INTRODUCTION
1. Necessities of the thesis:
Since the World War II, Tourism, on a global scale, has made rapid
development and become an important economic sector, which supports
developing countries in enhancing their economic development targets, poverty
reduction and improvements in living standards. It can be seen that tourism has
created millions of direct and indirect job opportunities for relevant industries
including transportation, finance and agriculture, etc. As an export industry,
tourism has managed to be ranked the 4th after the field of fuels, petrochemicals
and automobile production.
Over the past years, Vietnam Tourism has made an outstanding
development. In 2001, Vietnam only attracted about 2.3 million of international
tourists. However, it is estimated that Vietnam will be the destination of 4.5 –
4.6 million of foreign visitors and 28 million of local tourists in 2010. The
amount of income from tourism has reached about 80 thousand billion VND.
Tourism is considered to be one of the five industries which bring about highest
foreign currencies for the country.
The South Central Coast includes five coastal provinces (Binh Dinh, Phu
Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan) and there are five provinces in
the Highlands (Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong). Such
areas play a vital role in the tourism development strategy of Vietnam. In fact,
the Tourism in the South Central Coast and Highlands has witnessed a rapid
growth for the past years: The number of tourists is on an increase. Particularly,
in 2009, the number of visitors accounted for 6.7% of international tourists and
12% of local tourists of the whole country. The income gained from tourism of
the region reached 7,500 billion VND with the average growth rate of 26.5% per
year during the period 2001 – 2009. The development of tourism has contributed
to changing the appearance of the region as well as creating more jobs for local
labor and building numerous high-grade resorts.
Also, the Tourism sector of the South Central Coast and Highlands could
not catch up with the growth rate of the sector. In particular, there are certain
weaknesses in major activities, then failing to satisfy the requirements.
Moreover, the number of well-qualified staffs constitutes a small percentage,
among which the quantity of employees whose major is tourism is still low. A
majority of such employees are not good at foreign languages as well as their
working skills and professionalism are not efficient at all.
Apart from the weaknesses in the quality, there exists a serious lack of
tourism employees in the region. In addition, the structure is inappropriate and
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has not been assessed comprehensively in terms of both the theory and reality.
Moreover, there are certain shortcomings in the state management toward the
tourism development in the region: The organization is instable due to the
merging process; the development has experienced a lack of strategies, planning
and schedules; the quality of training and fostering personnel has yet been
closely controlled; there is no comprehensive solution and clear orientation for
the tourism development, then fulfilling the targets of the sector.
On the basis of the above-mentioned evaluations and opinions, in order to
enhance the efficiency of the management of the tourism development in the
South Central Coast and Highlands till 2020, I decided to choose the
“Development of human resources in Tourism in the South Central Coast and
Highlands” as the topic of my thesis which aims at contributing to the
resolution of theoretical and practical problems in the management of the
development of human resources in tourism in the said region.
2. Purposes of study: On the basis of the theory and practical survey, the Thesis
has suggested some solutions to the development of human resources in
Tourism so as to meet the requirements on tourism development till 2020 of the
provinces in the South Central Coast and Highlands.
3. Tasks of study:
- To systematize and develop the concepts and theoretical matters on the
training and development of human resources in Tourism, then creating a
theoretical basis for the research.
- To analyze the current situation of the development of human resources
in Tourism including quantity, quality and structure; the training of human
resources and the management of manpower development in Tourism in the
South Central Coast and Highlands.
- To suggest some solutions to develop the human resources in Tourism
of the said region till 2020.
4. Subjects of study: The thesis focuses on studying the development of human
resources in Tourism in the state management system and tourism enterprises in
the South Central Coast and Highlands.
5. Scope of study:
- In terms of the contents: The thesis has managed to study the theoretical
and practical matters on the development of human resources in Tourism so as
to offer some solutions.
- In terms of the space: The thesis focuses on studying the provinces in the
South Central Coast (Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Binh
Thuan) and Highlands (Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong)
- In terms of time:
+ The figures used to evaluate the current status of human resources in
Tourism in the region are collected from 2001 to 2009.
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+ Orientation and solutions to the development of human resources in
Tourism are used for the period 2015 – 2020.
6. Methodology and research methods:
The thesis has employed the dialectical materialism and historical
materialism . Moreover, the thesis has selected the research methods of Public
Administration Management through the systematical approach, analysis and
survey, social investigation and expert method. Besides, the thesis also inherits
various relevant studies, statistics and documents.
7. Some improvements of the thesis
- The thesis is the first deep and comprehensive research on the
management of the human resources development in tourism in the South
Central Coast and Highlands in terms of both the theory and reality.
- The thesis has provided a systematic assessment on the management and
development of human resources in the Tourism of the said region. The major
reasons for numerous problems in the tourism development of the region have
also been pointed out.
- The thesis has suggested some comprehensive and feasible solutions to
the development of human resources in Tourism of the region.
8. Structure of the thesis
Besides the introduction, overview, conclusion and recommendations,
references and appendixes, the thesis consists of three chapters as follows:
- Chapter I: Thereotical basis and some experience in the development of
human resources in Tourism
- Chapter II: Current status of the development of human resources in
Tourism in the South Central Coast and Highlands during the period of 2001 –
2009.
