Game-based tourism means that through games, visitors have the opportunity to explore heritage sites in an interactive way, thus enhancing their knowledge and love for the heritage.
Attracting tourists through games is no longer a novel approach in many countries. In the Republic of Korea, the popular video game, "League of Legends," has been incorporated into the country's tourism promotion program by the Korean Tourism Organization.
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Tourists experience “Decoding Thang Long Imperial Citadel.” |
In Vietnam, travel companies have incorporated experiences, landscapes, people, and culture into a game and attracted visitors by turning tourist destinations into the settings for educational games. Some destinations in Hanoi have successfully applied this approach. Worth-mentioning programs are the “Decoding the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long" night tour and the amazing race in Hanoi's Old Quarter and Duong Lam Ancient Village.
The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long is not a new destination for many tourists, but experiencing its cultural heritage through a game is an interesting one. At the beginning of the "Decoding the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long" night tour, each visitor is given a decoding card with eight puzzles. During the tour, tourists will solve them by showing their historical knowledge about Dai La, the Ly, Tran, and Le dynasties.
If visitors remember signature artifacts of all historical periods and correctly mark them on the decoding card, they will receive rewards. Nguyen Tuan Nam, a participant from Thanh Xuan district, said that thanks to the tour, he had a deeper understanding about the well in the Tran Dynasty, phoenix head in the Ly Dynasty, and even the distinctive features of the bricks of different periods unearthed at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long.
Founder of An Phu Thang Long Company Nguyen Ba Tung evaluated that popularizing tourist destinations through games is changing the approach to tourism, especially to cultural and historical sites. He said that games-based tours will help visitors have better historical and cultural knowledge.
According to Tung, the value of a tour is not determined by how long the tour lasts, but by the experiences and enjoyment gained after each trip. The younger generation tends to seek interactive travel experiences, not just with their feet and eyes but by immersing themselves in the space, history, and culture of the destination using all their senses. When they understand the heritage and destination, their love for history, landscapes, and people will be enhanced.
Translated by Tran Hoai