In the context of the Culture, Sports, and Tourism sectors accelerating digital transformation in line with directives from the Government and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, many localities have proactively applied technology to manage, conserve, and promote cultural and heritage values. As the only locality in Vietnam owning and co-owning 8 UNESCO-inscribed heritage titles, alongside a rich system of historical relics, festivals, museums, and tourism resources, Hue is step-by-step building a digital database foundation to serve cultural and tourism development in the new era.
Realistic Milestones in Digital Application
With its outstanding heritage network, festivals, and tourism resources, Hue is one of the localities with a powerful demand for digital transformation. Moving far beyond mere data digitization, numerous technological applications have been deployed to bring cultural values closer to the public, while supporting management agencies in innovating their operational methods.
In recent years, various technological application models have been put into practice, including:
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Digitizing national treasures and museum artifacts using NFC technology and QR codes.
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Developing online sightseeing spaces and Virtual Reality (VR) experiences at relic sites and museums.
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Building specialized databases for the management of heritage, festivals, and tourism.
These results indicate that technology is increasingly present in cultural and tourism activities, contributing to bringing Hue's cultural values closer to residents and travelers.
During this process, multiple solutions co-developed by the Hue Center for Information Technology (HueCIT) have been put into operation across the city’s cultural and tourism management agencies, yielding concrete results in both heritage conservation and smart tourism development.
Modernizing Heritage Management at the Hue Citadel
Accompanying the Hue Monuments Conservation Center (HMCC) on its heritage digital transformation journey, HueCIT has developed and operated the Hue Monuments App, the E-ticketing System for Monument Sightseeing, and the official Web Portal. These solutions contribute to modernizing the management, conservation, and promotion of heritage values in the digital environment.
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The Hue Monuments App: Assists tourists in looking up information, exploring sightseeing spots, and experiencing their journey through the Hue Imperial City (Dai Noi) more conveniently via integrated digital utilities on mobile devices.
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The E-ticketing System: Contributes to transparent management, control, and statistical data tracking of visitors, while offering numerous conveniences for tourists during ticket purchasing and service utilization.
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The Web Portal: Serves as the official information channel for communication, marketing, and introducing the values of the Complex of Hue Monuments to the community and tourists.
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Implementing the E-ticketing System at the Complex of Hue Monuments.
These solutions not only elevate the sightseeing experience and convenience for tourists but also commercialize and transparentize management activities, forming a digital data source dedicated to the conservation of the Complex of Hue Monuments. Thanks to the efficiency of these applications, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center was honored with the Vietnam Digital Awards in 2024 for its digital technology application in conserving and promoting Hue's cultural heritage values.
The Hue Monuments Conservation Center proudly receives the 2024 Vietnam Digital Award for its Digital Technology Application in Conserving and Promoting Hue's Cultural and Heritage Values.
Smart Tourism and the Digital Festival Database
In the tourism sector, HueCIT collaborated with the city’s tourism authorities to construct and refine the Tourism Database System—a centralized platform dedicated to state management and tourism development. The system currently aggregates data regarding destinations, accommodation establishments, enterprises, products, and travel services across the province, creating a unified data source for administration, statistics, promotion, and sectoral growth.
From this database foundation, the Hue Tourism Passport App was developed to enhance connection with tourists through digital experiences and destination marketing online. The app allows for personalized itineraries, suggests destinations matching individual traveler preferences, and encourages the exploration of Hue through check-in activities and collecting digital stamps.
The launching event of the Hue Tourism Passport App to serve visitors arriving in Hue.
In the cultural sector, HueCIT partnered with the Department of Culture and Sports to build the Hue City Festival Database System, contributing to the formation of the city's largest-ever digital repository on festivals. Currently, the system stores and manages data for 520 ongoing festivals in Hue City, including 472 traditional festivals, 23 cultural festivals, 20 trade/craft festivals, and 5 festivals with foreign elements.
The solution was built on a multi-platform model, including:
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Festival management software for state administration.
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A cross-platform integrated mobile application.
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A web portal showcasing typical festivals layered on a GIS digital map.
The system enables intuitive look-ups of information, images, videos, schedules, and festival locations, while supporting centralized data storage, updates, and extraction to serve local cultural preservation and promotion.
Expanding Access via VR360 Technology
Additionally, HueCIT has deployed the digitization of multiple destinations, monuments, and cultural spaces utilizing VR360 technology. This grants residents and tourists an alternative, innovative way to access Hue's landmark locations right within an online environment.
Digitizing destination, monument, and cultural space data using VR360 technology, contributing to expanding access to Hue's heritage and culture in the digital space.
As the sole locality in Vietnam owning and co-owning 8 UNESCO-inscribed heritage titles, Hue is demonstrating how technology can effectively support conservation, management, and cultural value promotion in the modern era. From specialized database platforms to applications serving the public, concrete practical results have taken shape. These achievements offer valuable reference experience for other localities seeking answers to the digital transformation puzzle in culture and tourism.