Ha Nam tourism is having positive changes with high growth in the number of visitors and revenue. To achieve the goal of sustainable tourism development, gradually turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector, Ha Nam's functional sectors are oriented to improve the quality of tourism products and services. To do this, developing tourism human resources, including training and fostering local tourism human resources, is important and urgent.

Ha Nam has 12 recognized tourist destinations, including 5 planned tourist areas and destinations; nearly 200 tourist accommodation establishments (2 5-star hotels, 9 3-star hotels, 18 1-2 star hotels) with a total of nearly 4,000 standard rooms; nearly 30 travel and tourist transport businesses operating stably. The number of tourists coming to Ha Nam in recent years has been constantly increasing (on average, Ha Nam tourism grows 20-25% per year), promoting the development of tourism businesses, and the demand for human resources in the tourism industry has also increased.

Implementing Resolution 08-NQ/TW, dated January 16, 2017 of the Politburo on developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector, Ha Nam Provincial Party Committee has concretized it by issuing Resolution 12, dated September 15, 2021 on promoting trade and service development, focusing on tourism and logistics in Ha Nam province for the period of 2021 - 2025, with a vision to 2030. Accordingly, Ha Nam has strengthened the organization of many activities to strongly promote the potential, strengths, and investment attraction policies in the field of tourism service development; attractive features, outstanding values ​​of tourism resources; destinations, unique and typical tourism products... to domestic and foreign investors.

Typical examples include the Ha Nam Culture and Tourism Week in 2023 and the Vietnam - Japan Traditional Art Performance Exchange Program to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam - Japan diplomatic relations with the theme "Ha Nam - Connecting Journey"; Ha Nam Province Tourism Investment Promotion Conference in 2023; Signing of a comprehensive cooperation agreement for the period 2023 - 2026 with Vietnam Airlines Corporation (Vietnam Airlines)...

With rich natural and human tourism resources, Ha Nam aims to diversify types of tourism, including: sightseeing tours, historical and cultural relics; spiritual and cultural tourism; eco-tourism; entertainment, conference and seminar tourism; resort and sports tourism; community and craft village tourism; weekend tourism... Besides promoting digital transformation, applying science and technology in management, promotion, tourism development and building policies and mechanisms to encourage businesses and people to invest in tourism development, Ha Nam also pays special attention to investing in developing tourism human resources.

Served at Melia Phu Ly Hotel.

At present, the human resources working in the tourism industry in Ha Nam have changed significantly, gradually meeting the requirements of tourism business activities in a civilized manner. However, the rate of workers with expertise, professionalism, and equipped with the necessary skills for tourism (foreign languages, communication skills, experience, etc.) is still low, especially lacking high-quality human resources. The reason for this situation is that Ha Nam does not have its own training system and does not have a tourism vocational training facility. Attracting well-trained and experienced workers to Ha Nam is very difficult because these people have high demands on salary, working environment, and conditions for personal development. In particular, after the Covid-19 pandemic, the tourism supply chain has been "broken" for several consecutive years, causing a large number of employees to lose their jobs or switch to other jobs, many tourism businesses are in a state of shortage of human resources, especially during peak tourist seasons (holidays, Tet, weekends, etc.).

In order to improve the quality of tourism human resources according to the "Project on developing tourism human resources in Ha Nam province for the period of 2019 - 2025" approved by the Provincial People's Committee, every year, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism (VH,TT&DL), the Provincial Tourism Association coordinates with major training institutions, related units and enterprises to organize training and fostering on tourism for the tourism workforce. The training content focuses on: tour guide skills, accommodation facility management, room, table, bar, reception skills for tourism management staff, civil servants, workers working at service business units, tourist areas and spots. Typical classes include: training on tour guide skills; fostering skills for management teams, employees of tourism service business units (motels, hotels, restaurants)...

The training program (delivered by lecturers from Hanoi College of Tourism) has a harmonious combination of theory and practice, addressing specific professional issues such as: Training tour guides; training to improve professional knowledge of community tourism for electric car drivers, sales staff, photographers; customer service organization process; requirements on personal style and dress to meet professional work; service quality management; coordination of work with related departments; communication with customers; handling frequently occurring situations; handling security situations in service, room cleaning process, skills in using tools and chemicals; service process, hygiene standards...

These training courses have contributed to improving the management capacity of managers, operators and thousands of workers serving at tourist areas and spots; improving the management capacity of leaders and staff of hotels and restaurants. In addition, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has also effectively implemented coordination, experience exchange, tour and route connection with provinces and cities nationwide to effectively implement tourism development linkages, actively participating in key tourism activities (conferences, seminars, surveys, talks, cooperation activities, tourism development linkages); major domestic tourism events (VITM fair, ITE ...), thereby absorbing the opinions of experts, scientists, managers, investors to enhance learning experiences, innovate, develop tourism products, develop increasingly high-quality and effective human resources, better meet the needs of tourists.

In the coming time, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will conduct investigations, surveys and classify the professional qualifications of tourism workers, develop training plans and programs suitable to the capacity, qualifications and job requirements of each group of workers. Focus on training, improving knowledge, state management skills, product development, digital transformation, promotion, advertising and tourism brand development. Encourage and support staff to study and improve their qualifications to meet the requirements of tourism development and the 4th industrial revolution.

Continue to seek the participation of experts, scientists, and senior personnel in state management activities on tourism through consulting, inviting comments on policies and guidelines for tourism development, organizing seminars, workshops, etc. Strengthen propaganda on mass media, especially in localities with tourist areas and destinations to raise people's awareness of tourism development, spreading the message "every citizen is a tourism ambassador". Actively disseminate legal documents on tourism, the Code of Conduct in tourism activities in many forms (tourism promotion channels, regulations boards at tourist areas and destinations, tourist accommodation establishments, printing leaflets, brochures, clips, reports, etc.). Encourage the formation of a team of volunteers to guide and support tourists during holidays and Tet...

The project "Developing tourism human resources in Ha Nam province in the period of 2019 - 2025" has clearly defined the objectives: developing human resources with sufficient quantity, ensuring quality, reasonable structure, qualifications, and occupations, especially meeting the national tourism qualification framework, meeting the scale of tourism development; building human resources with quality, awareness, and style suitable for many tourist markets, considering this an important factor in creating the image and brand for Ha Nam tourism; striving by 2025, over 75% of tourism service personnel will be trained and fostered in tourism expertise, 100% of villages, hamlets, and communes will have community tourism activities...

To realize the above goals, there needs to be more synchronous, active and proactive participation from Party committees, authorities, investors, businesses, socio-political organizations and consensus and support from the people, especially those directly involved in tourism.

Source: baoahanam.com.vn