THE DAVAO Tourism Association (DATA), in partnership with a Japanese tech developer, officially launched the Digital Davao Tourist Passport app on Thursday, Aug. 13, at SM City Davao Annex.
First introduced in physical book form in November 2025, the passport initiative has been transformed into a mobile application under Smart JAMP (Smart City supported by Japan ASEAN Mutual Partnership).
The software was developed by Japanese tech firm Scheme Verge using its flagship platform, Horai.
Tatsuki Yamanami, CEO of Scheme Verge, said the product name ‘Horai’ derives from ‘hour’ and ‘AI’ which means time and AI.
“By using digital technology, I want to increase the movement of tourists. Many tourists spend a lot of time in transportation or just waiting. I want to change the time spent by tourists from spending just waiting for transport to spending on their joy, or their experience, or their excitement,” Yamanami said.
The soft launching on Thursday offered discounts through digital coupons that users can present at participating establishments in Davao to receive special offers.
He said the digital shift offers a low-cost, scalable solution for local businesses as participating establishments only need to display a printed QR code for visitors to scan via their smartphones, eliminating the need for expensive hardware or devices.
DATA representative Rudolph Alama said the digital app currently features 47 local establishments, with more participating businesses expected to onboard following the soft launch. Full rollout is expected before the year ends.
“Our initial plan is to promote the establishments, and with the entry of the digital passport, it elevates, levels up with so many features,” Alama said.
Beyond merchant discounts and digital coupons, the app’s long-term vision centers on collecting tourist movement and foot-traffic data to help optimize urban planning, mobility, and future transport initiatives.
Developers plan to share these insights with the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Davao City and DATA to help optimize urban planning, mobility, and future transport initiatives, such as the upcoming Davao Bus Project supported by the Asian Development Bank.
“As the future plan, we are going to collaborate with such transport projects, and after that, we will realize the data-driven decision concerning transportation or placemaking or urban planning,” he said.
Future updates will also include an AI-powered itinerary builder that will automatically optimize multi-stop travel routes for tourists exploring Davao.
The app is available for free download on both Android (Google Play) and iOS (App Store) devices. The physical passport book remains valid for its initial one-year run alongside the digital version.
