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Earlier this year, Vietnam implemented QR codes to monitor individuals who frequently cross the Chi Ma border gate in the northern province of Lang Son. The project has been able to efficiently maintain order, security, and border gate activities.
As per the Chi Ma Border Guard Station, they have issued almost 1,000 cards with QR codes since 15 May. On an average daily basis, around 200-350 people use these cards to enter and exit the border gate.
Lieutenant Colonel Tran Quang Thuy, a technical officer at the Chi Ma Border Guard Station, stated that the entry/exit cards with the QR codes are linked to users’ personal information. This implementation aids border guards in efficiently verifying individuals and reduces congestion at checkpoint areas, ensuring smoother and more organised border crossings.
The QR cards are issued to Vietnamese citizens who regularly travel through the Chi Ma border gate, as well as to competent forces, logistics business employees, organisations, and individuals involved in import, export, or commercial activities. To streamline the process of issuing these QR cards, the Chi Ma Border Guard Station has set up a dedicated room with the necessary equipment and staff at Gate No. 2. This ensures the efficient facilitation and distribution of the QR cards.
At the border gate, cardholders are requested to present their QR cards for scanning, which only takes approximately one to two seconds. This scanning process is remarkably swift, 180 times faster than manually inputting the information into a computer system.
A representative of a logistics business expressed that the QR cards have facilitated effective staff and worker management, particularly in streamlining the process of loading and unloading goods. The use of QR codes has proven to be a time-saving measure, allowing logistics businesses to optimise their processes and enhance overall productivity.
In another attempt to digitise travel activities, the Tourism Information Technology Centre (TITC) under the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism introduced the Viet-Smart Travel Card. The card has been integrated into the “Vietnam Travel” application. By downloading the application, tourists not only gain access to the smart travel card but also unlock a comprehensive range of technological features. These include the ability to book airline tickets and hotels, purchase e-tickets, access tourist digital maps, and search for businesses that offer travel-related services.
Its objective is to introduce innovative features implemented during the digital transformation of the tourism sector to the community of tour operators and tour guides, thereby creating new prospects for tourism operations and businesses in the country.
As OpenGov Asia reported, the smart travel card is a part of the larger “Vietnamese Card – one national card” initiative led by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. It is designed to be seamlessly integrated into multiple fields, including tourism, healthcare, banking, trade, transportation, and education. Its incorporation into these sectors provides users with convenient one-touch and online payment capabilities.
The smart travel card will play a crucial role in streamlining the operations of tourism managers and fostering a culture of innovation in the application of digital technology to support the growth and advancement of the tourism sector.