At a briefing on Friday, Huong Son Commune authorities said the festival will adopt e tickets, online sales, QR code access control, AI cameras and a central operations centre to monitor flows and analyse hourly visitor data. Information will be disseminated through traditional and digital platforms.
Service vehicles with yellow plates and buses with 10 seats or more will be exempt from parking charges during the festival. A rapid response team will handle enquiries via a 24 hour hotline.
Tran Duc Hai, Party Secretary and Chairman of Huong Son Commune, said the locality aims to develop Huong Pagoda tourism year round rather than concentrating visits in the first three months.
He said renaming the event the Huong Pagoda tourism festival reflects a more professional approach, alongside continued investment in upgrading secondary routes to improve services.
With peak visitor numbers reaching 45,000 to 50,000, authorities see technology as a key solution to easing staff shortages at the site.
All interpretive content at 20 locations will be standardised and digitised, with multilingual audio guides in English and French, as well as 2D and 3D promotional videos.
Improved management is expected to support a bid for national tourism area status in 2026, with a longer term goal of Unesco World Heritage recognition by 2030.
The festival runs from February 18 to May 11, with the opening ceremony on February 22, across the special national monument complex, covering four main routes and about 20 temples and caves.
