With just a smartphone, visitors’ journeys exploring Cô Tô Special Zone are now much more convenient. Digital utilities not only make it easier to find information, use services and visit attractions, but are also gradually changing how local people conduct tourism, helping create further momentum for building sustainable model new rural areas in this forward island region.
From visitors’ experiences...
As soon as he arrived at the pier, Phạm Ngọc Sơn and his friends from Hanoi connected to Coto Free Wi-Fi and accessed the Amazing Cô Tô platform to look up information about accommodation, attractions and dining addresses favored by many visitors. With just their smartphones in hand, the group quickly planned their island exploration itinerary.
“Before the trip, I thought visiting the island might still be quite inconvenient, but it was completely different when we arrived. Information about attractions and services was easy to find, so the whole group could be more proactive throughout the trip—we simply had to enjoy and explore,” Phạm Ngọc Sơn shared.
Phạm Ngọc Sơn and his friends capture a moment at Tùy Duyên Road – Hòn Cá Chép during their journey exploring Cô Tô.
To enhance visitors’ experiences, Cô Tô Special Zone is gradually developing a digital tourism ecosystem. A notable component is the Amazing Cô Tô platform, which integrates maps, service information, attractions and suggested itineraries, along with a multilingual QR code system at numerous tourist sites. The President Hồ Chí Minh Memorial Site has been digitized using VR360 technology, while the Coto Free Wi-Fi system is being deployed at public areas and key tourist sites across the island. By connecting to free Wi-Fi, visitors can access the digital tourism portal to look up maps, boat schedules, accommodation facilities, restaurants, attractions, a support hotline and many other utilities directly on their smartphones. These applications make island exploration more proactive and convenient, while also creating a distinctive impression for the destination—something many visitors appreciate.
“I used Amazing Cô Tô to look up information about the attractions in advance, so I was fairly proactive when planning my itinerary. I didn’t have to spend time searching across different sources, which made the trip more convenient,” said Trần Thanh Huyền (Hanoi).
It is not only first-time visitors to the island who have noticed the changes; many returning visitors have also clearly felt the destination’s transformation.
“On this return visit, I found that Cô Tô had changed a lot compared with before. Booking a hotel, buying boat tickets and making payments were all convenient, so the trip was more comfortable. I will definitely come back and recommend this island to my friends,” Lê Thị Thanh Huyền (Hanoi) shared.
Visitors enjoy kayaking at Hồng Vàn Beach.
Local people benefit, giving sustainable new rural development greater vitality
Digital utilities not only provide visitors with a more convenient experience but also gradually create momentum for tourism operators to adapt to new trends. As one of the local accommodation businesses, Phạm Hoài Sơn, owner of Cô Tô Plaza Hotel, believes that the development of digital platforms is opening up more opportunities for accommodation establishments and services on the island to reach visitors.
“Nowadays, guests often check Google Maps, groups and review sites before booking a room. Thanks to digital platforms, more people are learning about Cô Tô,” Sơn shared.
It is not only accommodation establishments that are becoming more widely known in the digital environment; many restaurants, transport services, specialty shops and OCOP products are also gaining broader exposure. The images, videos and posts shared by visitors themselves after each trip have become effective promotional channels, helping spread the image of Cô Tô to large numbers of visitors.
Cô Tô provides Wi-Fi coverage in the square area of the Special National Relic Site of President Hồ Chí Minh, making it easier for visitors to connect and look up tourism information.
These changes in tourism practices not only motivate businesses to invest in facilities, improve service quality and build their reputation, but also help create a more professional and civilized tourism environment.
“Guests now proactively research information before arriving, so we also have to invest more in facilities and service quality. When guests are satisfied, they return and recommend us to their friends, which makes the business more stable and our income better than before,” – said Nguyễn Văn Đoàn, owner of Đoàn Huyền Homestay.
That is also the value digital tourism brings to the process of building sustainable new rural areas in Cô Tô Special Zone. From the smartphones in visitors’ hands to local people’s proactive investment in innovation, digital technology applications not only make journeys exploring Cô Tô more convenient, but also help spread the image of the sea and islands, create additional livelihoods, and maintain and improve the quality of new rural development criteria toward a modern, civilized and sustainable future.
