Son La builds tourism human resources to meet development requirements

Tourists visit the special national relic Son La Prison

Equipping knowledge and skills for tourism workers

With the characteristics of an agricultural province, most types of tourism services in Son La are formed and developed in rural areas and ethnic minority areas. Typically with the community tourism villages of the Thai and Mong ethnic groups with agricultural tourism. Ethnic farmers become direct tourism workers, creating services to serve tourists. Therefore, equipping and fostering knowledge for those working in tourism in rural areas and ethnic minority areas is necessary.

In 2024, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism organized 4 tourism training courses for 235 students from localities such as: City, Quynh Nhai, Muong La, Phu Yen... Students were imparted basic knowledge and skills in tourism service business, such as: Communication, reception, room booking, serving guests, room service, food preparation, beverage preparation... answering common problems, how to handle situations in communication, and practicing skills.

Professional training course in kitchen services for tourism

Ms. Hoang Thi Dung, Director of Bon Village Community Tourism Cooperative, Muong Chien Commune, Quynh Nhai District, shared: We learned how to prepare attractive dishes from available ingredients, how to communicate, how to introduce and promote local tourism products to attract tourists.

Directly teaching a tourism training course in Son La province, Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Thanh Thuy, Head of the Tourism Department, Hanoi University of Culture, said: We often expand on practical issues in each locality. From there, equip students with basic knowledge and skills to apply to developing appropriate types of services, helping to exploit the potential and strengths of each locality, and visualize how to build appropriate tourism products.

Training on room service for people working in rural tourism

In the first quarter of 2025, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue to open training courses to improve organizational capacity on developing agricultural and rural community tourism for 50 trainees. In addition, localities in the province, especially in areas with developed tourism, such as Moc Chau, Van Ho, Quynh Nhai, Muong La... also regularly organize training courses on tourism, tourism knowledge, and community tourism. Orient them on how to develop appropriate services, creating revenue from tourism.

Professionalize tour guides

Currently, in Son La province, the number of tour guides has increased in both quantity and quality. In addition to 28 tour guides who have been granted working cards by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in Moc Chau National Tourist Area, there are over 40 tour guides who are managed and regularly trained. Other localities in the province also have dozens of tour guides who perform part-time tasks at relic management areas or work as non-professionals at tourist areas and spots. This is an important force in the tourism industry, contributing to connecting, promoting, and creating attractive factors for tourists at each destination, considered as the "ambassadors" of tourism of Son La.

Tourists visit agricultural products booth in Moc Chau

Established in 2022, the Moc Chau Town Cultural and Tourist Guide Club currently has 40 members, including 2 members with international tour guide cards, 28 domestic cards, and the rest are tour guides at tourist attractions.

Ms. Hoang Viet Ha, Club President, informed: After more than 3 years of operation, the club has organized to welcome more than 13,000 out-of-province guests, more than 5,000 in-province guests. Coordinate with travel companies such as: Moc Chau Moc, Lam Huy Travel, Vietflow, Hanoi open tourism... to advise on tours and destinations in the district; regularly participate in domestic and foreign famtrips to connect needs and grasp tourism trends.

Members of the Moc Chau Town Cultural and Tourist Guide Club guide tourists to participate in the experience.

In Quynh Nhai, tourism services in the lake area are developing strongly. Enterprises and cooperatives have both improved the quality of services and focused on the team of tour guides. Ms. Lu Thi Nhan, tour guide, Quynh Nhai TRAVEL Joint Stock Company, shared: We have to understand clearly about the destinations, relics, and history of Quynh Nhai Lake to introduce them to tourists, at the same time, instruct tourists to follow the regulations on wearing life jackets, ensuring both safety and attractiveness during trips on the river.

Bon hot mineral spring, Muong Chien commune, Quynh Nhai district

Every year, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism closely coordinates with relevant agencies and units, such as the Department of Tourism, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the Provincial Public Administration Service Center, and training facilities inside and outside the province to appraise documents and issue tour guide cards.

In 2025, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue to organize tourism competitions, including the Son La Province Tour Design and Tour Guide Competition. The competition is for organizations and individuals participating in tourism activities in the province, focusing on tour guides and travel enthusiasts. This is an opportunity for tour guides to demonstrate their creativity in tour design, tour guide skills, and introduce attractive destinations of the province.

Son La Province Excellent Tour Guide Competition 2023

Prioritize the development of tourism human resources

According to the orientation of Son La province on tourism human resource development until 2030, priority is given to developing tourism human resources with a reasonable structure, ensuring quantity, quality, balance in occupational structure and training level, meeting integration requirements. Improve the quality of tourism human resources in terms of state management, business administration and tourism skills, focusing on training skilled laborers at accommodation establishments and tourist destinations.

Mr. Tran Xuan Viet, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: Every year, the industry has developed a plan to organize training courses on tourism with diverse and rich forms, promoting socialization, encouraging businesses to participate in training tourism human resources. Coordinate to organize training courses on English, kitchen, room service, and table service for those participating in tourism service business activities, especially in key tourist areas and destinations of the province.

Booth introducing Son La coffee products

Currently, the province has nearly 7,000 direct workers in the tourism sector, of which trained workers account for 60%. Son La sets a target of 10-12 million visitors by 2030, tourism revenue of 14,432 billion VND, an average growth of 20-30%/year; at the same time, creating 13,000 - 15,000 jobs in the tourism sector, with an average growth of 20-30%/year in the labor force in the tourism sector.

With that goal, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism constantly innovates training activities, fostering local human resources, rural areas, and ethnic minority areas to meet the needs of tourism development. Prioritizing the development of attractive tourism types, building unique, different, professional, sustainable tourism products, promoting the potential and advantages of natural resources and culture, striving to make Son La tourism an attractive and safe destination in the Northwest region.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/son-la-xay-dung-nguon-nhan-luc-du-lich-truoc-yeu-cau-phat-trien-20250521141050324.htm