Representatives of more than 30 state management bodies, enterprises and tourism training schools from Vietnamese cities attended a seminar on APEC tourism standards in Hanoi.
The conference, held by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), the Indonesian Culture and Tourism Ministry and the Empower Associate Consulting Institute, is a program in the fourth phase of the APEC TOOS project. Coordinated by the Indonesian Culture and Tourism Ministry.
APEC TOOS aims to survey tourism businesses in three Asia – Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries to contribute to the common standards for tourism.
According to Endang Martani, Head of Professional Standards at the Indonesian Culture and Tourism Ministry, APEC TOOS introduces a system of more than 400 standards for tourism services, from a detailed instruction for receptionists on how to answer phone calls to hotel management, for 21 APEC members.
Each member country may change the standards to suit their specific needs, Ms Martani said.
“APEC TOOS will help improve professionalism, cut vocational training costs and facilitate laborers in APEC member countries to easily seek jobs in not only their country but also in other APEC countries,” confirmed Ms Martani.
However, some tourism analysts worry that qualifications for tourism in Vietnam are still lacking and Joseph Van Doorn, Joint Director of a Vietnamese tourism human resources development project funded by the European Union, revealed that a system of standards (V.TOOS) is underway, set for completion in 2009.
Currently, up to 90 per cent of V.TOOS contents coincide with APEC TOOS, Ms Martini added, noting that APEC TOOS will help Vietnam further improve professional tourism skills, and raise the competitiveness of the local hospitality sector.
As scheduled, Indonesia will submit the completed APEC TOOS project to the Fourth APEC Tourism Ministers’ Conference in Hoi An, Quang Nam Province, for approval in October 2006.
VietNamNet
Vietnamese
