According to an online survey conducted by Da Nang Tourism Promotion Fund in October 2020, in the wake of the COVID-19 waves last year, more than 80% of the interviewed businesses specialise in exploiting tourists from Central Viet Nam and Central Highlands, 66% targeting those from the North, and 35.8% attracting the southern tourist market.

Besides, more than 70% of the businesses continued to operate and changed their operation sizes and personnel scales, whilst 17% temporarily suspended their operations, and 8.4% kept their operation sizes unchanged. 

In 2019, Da Nang tourism had about 50,949 employees, but the unexpected pandemic caused huge fluctuations in staff numbers working for the hospitality sector in 2020, with about 62% of the total tourism human resources quitted and change their jobs.

Representatives of some businesses also expressed deep concern over the fact that the pandemic caused many hospitality workers to have been laid-off or furloughed by their employers.

Tourism experts, last year, also warned of a severe shortage of staff in Da Nang tourism industry for a post-pandemic recovery because the unpaid lay-offs were forced to find other livelihoods to make ends meet during the challenging times triggered by the pandemic.

According to a recent survey conducted by ATM ASIA, the average rate of laid-off employees in the interviewed businesses is about 45.9%, the average rate of employees furloughed or taking a rotating leave is about 40%. The rate of employment change is higher for women (40.4%) than for men (36.5%). Those who made job shifts are aged 33 - 41.

In fact, as tourism is the most heavily affected sector by the pandemic, its staff struggled financially in their lives. Meanwhile, to reboot the flow and growth that Da Nang tourism sector has enjoyed over the past years may take more time.

General Director of Furama Resort Da Nang Nguyen Duc Quynh underlined a must-do for the tourism industry to soon adjust the appropriate tourist market structure, with a focus on developing the domestic market by promoting Da Nang as a safe destination free from the deadly coronavirus in Viet Nam in the coming time.

In addition, it is necessary to organise more webinars and online promotions, strategically, and promptly launch appropriate stimulus packages to temp domestic tourists back to Da Nang.

He also said it is high time for Da Nang tourism industry to take solutions to maintain and improve the quality of human resources by opening a survey on the status of tourism personnel, apply professional standards to standardise human resources.

Director of the municipal Department of Tourism Truong Thi Hong Hanh said, in addition to implementing plans to restore tourism activities and stimulate travel demand in 2021, heed will be paid to conducting a human resource survey, from which appropriate solutions such as organising short-term training courses and programmes will be taken.

These aforementioned proposals are considered to be proactive moves to prepare sufficient manpower to serve holidaymakers, hopefully including foreigners, after Viet Nam opens its borders and resumes all international flights following successful containment of the global COVID-19 pandemic in the near future.

By THU HA – Translated by A.T