are poorly written. 

“At high-class hotels around the world, around 30% of rooms are reserved o­nline, while it is less than 5% in Vietnam,” said Tim Russell. 

In late July 2008, Thailand’s Comanche officially supplied tourism and hotel administration software via its distributor in Vietnam, DOT VN. Comanche’s solutions have been used in over 400 hotels in Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, China and Japan. 

Cooperation with firms like Comanche may be a solution for Vietnamese tourism firms to develop IT applications in their businesses. 

With annual revenue of more than $2 billion, and foreign visitor numbers to Vietnam o­n the up, tourism is a promising land for IT application.