For the time being, tourism businesses across Da Nang are on track of reinventing themselves in adaption to 'new normal' to rebound tourism activities in a quick and effective manner.

Tourism businesses across Da Nang are on track of reinventing themselves in adaption to 'new normal' to quickly recover in 2022. IN THE PHOTO: A training session organised by the IBH Training Academy under the Bac My An Tourist Area JSC in Ngu Hanh Son District . (Photo courtesy of the Academy)

As being a tourism business specialising in exploiting international tourists, when the international market has yet to resume, the Son Tra District- headquartered Hai Van Cat International Travel JSC has become flexible to foster domestic travel, and organize communications events, amid the pandemic so as to maintain the personnel apparatus.

Deputy General Director of the Hai Van Cat International Travel JSC Nguyen Ngoc Thien said that currently, his company is mainly getting involved in supporting our customers to book tickets, food services, and car rentals, as well as providing experiential tourism tours to the Yen Retreat, the Suoi Hoa (Toom Sara Village) tourist area, the Bay Mau coconut forest in Quang Nam Province's Hoi An City, etc.

In addition, the company is developing new tours such as golf tours for guests from Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City combined with targeting sources of real estate investors, and 2 day/1 night experience tours for nature lovers.

Moreover, the company has taken the initiative to create closer links with junior colleges, universities and vocational schools citywide so that students can join in remote internship programme.

According to Mr. Thien, most students in tourism major are unable to complete traditional internship programme because there are very few travel agencies that are open to operate amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Therefore, the company has actively connected and signed memoranda of understanding with educational establishments to receive students who need internships for completion of their academic programmes.

Mr Thien added the pandemic has altered nearly every aspect of the travel business as new service booking habits, concerns, and demands become top of mind for consumers. Customers do not know when hotels, or amusement parks reopen or what services are available in the locality, so they often search for information from the internet but the company's human resources cannot answer and advise all customers. Therefore, the interns will be guided about how sell online tours, answer questions from customers, and other skills.

In a similar move, in late 2020, the Bac My An Tourist JSC established the IBH Training Academy.

IBH Training Academy Executive Director Brett Burton said that the academy specialised in training and developing human resources with knowledge, expertise and professional skills, for the hospitality industry as well as providing training programme which is specifically designed for customers, businesses, and needy individuals.

In the past time, the academy has organised many meaningful activities, including providing recruitment-related information for students of the city-based Dong A University.

Accordingly, the university students learnt about human resource development and recruitment plans, common job requirements, and interesting recruiting stories.

Most notably, the Academy also organised a training course on rules of conduct on the banquet table for contestants of the Miss Tourism Da Nang contest.

COVID-19 has affected all aspects of socio-economic life, including tourism activities. In response to the relaxing of pandemic restrictions, tourism businesses are being encouraged to take advantage of the unique opportunities that are now on offer. In particular, the Da Nang Hotel Association has taken the initiative to make practical plans and activities to meet actual needs, thereby significantly contributing to improving the quality of human resources in the hotel industry.

Chairman of the Da Nang Hotel Association Nguyen Duc Quynh said that the association planned to train members of such classes as financial management; professional leaders; project management, and digital transformation, or organise advanced training courses for front office and food service staff, and room cleaners, to improve the quality of human resources in time of waiting for the recovery of tourism.

Reporting by NHAT HA – Translating by M.DUNG