Practical Tourism Training Needed

It is forecasted that in the next 10 years, Vietnam's tourism will continue to grow rapidly and require intensive investment in improving the quality of services. Therefore, the domestic tourism sector is seeking ways to develop highly qualified human resources.
Currently, about one million people work in the Vietnamese tourism sector. The figure includes about 750,000 untrained workers and nearly 300,000 workers directly employed by travel and tourism companies. Of those 300,000 workers, 42 percent have been trained in the field of tourism, 38 percent used to work in other sectors and the remainder is comprised of untrained workers.
Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Dinh, the rector of the Ha Tinh University, said that the tourism sector should cooperate with other sectors and organizations concerned to take some measures to improve the situation. First of all, the State must improve policies and the management of the tourism sector. The State must assist the sector in human resource development. Appropriate regulations relating to tourism human resource training must be put in place. It is necessary to diversify sources of investment and promote international cooperation in this field.
The tourism sector must set clear standards which must be met by those who work in this sector. These criteria will serve as the basis for human resource training to meet the requirements of tourism development in the era of international integration. It is necessary to improve training capability and build new training facilities in the northwest, Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands), central regions and the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta. At the same time, equipment in existing training facilities must be upgraded to serve theoretical studies and practical skills training. Suitable training programs must be designed. Teachers must be sent on training either in Vietnam or overseas to expand their knowledge and improve their qualifications.
In addition, it is necessary to expand international cooperation in human resource training and development. Vietnam must learn from the experience of foreign countries in this field.
The President of the Vietnam Tourism Association, Nguyen Phu Duc, emphasized the need to improve the qualifications of teachers as well as the quality of the training equipment and curriculums.
The Vietnam Travel Association and the Vietnam Hotel Association recently signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement in the field of tourism human resource training with the Hanoi Open University for the first time. Under this agreement, the Vietnam Travel Association and the Vietnam Hotel Association will be responsible for making arrangements for all students from the Tourism Faculty of the Hanoi Open University to practice their skills in tourism companies and hotels which are members of the two associations. Association officials as well as the leaders of tourism companies and hotels will join Hanoi Open University in the teaching process and provide students with guidance for pre-graduation practice. The Hanoi Open University will join the two associations in carrying out scientific research projects and creating new tourism products. The two sides will cooperate in organizing short-term refresher courses for those who work in the tourism sector to provide them with updated knowledge. The two associations and the Hanoi Open University will also organize on a regular basis symposiums and short-term training courses on tourism-related theory and knowledge.
The above mentioned cooperation agreement has drawn the attention of not only tourism experts but also tourism businesses. Such agreements are vital for the Vietnamese tourism sector to develop in a sustainable manner and keep pace with other regional countries.