On November 13, the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism worked with Duy Tan University to organize the 17th UNWTO Asia/Pacific Executive Training Program on Tourism Policy and Strategy.
The Opening ceremony
The program was attended by Vice-Minister of Culture, Sports, & Tourism, Mr. Doan Van Viet; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism Director Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh; Vice-Chairman of the Danang City People’s Committee, Mr. Tran Chi Cuong; Director of the UNWTO Regional Department for Asia/Pacific, Mr. Harry Hwang; Hero of Labor and Distinguished Teacher Le Cong Co, DTU Chairman; tourism researchers and experts from 19 countries and territories in Asia/Pacific; and tourism business leaders from Central Vietnam and Danang.
Mr. Doan Van Viet delivers welcome remarks
In his welcome remarks at the opening ceremony, Mr. Doan Van Viet said: “Tourism is now actively contributing to post-pandemic socio-economic recovery and development. To restore and develop tourism post-Covid, it is necessary to recognize and rethink tourism as sustainable and self-strengthening, to pay more attention to the ecology, and to apply the latest technology and digital transformation in destination management and promotion. Most of all, it is essential to recognize the need for improved human resources, especially highly qualified, management-level manpower. The event was timely and focused on one of the biggest difficulties facing the tourism industry after the pandemic.
We hoped that this year’s program, on “Human Resource Development in Tourism, Navigating Post-Covid Challenges”, would lead to the proposal of new and different ways to support state management agencies and the tourism business, with the creation of appropriate policies and strategies to train, create, and develop a high quality, highly adaptable and resilient workforce, to accelerate the recovery and create and develop a stronger tourism sector in Asia/Pacific tourism.”
DTU Provost Dr. Le Nguyen Bao delivers congratulatory remarks
The 17th UNWTO Asia/Pacific Executive Training Programme on Tourism Policy and Strategy attracted 49 high-level officials within their respective governments across Asia and the Pacific region, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Japan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam,…
Through a series of presentations and discussions, the Training Programme provides a welcoming forum in which public sector tourism executives gain a better understanding of the latest trends in tourism policy. It also provides a platform for sharing knowledge and experience, to learn of successful practices in policy and strategy formulation and implementation.
Director of the UNWTO Regional Department for Asia/Pacific, Mr. Harry Hwang delivers opening remarks
Director of the UNWTO Regional Department for Asia/Pacific, Mr. Harry Hwang said: “Today, everyone talks about the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequences it has had on the tourism industry, which seriously affects the economies of countries that rely heavily on it, especially in Asia/Pacific. The expert UNWTO Panel is also of the view that the acute human resource shortage remains a severe problem for tourism companies as they struggle to meet the renewed travel demands. We’ve observed this throughout Asia/Pacific following the recent reopening of several destinations in the region, especially in China”
“The pandemic caused mass closures and layoffs among tourism companies, which forced workers to redeploy to other business sectors. The exodus of workers from the tourism industry has clearly worsened the skills shortage. International tourism has now recovered to 84% of pre-Covid levels, but we are still in a difficult situation because high inflation and rising oil prices have increased the cost of travel and accommodation. I strongly believe that this conference will encourage discussions and the sharing of experiences that will contribute to solving the post-pandemic challenges the tourism industry is facing concerning the overwhelming demand for more experienced personnel.”
Delegates and DTU Board of Provosts pose for a photo
“This is the first international conference the UNWTO has organized in Vietnam and the first at a university, which is truly a great honor for DTU,” said DTU Provost Dr. Le Nguyen Bao. “As an educational institution, we’re always aware of our role and responsibility to educate high-quality human resources to meet the increasing needs of the labor market. At this conference, I hope that we will find some satisfactory answers about building a tourism training program that meets international standards. Working together is key to our success, so I hope we can lay the foundation for sustainable cooperation between the relevant parties here today.”
The annual event enables participants to share information and improve the capability of member countries. This year’s program, on “Human Resource Development in Tourism, Navigating Post-Covid Challenges” took place from November 13 to 16, and included an opening session, a UNWTO forum on human resource development in tourism, and four thematic sessions, including keynote presentations, a panel discussion, debates, presentations, and speeches by member countries.
(Media Center)