Vietnam to attract more guides

HANOI Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister, Hoang Tuan Anh, says improving tour guide skills is now a priority to end a shortage that if left unresolved will damage long-term tourism goals.
The tourism minister said: “Tourism students have been made aware of this situation… career orientation courses will be offered, as well as a set of professional standards, to make tour guiding an acceptable career.”
He affirmed the ministry will work together with the Ministry of Education and Training to provide guide courses.
“The ministry has issued a short-term curricula and a set of foreign language qualification rules. Those unable to take training courses can sit for vocational examinations to be licensed.”
Beyond that, a draft law on tourism also makes it more flexible and easier to enroll for guide courses.
Up to June this year, there were over 14,000 licensed international tour guides nationwide, a dramatic increase from 5,000 in 2005.
The scheme to train more guides will support efforts to draw more tourists tourist China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Cambodia, Russia, Australia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
For January to August this year, there were 5,471,209 international tourist arrivals to Vietnam, an increase of 12.2% over the same period last year.

sourced:ttrweekly.com