- Chapter III: Some solutions to the development of human resources in
Tourism in the South Central Coast and Highlands
OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH SITUATION
1. Situation of local research:
The studies of local authors on the development of human resources in
Tourism can be divided into three major groups as following:
- Scientific reports and articles in magazines and newspapers: A
considerable number of famous scholars have studied the development of human
resources: Prof.Dr. Hoang Van Chau, the Rector of Hanoi Foreign Trade
University with the study “Development of high quality human resources for the
economic integration – an urgent problem since the crisis”; Vice Prof.Dr Duc
Vuong, Rector of the Institute of Science Studies for Talents and Human
Resources with the research “Building Vietnam intelligentsia in the period of
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2011 – 2020” and Mr. Nguyen Trung, a former ambassador in Thailand who is
well known with the study “Thoughts of the development of human resources in
Vietnam”.
- Projects and programs: The project on “Development of Human
Resources in Vietnam Tourism” (Code: VNM/B7-301/ IB/97/0234) conducted
by Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and European Community with
the aim to enhance the standards and quality of human resources in Vietnam
Tourism; VIE/031 Project (Improvement in the capabilities of human resources
in Tourism and Hotel) funded by the Government of Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg and conducted between 20th January, 2010 and 31st December,
2012 with the aim to support the development of human resources in
Tourism in the key areas.
- Textbooks and references: Here are some typical textbooks on the
development of human resources in Tourism: “State management of economic
and social matters” edited by Dr. Nguyen Hoc Hien, Scienticic and Technical
Publisher, Hanoi, 2007; “Management of social human resources” edited by
Prof. Dr. Bui Van Nhon, Scienticic and Technical Publisher, Hanoi, 2008 and
“Tourism Economics” edited by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Dinh, Vice Prof. Dr.
Tran Thi Minh Hoa – Hanoi, National Economic University, 2008
2. Research situation in foreign countries:
It can be seen that the development of human resources in Tourism has
experienced a comprehensive and thorough study. Some studies have been
translated into Vietnamese and used as the textbooks and references in some
tourism schools. For example, “Management of Modern Hotels” (Editor: Luc
Boi Minh, Shanghai Publisher, 1996), Research Institute of Tourism
Development and National Political Publisher, 1997; “Tourism economics and
tourism study” edited by Dong Ngoc Minh and Vuong Loi Dinh, HCM
Publishing House, 2000.
3. General evaluation of the research situation and problems to be
addressed
- In fact, the above-mentioned studies have only provided general
understanding of human resources or mentioned some aspects of the
development of human resources in general. No study offers a systematic
approach to the development of human resources in Tourism in terms of the
thereotical basis.
- The solutions given by the said studies have stopped at a macro level. A
majority of the solutions are recommended for the general development. In other
words, it seems to be extremely hard for such solutions to be efficient in the
Tourism.
- There is no specific and deep study on the development of human
resources in Tourism for the South Central Coast and Highlands.
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On the basis of the local and foreign research situation, the thesis targets
to systematize, select and build up certain concepts and theories on the
development of human resources in Tourism; Analyze the current situation of
the development and management of human resources in Tourism in the South
Central Coast and Highlands; Suggest some solutions to the development of
human resources in Tourism in the said region till 2020.
Chapter 1
THEORETICAL BASIS AND SOME EXPERIENCE IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES IN TOURISM
1.1. Human resources in Tourism
1.1.1. Human resource
Definition: Human resource is a category to describe the potential
strengths of residents and the capability of mobilizing them into the production
of facilities and spiritual values for the society at the moment as well as in the
future. These strengths and capability are demonstrated by the quality, quantity
and structure of the population, especially the quality and quantity of the force
who can take part in the social production.
1.1.2. Human resources in Tourisms
1.1.2.1. Basic concepts in Tourism
The term Tourism is derived from Greek with the meaning the action of
movement around a circle. This term is Latinized to be tornus and then tourisme
(France), tourism (English), etc. Up to now, there are various view on Tourism,
some authors concentrate on explaining the concept Tourism as a movement
phenomenon outside their habitual residences; Others concentrate on Tourist
and economic field of Tourism.
In Vietnam, Tourism Law (2005) specifies: Tourism means activities connected
with trips taken by people outside their habitual residences aimed at satisfying
their needs for sightseeing, study, leisure or recreation in a certain period of
time.(Clause 1 Article 4).
Tourism Law also interprets several terms of Tourism as follows:
Tourism activity means activities of tourists, organizations and individuals doing
tourism business, local communities, agencies, organizations and individuals
engaged in tourism related activities; Tourism resources mean natural
landscapes, natural elements, historical or cultural relics, works of creative
human labor or humanity values which can be utilized to meet tourist needs and
constitute a fundamental factor to form tourist resorts, tourist spots, tourist
routes or tourist. cities; Tourist product means a combination of necessary
services provided in order to meet the needs of tourists during a trip; Tourist
service means the provision of services in travel, transportation,
accommodation, meals and drinks, entertainment, information, guidance and
other services to satisfy the
needs of tourists.
1.1.2.2. The Human resource of Tourism
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