The tourism industry has experienced destructive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that resulted in many changes in its workforces. Therefore, tourism businesses in Da Nang are actively preparing their employees for the city’s tourism recovery roadmap.

Guests are checking in for the New Orient Hotel Danang located on Dong Da Street, Hai Chau District. Photo: NHAT HA

The Da Nang tourism industry has been "frozen" for nearly two years due to the crisis. Data published by the Da Nang Department of Tourism showed that 90% of tourism businesses have temporarily suspended their operations due to COVID-19, about 42,000 direct workers in the tourism industry or 80% of the sector’s total employees along with thousands of indirect workers have lost their jobs during the pandemic.

A preliminary survey shows that hospitality and travel workers laid off because of the coronavirus pandemic are struggling to make ends meet and they're being forced to look for temporary work.

In its efforts to support the unemployed hospitality workers, the Da Nang government has facilitated them to access preferential loans from the Da Nang Branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies. In addition, financial support from national and municipal governments has been provided for struggling hospitality workers impacted by the crisis. Therefore, the laid-off and fully furloughed hospitality employees hope that the tourism industry will recover from COVID-19 as soon as possible in order to allow them to go back to their old jobs.

A staff member (left) at the Altara Suites Danang Hotel located in Phuoc My Ward, Son Tra District is introducing its services to a guest. Photo: Q.H

Ms. Huynh Thi Kim Luong, the President of the Da Nang Tourism Trade Union One Member Limited Liability Company said that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought negative effects on businesses, pushing them into great difficulties in finance, human resources, and more.

In its efforts to better prepare employees for recovering from and resuming business after COVID-19, the company has worked with the Da Nang Department of Tourism, and the municipal Hotel Association to organize online training for hotel staff and the laidoffs who want to get back to their old jobs in a bid to improve their professional skills.

Mr. Le Dinh Nam, the Deputy Director General of Furama Danang Resort, said that the number of Furama’s employees has reduced from nearly 800 to 244 during the pandemic. The retained employees are key workforce in Furama to maintain its operations in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. Many employees have been laid off during the pandemic by Furama, and they have enjoyed unemployment benefits. Hence, if Da Nang’s tourism rebounds strongly, Furama will re-recruit its workforce and re-train them in order to help them quickly adapt to their jobs.

Da Nang Tourism Association Chairman Cao Tri Dung said that tourism businesses can face difficulties in terms of economic resources and visitor sources, especially workforce, after recovering from COVID-19. The number of workers who have stopped working or quit their jobs is too high, accounting for 80% of the city’s hospitality workers. Therefore, the tourism industry will need more employees for the rebound after the COVID-19 crisis.

Mr Dung stated that apart from local residents working in the tourism industry, there are many workers from outside the city, therefore raising concerns about how to call workers from other localities to go back to their jobs in Da Nang amid COVID-19.

The Department of Tourism and the Tourism Association are working with the Municipal Labour Confederation, the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to organize training courses to improve professional skills for hospitality workers to prepare for the city’s tourism rebound.

In its efforts to prepare for the recovery of the tourism industry, the municipal Department of Tourism is taking steps to prepare human resources and ensure the best possible quality of tourism services. The focus is paid on increasing COVID-19 vaccination coverage in the tourism sector in order to make ensure that all hospitality workers serving guests receive the full two-dose course of a vaccine in 2021.

The Department has also developed a plan for the development of human resources in tourism in the 2021-2025 period, in order to meet requirements in the new normal amid COVID-19.

Reporting by NHAT HA – translating by H.L