Users will share their travelling experiences and get a bonus thanks to new social network, Astra. Photo courtesy of Astra
HÀ NỘI — A newly-launched social network is expected to boost the Vietnamese tourism industry by promising benefits for anyone interested in travel.
Astra, which was officially introduced to the public on Saturday in Hà Nội, offers users a bonus for reviewing, liking, sharing and commenting on places and travel services they've used, according to co-founder Nguyễn Tiệp.
“Tourist attractions and services will be introduced via the network. Astra will serve as a bridge between travellers and service providers with the aim of offering the best experiences for tourists,” said Tiệp.
“Astra uses blockchain technology and smart contracts to make payouts. Users are each given a unique wallet address and a personal key. The system will calculate the reward level corresponding to the quality of users' articles, and the payment will automatically go into the user's electronic wallet.”
The idea for Astra was presented on the Shark Tank Việt Nam reality show and received investment of US$1 billion from Shark Phạm Thanh Hưng, CEO of CEN Group.
“Việt Nam has a huge potential in tourism, however, we haven’t exploited our advantages in comparison with neighbouring countries which have similar natural conditions and resources,” said investor Hưng.
“We believe that Astra will help promote the image of Việt Nam to the world and attract more international tourists to Việt Nam.”
Nguyễn Tiến Đạt, CEO of AZA Travel Company, who has 20 years’ experience in the tourism field, agreed and highly appreciated the initiative behind the social network.
“I am so happy to be among the first users of Astra. It has a friendly and attractive interface using Vietnamese and English,” said Đạt.
“It’s clear to see that the new social network is dedicated to travellers and destinations. With the special feature of redemption, it will encourage users to write more and share more. In this way, people will talk more about tourism.” VNS
Shark Phạm Thanh Hưng introduced the special features of Astra at the launching ceremony on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Astra