Developing dynamic and professional tourism human resources

Tour guide Dinh Hai Duong rowed a boat to take tourists to experience Cau Duc pineapple field, in the journey to connect Can Tho - Hau Giang river tourism products. Photo: KIEU MAI

Mr. Dinh Hai Duong, a tour guide collaborating with BenThanh Tourist, said: “Tour guides have direct contact with tourists, who come from many different ages and professions. Therefore, it is necessary to equip them with a lot of knowledge and skills because tour guides are also representatives connecting and introducing regional cultures. During my 5-year career, I have constantly learned and improved my knowledge and skills to improve myself.”

Dinh Hai Duong is also the winner of the first prize at the 1st Mekong Delta Tour Guide Competition - 2025. At the competition, he excelled in both knowledge and skills. In many tours he led, tourists were shared with in-depth knowledge about the culture of the Mekong Delta. Hai Duong shared: “In addition to professionalism and explanation, emotional factors are also very important in the tour itinerary and connecting tourists. Tour guides must be able to evoke the emotions and connections of tourists with the destination. For example, the culture of the Mekong Delta has its own characteristics of traditional music, if the tour guide has in-depth knowledge, or can sing some songs, sharing this with tourists from the Central and Northern regions is also an advantage”. Hai Duong himself can sing traditional songs, entertain with bingo... showing the dynamic and adaptability of tour guides when connecting tourists.

Meanwhile, Ho Dang Gia Bao, an international tour guide of Saigontourist , shared: “For international tour guides, the important factors are foreign language and knowledge. Tour guides at this time need to be aware that they are playing the role of a representative of their homeland to connect with international guests. In addition, situation handling skills are very important. International guests are completely unfamiliar with Vietnamese culture, climate, and cuisine, so the tour guide's job is to grasp quickly and have skillful and appropriate handling methods.” Gia Bao shared the reality that, when leading international tours in the Mekong Delta, the problem often encountered is the cuisine. Foreign guests often only eat enough, while people in the West are generous and have the mentality that if they serve just enough, guests will not be comfortable enjoying it, so they often prepare many dishes and fill them up. In this situation, the tour guide must handle it delicately so that the guests and the destination owner understand each other and understand each other's culture. Gia Bao said: "The tour guide must always be open-minded, learning knowledge and skills to adapt to many situations."

Not only tour guides, but many other human resources in the tourism industry also constantly practice skills to do their jobs well. Such as the job of cheerleader for team building programs at tourist attractions, leading tours. Tour guide, cheerleader Lam Thach Sanh at Cantho Eco Resort, shared: "I have been in this profession for 5 years. This profession requires speaking skills, skillful connection with tourists, especially having inner strength, rich energy, good health because I have to work continuously, contact with many people. When working, I always improve my knowledge and skills because customers always need innovative and creative programs. I myself have to always learn to make attractive programs." Similarly, young people in charge of workshops also learn many skills. Ms. Nguyen Kha Tran, in charge of pottery workshop at Cantho Eco Resort, said: "When guiding a workshop, I must have knowledge about the activity being done, because I have to share and guide customers to practice." Sharing the same opinion, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Doan, who is in charge of workshops at Mekong Silt Ecolodge, said: “I must have knowledge of local culture to be able to share with tourists what I am doing. Here, we interact with a variety of guests from many countries and to create suitable workshop programs, we learn, research and build products and experiences accordingly. If we make sustainable tourism products, we will take systematic training courses from experts, test them in practice and then bring them to visitors to experience.” Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Quyen, an electric car driver at My Khanh Tourist Village, said: “I often participate in training courses on tourism. Through studying and training, I will gain more knowledge and skills, such as how to welcome and greet guests to create a good impression.”

It can be seen that the human resources in the tourism industry in Can Tho today are always studying and improving their knowledge and skills to meet the job requirements. Their dynamic adaptation not only demonstrates their professionalism but also contributes to improving the quality of the city's tourism human resources.

In the tourism human resource development orientation of Can Tho City, by 2030, it will attract about 12,000 direct workers in the tourism industry, of which the proportion of workers who have been trained, professionally, professionally, and in foreign languages will reach 80%. In the period of 2022-2024, the city has organized 35 training courses for 1,500 workers in the tourism industry. On average, each year there are about 10-12 tourism training courses from state support funds and socialized sources, training for a variety of subjects: tour guides, restaurant staff, hotels, garden spots, drivers, cruise ship drivers... In 2025 alone, since the beginning of the year, the city's tourism industry has organized many training courses for more than 100 tour guides, hotel staff, restaurants...; At the same time, many career competitions are organized to create useful playgrounds, practice skills, and gradually contribute to improving the quality of local tourism human resources.

AI LAM

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/phat-trien-nguon-nhan-luc-du-lich-nang-dong-va-chuyen-nghiep-a187910.html