Digital tourism solutions

PART of the new normal is the trend of going contactless or doing business digitally. A number of restaurants and shops have encouraged the use of mobile apps, bank cards, or giving the exact amount when making payments.

Since restaurants and shops are secondary parts of the tourism industry, a recently approved app by the Inter-Agency Task Force is SafePass, dubbed as “an all-digital, contact-free authorizing, scheduling, and contact tracing solution to help businesses operate safely in the new normal.”

The app aims to help offices, malls, groceries, restaurants, banks, and pharmacies to reopen safely. It will be given to DoTaccredited establishments for free.

SafePass provides scheduling and capacity management tools to better implement social distancing during their operating hours. There are also tools for guest reservations for a more comfortable experience. After making a reservation and disclosing health conditions, qualified customers will be given a QR code to be presented before entering an establishment.

Meanwhile, there is also an app solely for restaurants – Dine In.

In it, guests can look at the menu on their smartphones and make orders from their table or even before going to the restaurant. This would also be available for deliveries and pickups. Other than payment apps, Dine In can accept card payments when the customer takes a photo.

“We are doing this as a confidence building measure for people to travel slowly but surely,” stated Department of Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo- Puyat.