“Strong demand” for tourism personnel

According to the report of the National Administration of Tourism, Vietnam currently has nearly 200 vocational training institutions for tourism, including 62 universities with tourism departments, 55 colleges, 71 vocational schools, and 4 vocational training centers. However, the training of tourism personnel still lags significantly in terms of quality compared to the requirements of businesses and society. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact, causing disruptions in the tourism workforce. Specifically, 44% of workers with 5-10 years of experience have switched professions, and 90% of postgraduate workers have transitioned to other fields. This has led to a tourism workforce crisis during the recovery period. In the Mekong Delta region and Can Tho City, the tourism workforce faces even greater challenges due to strong job shifts.

During the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of tourism labor force has shifted to other industries and gradually achieved stable incomes from new jobs. This has exacerbated the shortage of personnel in the tourism industry, especially at the management level. Travel agencies in Can Tho share that it is currently very difficult to find managing personnel. This is partly due to job transitions and an important reason is the migration to work in larger tourist centers.

Mr. Truong Van Vinh, Director of IDO Can Tho Travel and Event Trading Company Limited, said: "Phu Quoc, Ho Chi Minh City... attract a large number of high-level tourism personnel from Can Tho City. This has resulted in a severe shortage of tourism personnel in the city. Some recruitments have taken several months but still have not found suitable candidates." Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Minh Tho, Principal of Can Tho Tourism College, said: "Every year, we train hundreds of students, and more than 90% of them find jobs in their fields. However, Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc are still the places with working environments that attract most of our students. Therefore, we also need to assess the working environment for tourism personnel in Can Tho City in order to come up with attractive solutions."

Focus on Investment

Based on the current situation, the tourism industry in Can Tho is strategically focusing on investing in its human resources. Currently, the city's relevant departments have developed numerous programs, projects, and plans to gradually enhance both the quantity and quality of the workforce. On average, there will be 10-12 vocational classes each year, targeting individuals such as transportation operators, farmers, and small business owners involved in tourism activities. In the long term, the locality has also formulated detailed plans for the development of high-quality human resources. By 2025, Can Tho aims to attract around 10,000 direct laborers in the tourism sector, with 75% of them having received training, professional development, and language skills. Looking ahead to 2030, the goal is to attract approximately 12,000 direct laborers in the industry, with 80% of them having undergone training, professional development, and language skills. Currently, the city's tourism industry is reviewing the implementation results of Program No. 01/CTr-UBND dated January 3, 2018, issued by the City People's Committee regarding the development of tourism human resources and raising awareness for the period 2018-2020, with a focus on the vision for 2030 in Can Tho City. Adjustments and supplements will be made as needed to align with the current situation.

In 2023, the city's tourism industry plans to organize 10-12 vocational training classes, with 7-8 classes already completed to date. Specifically, the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Can Tho City has collaborated with Can Tho Tourism College and SPTC Training Company Limited - Short-term vocational training center to conduct various training courses on tourism and restaurant and hotel management, as well as updating knowledge for tour guides in 2023. Ms. Nguyen Thi My Au, Vice Principal of Can Tho Tourism College, stated: "Through training programs and collaborative classes with the City Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, we have organized multiple training sessions, updating knowledge and skills for tourism personnel, gradually contributing to improving the quality of the workforce. All training programs are based on practicality and involve cooperation with businesses to meet market demands."

According to proposals from tourism businesses, training the workforce for the industry should emphasize knowledge, specialized skills, self-reliance, and the ability to adapt to a rapidly changing global context. Additionally, the local government needs to establish mechanisms and policies that encourage experienced tourism workers to return to their jobs. Furthermore, there should be a clear direction for training high-quality human resources, particularly targeting markets where Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, and other languages are spoken, as these are the countries that Can Tho plans to connect with and establish air routes to.

Tourism personnel are a crucial factor for sustainable development and are essential for propelling Can Tho's tourism industry when expanding into international markets, contributing to positioning the city's tourism brand. Therefore, it is necessary to make appropriate investments to enhance the quality and quantity of the workforce.