Quang Tri improves service quality ahead of Festival for Peace in 2024

The central province of Quang Tri will enhance the quality of accommodation and human resources in preparation for the Festival for Peace in 2024.

As the host, the province sees this work as an urgent task to promote the image of Quang Tri culture and attract visitors, said Pham Cong Vinh, Chairman of the Quang Tri Tourism Association.Vinh said the program is scheduled in July, which will significantly pressure the accommodation and catering services as the month is always the peak season of tourism service in the province, with the accommodation system operating at full capacity.

The hotel receptionist team creates the first impression for tourists. Photo: M.L

Currently, the province has 221 accommodation establishments with over 3,200 rooms. However, 65 hotels have achieved one-four stars, while the remaining 156 are guesthouses, homestays, and small-scale accommodation facilities, accounting for 70% of the total in the province.

Vinh said the province“s capacity for catering and accommodation services is still limited due to businesses” lack of capital and investment in upgrading facilities. In particular, the tourism industry is heavily affected by seasonal factors. Visitors always come to Quang Tri in April and July every year, with fewer tourists staying overnight, so it is difficult for businesses to invest more.

Shortage of workforce

A report from the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism shows that the non-smoking industry had about 4,800 workers before Covid-19. However, this number has decreased by over 40% due to the pandemic"s impact, leading to a shortage of labor during the tourism recovery period.

According to the Provincial Tourism Association, after Covid-19, the hotels" demand for workers is increasing in the context of limited supply.

The number of overnight guests increased sharply in the first months of 2023. Photo: M.L

Since the beginning of the year, Saigon - Dong Ha Hotel has continuously opened training classes on-site for employees. Although it is the peak time for welcoming tourists, the hotel staff still takes turns participating in new training and retraining in housekeeping, reception, and restaurant services.

According to Trinh Nhat, a lecturer from Ho Chi Minh City who directly guides restaurant management for the hotel"s employees, it takes 3-5 years for a tourism service employee to become proficient.

As the locality“s tourism sector has yet to develop, it needs preferential policies to attract skilled workers from other provinces and cities in the Central region. Besides, the province needs to set up more tourism training institutions to meet the businesses” demand for human resources.

Upgrading infrastructure

Time is running out to prepare for international cultural events like the Festival for Peace in 2024. Therefore, along with implementing plans for the festival, the province needs to comprehensively review and assess accommodation facilities" current status and capacity.

Saigon-Dong Ha Hotel invites lecturers to train and guide skills for restaurant management at the hotel. Photo: M.L

The province needs to give solutions to encourage businesses to invest in equipment, fire prevention and safety, food hygiene and sanitation, landscaping, expanding support services, and guiding accommodation facilities to register for recognition of hotel categories according to regulations.

Ho Van Hoan, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said the department would coordinate with the provincial Tourism Association to grasp the needs of businesses and organize training courses on tourism operations for management officials and staff, improving the quality of tourism human resources.

They will also create conditions for businesses to learn from the experience of typical tourism accommodation and hotel models in other provinces and cities through linkage programs to stimulate tourism.

Regarding the number of accommodation facilities, there will be several resort projects in the coastal area that are being rushed to completion and put into operation in the near future.

The department continues to review the legal corridor and propose policies for the province to create an investment-friendly environment to attract more capital into tourism infrastructure, especially accommodation facilities.

The tourism industry made a good recovery in the first six months of 2023. The total number of tourists to Quang Tri reached nearly 1.2 million, an increase of 54.1% year-on-year, according to the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

Notably, accommodation and tour activities have been thriving. The number of tourists served by accommodation facilities reached 438,822, a three-fold increase compared to the same period last year. Among them, the number of overnight tourists was 298,700, up 3.5 times, and the number of days tourists stayed also surged by 3.2 times.

Mai Lam - Khanh Khanh