Improving quality of tour guides

To improve human resources at small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly those operating in tourism, Dong Nai City’s Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center has organized a series of professional training courses for participants from tourism areas, attractions and historical sites across the city.

Tour guide skills training organized by the Dong Nai Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center in Bu Gia Map Commune.

Covering tourism and trade skills, information technology and digital transformation, the courses equip participants with additional knowledge, communication skills and the ability to handle situations encountered while serving tourists. These efforts are helping professionalize the city’s tourism workforce.

Professionalizing the tourism workforce

The training courses are organized by the city’s Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center in coordination with Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance. Topics include transforming on-site interpretation into storytelling about local tourism and culture; developing creative narratives for tourism presentations; delivering engaging presentations and handling common situations at tourist attractions; and practicing presentations for tourism routes and destinations in Dong Nai.

M.A. Nguyen Thi Minh Thuong, a lecturer at the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance, is among the instructors directly involved in the training sessions. She said the university had worked with the Dong Nai City Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center to organize courses aimed at standardizing professional practices and improving the quality of tour guides and on-site interpreters. The courses also equip participants with knowledge of digital transformation and the application of artificial intelligence, as well as new skills to make tourism promotion more effective, improve visitor services and adapt to evolving industry trends. “This is an important step toward developing a professional tourism workforce that can meet Dong Nai’s sustainable development needs in the new period,” Thuong said.

According to Thuong, tour guides and on-site interpreters directly communicate the value of destinations to visitors. They do more than provide information: they tell stories about local history, culture and people, helping create memorable experiences. The quality of these professionals directly affects a destination’s image, reputation and appeal. Investing in the development of tour guides and interpreters is therefore an important factor in improving the quality and competitiveness of local tourism.

Improving visitor services for a new era

Dong Nai City boasts a wealth of tourism resources, including a network of historical sites and scenic attractions, ecotourism sites, cultural and community-based tourism destinations, as well as the rich and distinctive cultural heritage of the ethnic communities living in the area.

Connecting these cultural and historical values with local tourism resources creates opportunities for new and attractive tourism products. At the same time, it raises expectations for the quality of tourism personnel, particularly on-site tour guides, who interact directly with visitors and introduce them to the image, heritage and people of Dong Nai.

In response to these practical needs, Tran Thi Thu Trang, Deputy Director in charge of the city’s Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center, said the center had partnered with training institutions to organize professional courses for on-site tour guides. The courses aim to provide and update knowledge of tour guiding, presentation techniques, communication, situational handling, local history and culture, and other essential skills to improve visitor services in the new period.

According to Trang, training and upgrading the professional skills of on-site tour guides is also part of the center’s implementation of Resolution No. 10-NQ/TU of the Dong Nai City Party Committee on developing tourism into a major economic sector. The resolution identifies tourism workforce development as a key priority. It calls for focused training and professional development to equip tourism workers with occupational skills, foreign-language proficiency, digital technology skills and professional conduct. Particular attention is given to human resources serving high-value tourism segments, including transit tourism, sports tourism and premium ecotourism. The resolution also emphasizes training workers who directly serve visitors, as well as local communities, in tourism knowledge, business culture, communication and interpersonal skills. Developing knowledgeable and professional tour guides for historical sites, tourism areas and attractions is another key priority.

By Ngoc Lien, Xuan Trang – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho