Tourist smile

(Baonghean)Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, answers an interview with Nghe An Newspaper.

PV:With its rich tourism potential, it can be said that Nghe An tourism has gradually affirmed its position in the hearts of tourists and international friends in recent years. Could you tell us about the distinctive highlights of Nghe An tourism?

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong:The image of Nghe An tourism is increasingly being affirmed in the hearts of tourists and international friends. This is reflected in several aspects: The quality of tourism products is gradually improving, many cultural works and projects to preserve and restore historical relics are being implemented, with a focus on exploiting the historical value, traditional cultural identity of Nghe An, and spiritual culture to serve the growing needs of the people and tourists. The strengths in ecotourism and especially beach resort tourism have also seen strong development. Besides Cua Lo beach, several high-end resorts and entertainment areas along the coast of Nghe An have been invested in; many tourist attractions such as the Kim Lien historical site, Cua Lo beach, Quang Trung Temple, Hoang Muoi Temple, Corn Temple, Qua Temple… have become indispensable destinations on the cross-Vietnam tourist route for domestic and international tourists, contributing to affirming the Nghe An tourism brand.

Intangible cultural values ​​have been gradually exploited for tourism development; some traditional festivals in Nghe An have been renewed in both content and form, contributing to attracting a large number of tourists from all over the country; the Nghe Tinh folk songs are on track to be considered by UNESCO for recognition as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The culinary culture, with its many specialties and unique, attractive dishes, has left a deep impression on domestic and international tourists visiting Nghe An, with eel porridge being one of the first 10 Vietnamese dishes to be certified as an Asian record.

Staff at Saigon - Kim Lien Hotel welcome tourists. Photo: TT

Tourism infrastructure and facilities are increasingly developing and modernizing, especially rail, road, and air transport. The increase in domestic flights departing from Vinh and the international Vinh-Vientiane route has facilitated the diversification of tourism types, tours, and routes in the province. Accommodation and food services have developed strongly, with significant improvements in quality. Many modern shopping facilities have been invested in, contributing to meeting the needs of tourists visiting Nghe An. The tourism environment has shown clear progress; efforts to ensure security, environmental hygiene, and the safety and security of tourists have been actively implemented, preventing any unfortunate incidents. The coordinated program to improve the quality of destinations in the three key tourist areas of the province – Vinh City, Cua Lo Town, and Nam Dan District – has been initially implemented, creating intra-provincial linkages in building a civilized, safe, and friendly tourism environment, and promoting sustainable tourism development.

The promotion and marketing of Nghe An's tourism brand has been actively implemented. To date, the industry has completed the announcement of the new logo for Nghe An tourism; promoted a series of tourism promotion activities domestically and internationally through conferences, seminars, trade fairs, and many other cultural, sports, and tourism events according to the Tourism Promotion Program 2011-2015 approved by the province. Particularly, in just the first two months of 2014, the industry advised on the organization of the Tourism Cooperation and Promotion Conference in Udon Thani (Thailand) and in Ho Chi Minh City, Lam Dong, and Da Nang; and signed a cooperation program for tourism development linked to aviation between Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, and Ha Tinh provinces with Vietnam Airlines to strengthen investment linkages in tourism product development based on connecting tourism destinations of the localities and the region.

The workforce in the tourism industry has undergone significant changes in both quantity and quality. To date, the province has nearly 14,000 direct and indirect tourism workers, including thousands of officials and employees who have received training in professional management knowledge, vocational skills, and communication and interpersonal skills. Training to raise awareness of tourism and cultural etiquette among the local community is also regularly prioritized. The tourism vocational training system has seen many improvements through a screening process, with investments in facilities and the upgrading of teaching staff to meet established standards. This is one of the factors contributing to the improvement of tourism products and services, and the building and strengthening of Nghe An's tourism brand in recent years.

PV:One of the key factors contributing to the tourism brand of Nghe An is its human resources, specifically the people who directly serve tourists. Could you give a general assessment of the current tourism workforce in our province?

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong:It can be said that the achievements mentioned above, especially in training and developing human resources, are highly commendable. However, compared to the immediate and long-term tourism development requirements of the province, Nghe An's tourism workforce still has many shortcomings and has not yet met the requirements in the trend of integration. First of all, in terms of quantity, because most tourism businesses and establishments are small-scale, the average number of employees is still low. In the tourism accommodation business alone, the average number of employees is only 0.5 people per room, while in major tourist centers nationwide it is 1.2 - 1.5 people per room.

