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Staff training in the tourism sector is a long-term key task of
the Viet Nam Tourism Association, according to this organisation.
Nguyen Huu Tho, deputy chairman of the association, said yesterday one of the
association's tasks in the 2012-16 period would be to improve training of the
industry's employees.
The Government has invested time and money in developing the tourism
industry.
In the next five years, the association plans to ask relevant authorities to
establish a Tourism Knowledge Fostering School to train staff and managers in
the tourism sector.
The association will also collaborate with universities and colleges to open
short-term courses, and organise training classes for staff in local tourism
associations.
The VITA's Viet Nam Society of Travel Agents (VISTA), in collaboration with the
European Excellence in Management Education (CFVG) have launched the MBA Tourism
Prog-ramme, which is especially targeted at managers working in the tourism
industry. It is also open to anyone who is interested in a career in tourism.
The programme aims to improve the qualifications of managers of tourism
enterprises, which are mostly small- and medium-sized, so they can compete
better in the world market.
"The association will sign cooperation agreements with tourism associations in
ASEAN countries to seek support in training and develop human resources for the
tourism sector," Tho said.
In the 2012-16 period, VITA will strengthen tourism promotion. Every year, it
will support members to take part in 10 to 15 international events or
exhibitions to promote Vietnamese tourism products.
It aims to raise the status of Vietnamese tourism in the international
market.
The association will continue to build a close relationship with airlines
such as Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Airlines to promote Vietnamese tourism and
popular tourism products in key markets.
The association will ask the Government and relevant ministries to develop
particular tourism products in localities, especially in Ha Noi and HCM City.
VITA targets ensuring that 80 per cent of localities will set up local tourism
associations by the end of 2016, in collaboration with VITA to support tourism
businesses.
Currently, 31 cities and provinces have set up tourism associations with more
than 1,000 members including enterprises, tour operators, travel agents and
transport services.
Eighty per cent of tourism company leaders would be professionally trained and
100 per cent of tourism businesses would have their own websites in the 2012-16
period.
The association will continue to actively contribute opinions on tourism-related
policies to help solve difficulties for businesses.
Hoang Tuan Anh, minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said there was a need
to build a closer link between businesses, tourism associations and State
management agencies to develop the country's tourism sector.
Despite hard economic times, the country welcomed more than 6 million
international visitors and served 30 million domestic tourists, earning VND130
trillion (US$6.25 billion) from tourism in 2011, an increase of 30 per cent
year-on-year.
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