Improving the quality of human resources for tourism: Exploiting local resources.

The pressure is increasing.

According to the National Tourism Administration, in the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam is expected to welcome approximately 16 million international visitors, a 14.4% increase compared to the same period in 2025, and will rank among the top three Asian destinations in terms of repeat visitor rates.

Da Nang is one of the destinations that best exemplifies this trend, welcoming over 14.2 million overnight visitors in the first eight months of the year, a 24.9% increase compared to the same period last year. Of these, international visitors increased by 26.3%, contributing to nearly VND 46,932 billion in revenue from accommodation and food services. The strong growth in tourism, coupled with the increasing number of events, festivals, conferences, and exhibitions, has led to a significant demand for high-quality human resources in the accommodation and service sectors.

However, almost all provinces and cities with developed tourism also lack human resources, both in quantity and quality, in both direct operations and middle management.

According to the overview report on the culinary market and human resource needs for tourism and hospitality in Vietnam, compiled by Hoteljob.vn as of August 2026, the tourism industry needs approximately 60,000 workers annually, while the supply of trained personnel only reaches about 20,000 per year. This means that the majority of the remaining demand must be met by workers without formal training, on-the-job training, or those transferring from other industries.

Given this situation, the solution of "attracting people from other localities" is no longer as easy as before. Mr. Nguyen Duc Quynh, Vice President of the Vietnam Hotel Association and President of the Da Nang Hotel Association, believes that when every locality is experiencing labor shortages, competition for labor between destinations will become increasingly fierce.

If some markets use high salaries to recruit en masse, as is currently happening in some rapidly developing destinations, it may address the staffing needs of individual businesses in the short term, but in the long term it will drive up labor costs across the entire industry. This will erode business profits, increase service costs, diminish the competitiveness of the destination, and negatively impact the entire tourism industry.

Policies are needed to retain local people.

It's clear that a tourist destination is not only defined by its landscape, infrastructure, or attractive products, but also by its local people. They understand the land, culture, customs, and local stories – values ​​that create a unique experience for visitors. When trained, given opportunities, and more deeply involved in the tourism value chain, the people not only gain additional livelihoods but also become key players in preserving and promoting their local identity.

Regarding this issue, Mr. Le Quoc Viet, Vice President of the Da Nang Tourism Association, Head of the Quang Nam Destination Club, and General Director of Santa Vietnam (the company operating specialized job platforms such as Hoteljob.vn, Vieclamnhamay.vn, and Tuyencongnhan.vn), believes that Da Nang has significant advantages in its image as a "livable city," its ecological environment, quality of life, and central location in Central Vietnam. However, for these advantages to translate into attractiveness for human resources, more specific policies are needed regarding income, housing, career opportunities, and the development environment.

In the context of competitive labor across the service, tourism, and manufacturing sectors, raising income levels is essential. However, wage increases cannot be solely a race between businesses.

According to Mr. Viet, the tourism industry needs a smarter approach, where businesses can shift a portion of their recruitment and training costs towards retaining existing staff. When the average turnover rate in the industry is high, the cost of replacing employees is actually a significant expense. By reducing the turnover rate, businesses can reallocate these resources to improve employee salaries, benefits, and welfare.

Another new development is the concept of multitasking. In current operations, many positions require more work, especially with the application of technology, automation, and lean operating models. Therefore, Da Nang could explore the concepts of "multitasking certification" and "multitasking salary," thereby providing more fair compensation to workers capable of handling multiple skills, positions, or processes.

In particular, if Da Nang wants to attract workers from other localities or retain them long-term, it's not enough to just talk about job opportunities, because workers need stable housing, affordable costs, and a sufficiently good living environment.

Mr. Viet proposed that the city needs a mechanism to develop dormitories, social housing, and rental housing for the workforce. At the same time, he encouraged large businesses to invest in dormitories and create a friendly living environment for workers from other areas.

"If employees have to live far away, face high housing costs, and have difficult commutes, they will find it hard to stay with the company long-term. Conversely, if there is stable, safe housing close to the workplace, businesses will increase their ability to retain employees and maintain operational quality," Mr. Viet said.