Finding solutions to fill the "gap" in high-quality human resources for the tourism industry.

Kinhtedothi - As the economy gradually recovers, the domestic tourism industry is also beginning to show signs of improvement. However, businesses in this "smokeless industry" are facing a serious challenge due to a severe shortage of high-quality human resources.

Businesses are lacking high-quality human resources.

According to information from the National Tourism Administration, from the beginning of the year until now, the country's tourism industry has welcomed 12.7 million international visitors, an increase of 43% compared to the same period last year. It is expected that the number of international visitors to Vietnam will continue to grow from now until the end of the year, thus achieving the target of welcoming 17-18 million international visitors this year.

In reality, while the number of international tourists is growing strongly, tourism businesses are facing a shortage of personnel to serve them. A representative from Vietnam Tourism Media Joint Stock Company shared that, from the beginning of the year until now, the number of tourists from all markets has increased by nearly 30% compared to the same period in 2023. However, what is causing this travel agency a headache is the shortage of up to 20% of its workforce in many departments, and they have not yet been able to recruit high-quality employees.

Hotel staff at Hanoi Daewoo prepare rooms to welcome guests. Photo: Hoai Nam

Similarly, despite needing to recruit 20 employees for various positions, Hong Hoa Tourism Company has yet to fill the quota. Hong Hoa Tourism Company Director To Anh Hong stated that, to meet labor needs, the company is willing to recruit recent graduates with no prior experience. The important thing is that applicants only need enthusiasm and passion for this field. However, even with the peak season for international tourists at the end of the year heating up, the company has still not been able to recruit enough staff to meet its expansion and development needs.

Regarding the shortage of high-quality human resources in the tourism industry, Cao Thi Ngoc Lan, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Association, stated that Vietnam is facing a significant shortage of tourism personnel, especially highly skilled workers, particularly during peak seasons such as holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year). The imbalance in human resources across regions has led to some areas experiencing rapid growth in tourist numbers, but with lower and inconsistent service quality compared to other regions.

A tour guide takes tourists to visit the Japanese Bridge (Hoi An). Photo: Hoai Nam

According to the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, the tourism industry currently needs approximately 485,000 workers in accommodation establishments to operate at over 70% capacity. It is projected that by 2025, the country will have 950,000-1,050,000 rooms, and by 2030, this number will reach 1.3-1.45 million. Therefore, by 2025, the accommodation sector will need over 800,000 people, and by 2030, over 1 million people, averaging an additional 60,000 workers per year. However, schools only train about 20,000 students annually, with only 43% of the total tourism workforce receiving professional training.

Schools collaborate with businesses to solve the human resources problem.

Currently, to solve the human resource problem, tourism businesses are taking matters into their own hands. However, tourism experts believe that obtaining a high-quality tourism workforce requires collaboration between schools and businesses.

According to Professor Dr. Dao Manh Hung, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Training Association, there are currently 195 tourism training institutions nationwide, training approximately 20,000 students annually. However, only 9.7% of the workforce has a university or postgraduate degree, and only 43% of the total workforce has received professional training in tourism.

A tour guide takes South Korean tourists on a tour of Hanoi. Photo: Hoai Nam

Explaining the reasons for Vietnam's shortage of high-quality human resources, Associate Professor Dr. Duong Duc Thang, Head of the Tourism Department (Dong A University of Technology), stated that traditional training methods are no longer suitable for the increasingly high standards and demands of the tourism industry.

"The current tourism workforce requires not only fluency in foreign languages ​​but also proficiency in technology and skills in developing high-quality products. Meanwhile, many students trained in tourism departments, upon graduation, cannot even compete with students who studied foreign languages ​​due to weak communication skills with foreigners," Mr. Thang analyzed.

To obtain high-quality human resources, tourism experts agree that the education and tourism sectors need to establish their own international standards for human resource training, so that training institutions can develop appropriate training methods. Simultaneously, a collaborative effort between schools and businesses is essential in the training process.

According to Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research, maintaining and developing high-quality human resources requires businesses to proactively connect and participate in training high-quality human resources with domestic and international training systems…

Conversely, training institutions must attract investment in training systems, facilities, and teaching staff; incorporate new knowledge about new types of tourism into the training programs… At the same time, the State should have policies to attract and encourage experienced tourism personnel who have switched professions to return to work.

Chefs at the Hanoi Daewoo Hotel prepare dishes to serve guests. Photo: Hoai Nam.

Regarding information on supporting businesses in restoring human resources, the Director of the Hanoi Department of Tourism, Dang Huong Giang, said: The Hanoi Department of Tourism has proposed to the Hanoi People's Committee to focus on strengthening linkages and cooperation with international tourism education organizations, selecting suitable fields for collaborative education.

In addition, Hanoi is innovating its teaching and learning methods and programs to ensure diversity and flexibility in information delivery, utilizing new technologies in the teaching process; and strengthening the socialization of resources to develop high-quality human resources for tourism in Hanoi. "The most important factor is strengthening the linkage between the 'three parties': the State - Schools - Employers of high-quality human resources for tourism in Hanoi," Ms. Dang Huong Giang stated.

Besides boosting training, tourism experts also believe that policies are needed to attract and encourage experienced and skilled tourism professionals who have left their previous jobs to return to work in the tourism sector.

Dr. Nuno Ribeiro, Head of the Tourism and Hospitality Management Research Group (RMIT University), suggested that, in the short term, priority should be given to developing and standardizing tourism workforce training programs that align with regional and international labor standards. "To fill the short-term tourism workforce shortage, businesses could recruit and train new employees from related fields," Dr. Nuno Ribeiro proposed.

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/tim-loi-giai-lap-lo-hong-nhan-luc-chat-luong-cao-nganh-du-lich.html