The workforce is also subject to fluctuations due to seasonality, especially in coastal tourist areas. Structurally, the majority of workers are employed in tourism accommodation establishments and restaurants, while other sectors are understaffed and weak. The overall quality of the workforce is not high, lacking skilled tourism business management personnel, particularly in hotel and travel management, as well as leading experts, highly skilled technicians, tour guides, and interpreters. In particular, the foreign language proficiency of most staff and workers is very weak, limiting their ability to communicate, serve, and promote the expansion of the international tourist market.

PV:In his speech at the opening ceremony of the Vietnam International Tourism Fair 2014, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam emphasized: "Even a 'smile' is a way of participating in tourism." According to him, how should those involved in tourism in Nghe An understand this viewpoint of the Deputy Prime Minister?

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong:As we know, tourism products are a special type of product composed of many factors, but in essence, they can be divided into three categories: the attraction of tourists (through the value of resources), the technical infrastructure for tourism development, and the core of the product, which is largely the service, the quality of which mainly depends on the service provider. Regarding the quality of service provided by tourism professionals, besides proficiency in professional skills and expertise (or professionalism), the style and attitude of communication and behavior are very important, thereby creating a unique identity for each country and region.

In interpersonal communication, besides gestures, speech, and manners, a smile plays a crucial role as the first message conveying friendliness, openness, and hospitality to one's partners. Even with strangers, a smile creates a feeling of closeness and appreciation, as if they were valued guests or close friends. Therefore, in the service industry in general, a smile has become a "business style of successful entrepreneurs and major brands." For the tourism industry, where interaction between service providers and those being served occurs frequently, a smile is even more important, and can be considered a mandatory standard and requirement for those working in the tourism sector.

In Singapore, a campaign called "Smile with Singapore" was launched to make tourists feel comfortable and happy as soon as they arrive. The Chinese have a proverb: "He who doesn't know how to smile shouldn't open a shop." In Malaysia, a country that welcomes over 25 million international tourists annually, the slogan "Serve guests with a smile" has become a commitment of the tourism industry. For Vietnam, the image of a smiling girl was once chosen as the symbol of the national action program "Vietnam - Destination of the New Millennium." Many localities have also created an impression of smiles, thereby attracting tourists to return. This is something that every tourism worker in Nghe An needs to deeply understand and take practical action to achieve.

PV:To cultivate friendly and hospitable people in Nghe An, and to create a tourism environment that reflects the unique identity of the region, what specific solutions, in your role as a tourism manager, should we implement?

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong:There are many things that need to be done, but in my opinion, we should focus on a few solutions first: Expediting the development of human resource training and development plans. This is the first step in ensuring the development of a tourism workforce that meets the industry's current and future development requirements in terms of structure, quantity, and quality. Directing the implementation of the newly issued National Tourism Occupational Skills Standards (VTOS), coupled with the strict organization and management of annual skills competitions, honoring individuals with excellent skills; and monitoring the quality of products and services through the assessment and certification of service establishments. Diversifying training and development methods to suit the province's tourism human resource development needs, linking vocational training institutions with businesses, and encouraging targeted and order-based training. Enhancing the professionalism of the workforce through strengthening training, retraining, and professional development in tourism tailored to each target group, including promoting capacity building for state management officials and tourism business managers, especially directors of small and medium-sized hotels; improving the professional skills, foreign language proficiency, and communication and interpersonal skills of staff and workers in tourism businesses and the local community, with a focus on Vinh City, Cua Lo Town, and Nam Dan District.

In coordination with the Tourism Association and local authorities, launch the "Nghe An Smile" movement at service and hospitality establishments to create an image of a friendly and hospitable Nghe An; continue to implement the breakthrough task of building a civilized, friendly, and hospitable tourism environment, linked with the implementation of the coordinated program to improve destination quality and build a civilized tourism environment between the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and three localities: Vinh City, Cua Lo Town, and Nam Dan District. Integrate tourism training with public education and awareness campaigns through mass media to enhance social awareness of civilized tourism, environmental protection, and sustainable tourism development.

PV:Thank you very much, sir!

Thanh Thuy(perform)