MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM VIETNAM NATIONAL ADMINISTRATION OF TOURISM VIETNAM TOURISM OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS TRAVEL & TOUR OPERATIONS Hanoi, 2015 VIETNAM TOURISM OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS: TRAVEL AND TOUR OPERATIONS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Vietnam Tourism Occupational Standards for Travel and Tour Operations were developed by the EU-funded “Environmentally & Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme” (ESRT Programme) on behalf of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism/Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. The content was developed by a team of international and local experts with support from technical working groups, government departments, the tourism industry and local colleges. ESRT would sincerely like to thank all individuals and groups for their valued contributions to the development of these materials with special mention to the • Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) • Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) • Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) • Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) • Vietnam Tourism Certification Board (VTCB) • Hotel and Travel Associations and members • Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam © Environmentally & Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme funded by the EU 5 VIETNAM TOURISM OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS: TRAVEL AND TOUR OPERATIONS GLOSSARY ITEM DEFINITION Assessment The process of making judgements about the extent to which a candidate’s work meets the assessment criteria for a qualification or unit, or part of a unit Assessment criteria Assessment criteria list the performance/skills and knowledge and understanding that need to be assessed Assessment methods VTOS allows a variety of assessment methods that are appropriate for different types of performance or knowledge Assessor An experienced person who is qualified to assess the performance of the candidate and usually from the same area of work, e. Front Office Supervisor Assessor guide A guide for assessors on how to assess the candidate and how to record and document the candidate performance and knowledge Attitudes/behaviours Attitudes and behaviours impact on the quality of work performance and so these are important aspects of ‘being competent.’ Attitudes and behaviours describe the general ways in which individuals go about achieving the outcomes Certification The award of a certificate or diploma to a candidate based on assessment of performance Competency Competency is the ability to apply specific skills, knowledge and behaviours/attitudes necessary to fulfil the job requirements satisfactorily Core units Core units include basic competencies that all employees must possess (e.
communication skills) Functional units Functional (technical/professional) units relate to the hospitality or tourism job itself Generic units Generic competencies are those competencies that are common to a group of jobs such as cookery or travel Management units These are the generic competencies for roles in an organization that involve managing, supervising or influencing the work of others in some way. Standards Occupational standards define the knowledge, skills and attitudes/behaviours (competence) required for effective workplace performance Unit of competence A unit is the smallest part of a qualification can be certified individually VTOS Vietnam Tourism Occupational Standards 6 © Environmentally & Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme funded by the EU VIETNAM TOURISM OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS: TRAVEL AND TOUR OPERATIONS CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 11 VTOS DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY. 11 VTOS LEVELS AND QUALIFICATIONS.
12 VTOS COMPETENCY UNITS. TRAVEL AND TOUR OPERATIONS OCCUPATIONS. 16 LIST OF UNITS OF COMPETENCE. 17 FOOD PREPARATION QUALIFICATIONS.
UNIT TITLE: PREPARE A BASIC TRAVEL PLAN. UNIT TITLE: PREPARE TOUR PROGRAMME INFORMATION FOR PRESENTATION TO CUSTOMERS. UNIT TITLE: INFORM AND CONSULT CUSTOMERS IN RELATION TO TOUR PACKAGE PURCHASE AND CONSUMPTION. UNIT TITLE: RECEIVE AND PROCESS A RESERVATION.
UNIT TITLE: ADVISE CUSTOMERS PRIOR TO AND AFTER TRAVELLING. UNIT TITLE: IMPLEMENT A TOUR PROGRAMME. UNIT TITLE: PREPARE TOUR ACCOUNTS. UNIT TITLE: IDENTIFY AND ASSESS THE NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CUSTOMERS.
UNIT TITLE: RESEARCH TRAVEL AND DESTINATION INFORMATION. UNIT TITLE: DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIPS WITH TOUR PROGRAMME SUPPLIERS. UNIT TITLE: DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIPS WITH TOURISM DESTINATION STAKEHOLDERS. UNIT TITLE: DEVELOP AND UPDATE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE.
UNIT TITLE: HANDLE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES. UNIT TITLE: SOURCE AND PACKAGE TOURISM PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. UNIT TITLE: SOURCE AND PROVIDE DESTINATION INFORMATION AND ADVICE. UNIT TITLE: OPERATE TOUR PROGRAMMES IN REMOTE AREAS.
UNIT TITLE: MAINTAIN TRAVEL AND TOUR PRODUCT INVENTORY. UNIT TITLE: OPERATE AN ONLINE INFORMATION AND RESERVATION SYSTEM. UNIT TITLE: SELL TAILOR-MADE TRAVEL SERVICES. 74 © Environmentally & Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme funded by the EU 7 VIETNAM TOURISM OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS: TRAVEL AND TOUR OPERATIONS TOS3.
