Many workers in the tourism industry quit or change jobs with better compensation, making it difficult for tour operators and hotels when Vietnam’s tourism reopens.
According to a report by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Vietnam is among the top countries in the tourism industry that have lost the most jobs due to the pandemic.
In 2020, about 52% of tourism industry workers had quit or changed jobs. The number of full-time employees accounted for only 24%, while the number of employees who left or terminated their contracts was 30%.
With 5-10 years of seniority, the labor force has moved 44%, and graduate workers have changed jobs to 90%.
At a seminar on human resource issues in the tourism industry on the sidelines of the VITM International Travel Fair on April 2, Mr. Nguyen Hong Hai, a representative of De L’Opera Hanoi hotel, expressed concern when the hotel he has only 103 people, 60 people less than before the pandemic.
He said that in the past time, there were no customers, the staff lacked jobs, and income decreased. Before Covid-19 (February 2020), the average income of employees at L’Opera Hanoi hotel reached 100% of the salary of the labor contract plus service fees, but currently, this income is only 35-45 %
Mr. Hai pointed out five difficulties in re-recruit personnel who have changed jobs and not returned to the industry; the number of students enrolled in training institutions in the past two years decreased; The old employees are worn out in terms of service style, foreign language ability, and salary budget is not as expected.
Finally, the tourism industry is “recruiting,” so there is competition between businesses. To keep employees, De L’Opera must adjust working days, take care of and support employees’ lives such as vaccinations and health checks, allowances for employees affected by the epidemic, birthday gifts, etc. We were visiting sick, Mid-Autumn Festival gifts, Children’s New Year.
Mr. Le Hong Thai, Deputy Director of Hanoitourist Travel Company, said that it is necessary to recruit 15% more personnel to serve its activities when the tourism market is vibrant again but facing difficulties. He noted that recruiting experienced workers is not easy, so the company now accepts new hires and provides on-the-job training from the beginning.
Currently, there is a severe shortage of human resources from the central region onwards because most of the workers have settled into new jobs and even higher incomes.
Mr. Pham Van Thuy, Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, said. He also used the word “urgent” when talking about recruiting personnel. Recruitment is a problem that needs to be solved from localities, and management agencies to tourist destinations, requiring re-evaluation and policy coordination with vocational training schools to have specific strategies.
From a training perspective, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Dinh, Chairman of the Science and Training Council under the Tourism Association, said that tourism businesses need to coordinate with universities, colleges, and vocational training centers to recruit employees for a temporary solution. Temporary.
If the travel business lacks a guide, it can sign a contract with foreign language school students and provide quick, professional training and skills for each tour.
In the long term, Mr. Dinh believes that it is necessary to build a system of personnel data and business information so that they can connect. The Government and businesses have set up a hotline for businesses and workers to access the support program easily.
And it is important to have a policy to attract and encourage experienced tourism human resources to return, which includes the working environment and salary policy by rank. After returning need to ensure they receive the support according to the guidelines issued by the Government.
Representatives of Hanoi Open University, Imperial College of Hospitality - International Tourism, and Hanoi College of Tourism said they are organizing and introducing students to many training programs close to reality to attract and improve the quality of human resources helping them to go to work immediately.
The strategic goal of Vietnam’s tourism is to become one of the three leading countries in tourism development in Southeast Asia and one of the top 50 countries with the world’s ultimate tourism competitiveness. It is necessary to create about 5.5-6 million jobs, of which about 2 million are direct jobs, with an average growth of 12-14% a year.