To honor travel enterprises with best practice in human resources development as well as promoting the Vietnam Tourism Occupational Skills Standards System (dubbed the VTOS System), the Vietnam Human Resources Development in Tourism Project (funded by the EU) and the Vietnam Tourism Association jointly held the “Best Hotels/Travel Agents on VTOS training” awarding ceremony on July 2^nd 2009 at Hanoi Opera House.

To get this noble prize, these Tourism enterprises have been facilitating their Supervisors/Managers to join the Trainer Development Programme provided by the Project, then supporting their Trainers (certified by Vietnam Tourism Certification Board as VTOS Trainers) conduct on-the-job training for staff, enabling them to pass the skills assessments and get the VTOS certificates from VTCB.

With VTCB certification, laborers can have more chance to get job in tourism industry, better career development and improve their working capacity as well. Besides, laborers are recognized their relevant occupational skill, technical knowledge, which is aligned with the international and local occupational skills standards. In addition to that, VTCB certification plays a role as “a passport” allowing job mobility among people working in the tourism industry in the international and local market, when the Mutual Recognition Agreement within the ASEAN countries just signed in Jan 2009 comes into effect in 2010.

Hotels to be awarded:

1.       3-star Hotel: Bông Sen Hotel (Lotus Hotel) – Ho Chi Minh city

2.       4-star Hotel: H?i An Hotel - Hoi An

3.       5-star Hotel: Sofitel Plaza Hanoi Hotel - Hanoi

Travel Agents to be awarded:

1.       Saigontourist Travel Service Company – Ho Chi Minh city

2.       OSC Travel (SMI Group) Company – Ho Chi Minh city

Source: VHRD in Tourism Project