Children visit President Hồ Chí Minh's hometown and learn about his childhood. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam's tourism industry is racing ahead, with international arrivals hitting new highs, but the sector is facing a growing shortage of skilled workers, from hotel staff and chefs to foreign-language guides and senior managers.

The country welcomed nearly 16 million international visitors in the first eight months of 2026, up 14.4 per cent year-on-year, driving up demand across hotels, travel companies, transport, restaurants and tourist attractions.

A 2026 survey by Hoteljob.vn found that nearly 90 per cent of tourism businesses planned to recruit. In Hồ Chí Minh City alone, 89.7 per cent of businesses were hiring, while 71.8 per cent said recruitment was difficult or very difficult. The biggest shortages were among frontline workers, particularly in housekeeping, engineering, food service, front-office operations, and kitchens.

The Politburo's Resolution No. 26-NQ/TW dated August 22, 2026, along with the government’s action programme adopted on September 7, 2026, set the target for tourism to directly contribute 10–12 per cent of GDP by 2030, attracting 45–50 million international visitors and generate total revenue of US$80–90 billion. Hà Nội, Hồ Chí Minh City, and Đà Nẵng are envisioned as major tourism growth hubs, while Phú Quốc emerges as a new hub. These targets will place greater demands on the tourism workforce, not only in terms of numbers but also skills, from frontline workers and foreign-language guides to managers, technology specialists and professionals delivering high-end services.

Hồ Chí Minh City's tourism sector, for example, is facing gaps in supervisory and management positions, as businesses seek staff capable of operating in an increasingly digitalised, international and competitive environment.

Foreign-language tour guides are another weak link. Demand is rising rapidly from markets such as Russia and India, while arrivals from Europe and the Middle East are also increasing. Yet training guides with the language skills and cultural knowledge needed to serve these markets can take years.

The labour crunch is even more acute in destinations far from major urban centres.

In Côn Đảo, hotels and resorts regularly struggle to recruit receptionists, housekeepers, chefs, and service staff, while travel companies face shortages of sales, marketing, and tour guide staff.

Higher salaries have done little to solve the problem. The island's high cost of living and distance from the mainland make it difficult to attract and retain skilled workers, with many leaving after only a few months.

Tourists visit Phú Quốc island. — VNA/VNS Photo

According to Hoteljob.vn, 79.5 per cent of tourism businesses have raised salaries or improved benefits over the past year. Yet 59.2 per cent cited lower incomes compared with other industries as a key reason young people leave the profession, while limited career prospects were another major factor.

Experts say Việt Nam's tourism labour shortage is not simply about training more people.

The bigger challenge is narrowing the gap between what schools teach and what employers need. Nearly 80 per cent of businesses surveyed said fewer than 20 per cent of young applicants could start work immediately, while more than 84 per cent said new recruits needed at least a month before they could work independently.

Employers are also increasingly concerned with workplace discipline, service mindset and the ability to work under pressure, rather than technical skills alone.

Experts say stronger links with policymakers, training institutions and businesses are needed to better forecast demand, redesign training and give young workers clearer career paths.

Việt Nam's tourism goals will require a workforce to match. If training and retention continue to lag behind visitor growth, the industry's labour shortage could become one of its biggest bottlenecks on the road to 2030. — VNA/VNS