UNIT TITLE: OBTAIN AND COMMUNICATE CUSTOMER FEEDBACK AND INFORMATION. UNIT TITLE: CONDUCT A STAFF PERFORMANCE REVIEW. UNIT TITLE: PROVIDE ON-THE-JOB COACHING. UNIT TITLE: DELIVER A GROUP TRAINING SESSION.
UNIT TITLE: QUALITY ASSURE WORK IN YOUR TEAM. UNIT TITLE: PLAN, ALLOCATE AND MONITOR WORK OF A TEAM. UNIT TITLE: PREPARE AND ANALYSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND REPORTS. UNIT TITLE: PLAN, MANAGE AND CONDUCT MEETINGS.
UNIT TITLE: MANAGE SPECIAL EVENTS. UNIT TITLE: MANAGE INCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES. UNIT TITLE: OPERATE BASIC SECURITY EQUIPMENT. UNIT TITLE: MONITOR VEHICLES IN SAFE AND CLEAN OPERATIONAL CONDITION.
UNIT TITLE: MANAGE TRAVEL OPERATIONS. UNIT TITLE: DEVELOP, COST AND MONITOR A COMPLEX TOUR PROGRAMME. UNIT TITLE: MANAGE A TOUR PROGRAMME. UNIT TITLE: ORGANISE, CONDUCT AND FINALIZE A FAMILIARIZATION TRIP.
UNIT TITLE: MONITOR THE PARTICIPATION IN TOURISM TRADE FAIRS AND EXHIBITIONS. UNIT TITLE: ANALYSE CUSTOMER FEEDBACK AND INFORMATION. UNIT TITLE: ADOPT GREEN OFFICE PRINCIPLES. UNIT TITLE: DEVELOP AND DESIGN RESPONSIBLE TOURISM PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.
UNIT TITLE: SELECT SUPPLIERS BASED ON RESPONSIBLE TOURISM PRINCIPLES. UNIT TITLE: DEVELOP, MANAGE AND MONITOR SUPPLIERS. UNIT TITLE: ENSURE CUSTOMERS ARE AWARE OF RESPONSIBLE TOURISM POLICIES. UNIT TITLE: MAINTAIN RESPONSIBLE TOURISM PRACTICES.
UNIT TITLE: IDENTIFY STAFF DEVELOPMENT NEEDS. UNIT TITLE: INITIATE AND FOLLOW DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES. UNIT TITLE: RECRUIT, SELECT AND RETAIN STAFF. UNIT TITLE: HANDLE STAFF GRIEVANCES AND RESOLVE PROBLEMS.
UNIT TITLE: IMPLEMENT OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES. UNIT TITLE: PREPARE BUDGETS. UNIT TITLE: PROCURE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. UNIT TITLE: MANAGE BUDGETS.
UNIT TITLE: MANAGE PHYSICAL RESOURCES. UNIT TITLE: MONITOR, CONTROL AND ORDER NEW STOCK. UNIT TITLE: MANAGE DAILY OPERATIONS. UNIT TITLE: MANAGE QUALITY SERVICE AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
UNIT TITLE: COORDINATE MARKETING ACTIVITIES. UNIT TITLE: MANAGE AND IMPROVE TOUR PRODUCT MARKETING. UNIT TITLE: ANALYSE AND IMPROVE TRAVEL OPERATIONS, TOUR PRODUCTS AND’ SERVICES. UNIT TITLE: ENSURE RESPONSIBLE EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS.
194 8 © Environmentally & Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme funded by the EU VIETNAM TOURISM OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS: TRAVEL AND TOUR OPERATIONS RTS5. UNIT TITLE: BUILD CAPACITY OF STAFF IN SUSTAINABLE AND RESPONSIBLE TOURISM PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES. UNIT TITLE: MONITOR AND EVALUATE TOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. UNIT TITLE: SUPPORT TOURISM DESTINATIONS IN IMPLEMENTING RESPONSIBLE TOURISM PRACTICES.
UNIT TITLE: SUPERVISE THE APPLICATION OF RESPONSIBLE TOURISM PRINCIPLES. UNIT TITLE: PLAN THE WORKFORCE. UNIT TITLE: OPTIMISE EFFECTIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY. UNIT TITLE: ESTABLISH POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
UNIT TITLE: PLAN AND CONDUCT AND EVACUATION OF PREMISES. UNIT TITLE: USE THE TELEPHONE IN THE WORKPLACE. UNIT TITLE: WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH OTHERS. UNIT TITLE: COMPLETE ROUTINE ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS.
