Though this is the first time Huynh Hoang Thien Tai, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City has come to Da Lat, his trip went smoothly as he could have wanted. It was because he accessed up-to-date information on accommodation, catering, and tourist attractions using the Dalat City App. He said: “The app provides information for many things including cuisine, tourist attractions, as well as on-going and upcoming events in Da Lat. It saves me lots of time as I can check over everything for the trip ahead of time. Other provinces should develop an app like this so that mobile users can have a reliable source to avoid being taken advantage of.”

Chau Gia Bao, a tourist from Dong Nai province also found the app useful. He could check the service prices, the transportation, and the distances between locations beforehand. Thus, Bao made his own 3-day itinerary. He said: “The app is a mine of reliable information on accommodations and restaurants in Da Lat. It’s very convenient as I can search for everything I need in the app. I believe young  travelers will love it!”

Dalat City app is available for all mobile phones using Android or IOS. It was developed by Da Lat city and Lam Dong province to make Da Lat a smart tourism city. After downloading the app from App Store or Google Play, you can check all the information about the location and prices of hotels, shopping centers, entertainment hubs, promotions, health centers, police stations, transportation services, gas stations, and public toilets. 

The app helps not only tourists but also local enterprises. They can advertise their tourism products for free. Representative of Da Lat Plaza Nguyen Thanh Giang said: “The app is great! We can advertise much more efficiently. More tourists can learn about the services we provide.”

Deputy director of Lam Dong province’s Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngọc said the app provides a hotline and feedback section allowing customers to comment on the service, prices, and report incidents to the authorities. Ms. Ngoc said: “Using the app, tourists can book tickets and rooms in advance. They can check the types of rooms hotels have, their prices, and their locations. Users can also search for information about various tourist sites. The app gives instructions for them to make an itinerary for their trip  themselves.