Ho Chi Minh City: Improving human resource quality, aiming for sustainable tourism

On the afternoon of May 26, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism in collaboration with Swiss partners organized the announcement of the program "Training in Swiss luxury tourism and hotel management in Ho Chi Minh City".

The units signed a cooperation agreement to train human resources for the tourism industry in Ho Chi Minh City.

Speaking at the program, Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said that the tourism industry plays a central role in the city's socio -economic development. In 2024, Ho Chi Minh City welcomed more than 6 million international visitors, an increase of 20% compared to 2023; domestic visitors reached 38 million, an increase of 8.6%; total revenue from tourism is estimated at 190,000 billion VND, an increase of nearly 19% over the same period. These impressive growth figures show the strong recovery and attractiveness of the City on the international tourism map; however, behind that is a big challenge in terms of human resources, especially the international standard management and operation team in the fields of hotels, accommodation and services.

Faced with this reality, according to Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, the Department has coordinated to implement the program "Training in Swiss luxury tourism and hotel management in Ho Chi Minh City". This is an initiative designed specifically for the tourism industry, organized for the first time in Vietnam with the cooperation between state management agencies, international development organizations and the prestigious EHL Hotel Management School (Switzerland).

This program is divided into three levels from basic to advanced, applying the “blended learning” method - combining online learning and practical practice at prestigious hotels and restaurants in the city. The target students are tourism officials and management staff at 3 to 5 star accommodation facilities.

Mr. Olivier Messmer, Head of the Swiss Tourism for Sustainable Development Project in Vietnam (ST4SD) said that the program not only trains vocational skills but also orients sustainable development, improves professional ethics, modern management thinking and adaptability to fluctuations in the global tourism market.

“The certificate issued by EHL will be a valuable professional passport for students, contributing to improving their competitiveness and expanding their career opportunities in the international environment. The program will prioritize selecting students with good achievements, working at leading units in responsible and sustainable tourism practices,” said Mr. Olivier.

According to Ms. Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu, in the long term, the Swiss EHT program is a strategic step to lay the foundation for a comprehensive transformation of tourism management thinking, aiming to build a domestic expert force that meets international standards, accompanying Ho Chi Minh City in the journey of developing high-quality, civilized and sustainable tourism.

Source: News and People Newspaper

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/tp-ho-chi-minh-nang-cao-chat-luong-nhan-luc-huong-toi-du-lich-ben-vung-20250527081652541.htm