UNIT TITLE: USE ENGLISH AT A BASIC OPERATIONAL LEVEL. UNIT TITLE: MAINTAIN INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE. UNIT TITLE: PROVIDE BASIC FIRST AID. UNIT TITLE: PROVIDE SAFETY AND SECURITY.
UNIT TITLE: APPLY INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY KNOWLEDGE. UNIT TITLE: PREPARE FOR WORK. UNIT TITLE: RECEIVE AND RESOLVE COMPLAINTS. UNIT TITLE: PROCESS FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS.
UNIT TITLE: MAINTAIN DOCUMENT FILING AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS. UNIT TITLE: DEVELOP GUEST RELATIONSHIPS. UNIT TITLE: PREPARE AND PRESENT REPORTS. UNIT TITLE: ORGANISE TOURS AND EXCURSIONS.
UNIT TITLE: APPLY RESPONSIBLE TOURISM PRINCIPLES. UNIT TITLE: PREPARE BUSINESS DOCUMENTS IN ENGLISH. 261 © Environmentally & Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme funded by the EU 9 VIETNAM TOURISM OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS: TRAVEL AND TOUR OPERATIONS 10 © Environmentally & Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme funded by the EU VIETNAM TOURISM OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS: TRAVEL AND TOUR OPERATIONS I. INTRODUCTION With the aim to help meet the needs for a qualified workforce for the tourism industry in Vietnam, the EU-funded, Environmentally & Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme (ESRT) was tasked to revise the Vietnam Tourism Occupational Skills Standards (VTOS) which were originally developed under the EU-funded Human Resource Development in Tourism Project (HRDT).
The revised VTOS have been developed and benchmarked against international occupational standards and ASEAN Common Competency Standards for Tourism Professionals (ACCSTP) and will satisfy the requirements of the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Tourism Professionals (MRA-TP). Occupational Standards refer to the agreed minimum best practice for jobs in the tourism/hospitality industry, and include the statutory (legal, health, safety, security) requirements. They specify what a person should know and do, as well as the way they do their work, in order to carry out the functions of a particular job in the context of the work environment. VTOS covers two major divisions within the tourism sector (hospitality and travel) with six key occupational areas in line with ASEAN: Hospitality Division (Front Office Operations, Housekeeping Operations, Food & Beverage Service, Food Preparation) and Travel Division (Travel & Tour Operations, Tour Guiding).
VTOS also includes four specialist areas (Hotel Management, Small Accommodation Operations, On-site Tour Guiding, and Tourist Boat Service) to meet the unique requirements of Vietnam tourism industry. VTOS units of competence have been grouped to provide a range of industry-relevant qualifications/job titles from basic to advanced levels and also a number of diplomas suitable for college teaching, therefore making it relevant for the industry and the formal education sector. VTOS can be used by: Hospitality and travel companies to set a standard for how the work of their employees should be completed. VTOS units can be used for training staff in the key skills and job functions for a range of skills.
In addition VTOS can be used to assess the performance of staff against the standards. Organizations can arrange to register their staff with an assessment centre to formally recognise or assess their skills and gain a certificate. Colleges and training organisations to design their hospitality or tourism curriculum. VTOS clearly specifies the skills, knowledge and behaviours required for particular jobs in the industry.
VTOS units can be compiled to provide a curriculum for a range of education and training courses or programmes. VTOS DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY VTOS was prepared by conducting a detailed functional analysis of hospitality and tourism jobs with a technical working group of industry experts to identify the key competencies needed for jobs for the tourism sector. The functional analysis provides an accurate and detailed separation of the functions which have to be carried out in order to achieve the key purpose of the sector, occupation or area of work. A review of Vietnam tourism qualifications and occupational standards has been conducted via a national Training Needs Assessment (TNA).
The outcome of the TNA identified areas of skills shortages and defined skills requirements and competencies that will be required of tourism professionals. Six occupational areas identified by ASEAN and the previous Vietnam Tourism Occupational Skills Standards were then used as a baseline to verify the findings of the functional analysis, and the competencies identified by the Technical Working Groups were then benchmarked against international standards to ensure any gaps were filled. The VTOS were then developed using an international occupational standards approach which developed the contents of the standards as competencies in a format compatible with ASEAN. The units of competence include a unit title, the performance criteria, knowledge requirements, conditions of performance and variables, assessment criteria, assessment methods and references to ACCSTP.
These competencies were then grouped into levels according to the ASEAN definition. VTOS units of competence were prepared by a team of international and Vietnamese subject experts. The units were reviewed by Technical Working Groups comprising industry practitioners and vocational trainers from local institutions. Feedback from these consultations have been incorporated, revised into the standards, and a selection of units have been piloted with trainees to ensure the level and content was appropriate for the job areas identified.