People dine at a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: https://tuoitrenews.vn/) According to a report from the Department of Tourism of HCM City, the tourismindustry has shown positive signs in the first half of 2023, with an estimatedrevenue of 80.8 billion VND and the welcoming of 18.3 million visitors.
However, amid these achievements, the industry faces significant limitationsand challenges, particularly concerning human resources.
Vo Minh Trung, Director of Riverside Saigon Hotel, expressed his concern aboutthe shortage of qualified staff. With 100 rooms, the hotel has only twopersonnel responsible for managing 14-18 rooms each during an eight-hour shift.Currently, they have fewer than a dozen people working in this capacity, makingit difficult to manage the workload efficiently.
"The job demands well-trained individuals and a considerable amount ofeffort," Trung explained. "We are especially lacking housekeepingstaff, and to cope with this shortage, we have to hire seasonal workers fromother hotels and motels and rely on hourly service companies for cleaningstaff."
The Royal Hotel Saigon also echoed similar concerns, stating that only alimited number of room staff have returned to work following the COVID-19outbreak. Unattractive compensation and remuneration packages have contributedto the difficulty in recruiting and retaining qualified personnel in thesector.
"We have been actively reaching out to universities and colleges torecruit students majoring in hospitality and accommodation. Simultaneously, weare establishing connections with labour supply units, recruitment channels,former workers, and others to ensure smooth hotel operations," Trung said.
Presently, the average monthly compensation for new cleaning personnel in 3-4star hotels is approximately 5 million VND, with a 10% allowance. Experiencedstaff members receive a monthly pay ranging from 6-8 million VND, and five-starhotels typically offer higher wages.
However, Vo Minh Trung said that these figures do not include incentives,allowances, and overtime pay, which are significant contributors, especiallydue to tips received from guests.
A notable factor contributing to the scarcity of trained room staff is theperception that spending two to four years studying at colleges or universitiesis excessive for working in what is perceived as an ordinary job. Additionally,the physically demanding nature of the profession, requiring continuousmovement and lifting of heavy items, is seen as monotonous and tedious.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Hoa, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Tourism - Restaurant -Hospitality Management at HCM University of Technology, expressed concernsabout the sharp decline in students registering for the tourism industry,particularly in the accommodation sector, which has been reduced to onlyone-third of the pre-pandemic numbers due to the impact of COVID-19.
To address the issue of staff shortages, Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of theHCM City Department of Tourism, revealed that the department is conducting anurgent assessment of key divisions to develop a creative solution for humanresource training.
Future conferences will focus on executing agreements between HCM City andother provinces and cities, with an emphasis on human resources. The departmentwill collaborate with colleges to announce funding programs and incentives forprofessionals pursuing long-term and short-term courses in tourism and lodging.
Saigon Tourism College has taken the initiative to address market demands byenrolling affected workers from various industries and businesses intoshort-term professional courses, granting occupational credentials to meet theindustry's needs, according to Ngo Thi Quynh Xuan, the college’s principal.
“However, the college faced a predicament in the past when the demand forhousekeeping staff in the hotel sector primarily favoured middle-aged women.Presently, the priority has shifted towards young and physically fitindividuals. This change poses a challenge for the college in terms oftraining," Xuan said.
The HCM City Department of Tourism is currently placing significant emphasis onstaff training, especially for tour guides and hotel employees, as a strategicmeasure to enhance service quality and solidify HCM City's position as adesirable destination./.
VNA
