The tourism sector has become an increasingly important driver of growth and prosperity for many countries. Given the comparatively low contribution of the tourism sector to the economy in Vietnam, an in-depth exploration of industry aspects is worthwhile to consider. This study explored factors influencing effective hospitality higher education in Vietnam that support the on-going development of the industry through the availability of quality human resources. The study involved 26 in-depth interviews with industry professionals, hospitality academics, and hospitality undergraduate students. Three factors were identified, including (1) the current employment demand in the Vietnamese hospitality industry, (2) the suitability of hospitality programs in preparation for hospitality careers, and (3) the reality of Vietnamese hospitality workplaces for higher education students. The findings of this study provide insights into the current status of hospitality higher education in Vietnam, and offer evidence-based insights into key factors influencing contributions of higher education to an expanding hospitality industry.

Introduction

International hospitality and tourism has been widely recognised as a fast-growing, labour-intensive industry (Korpi & Mertens, 2004) that has the potential to make a significant economic contribution (Crotti & Misrahi, 2015; Truong, 2006). The interactions between tourists, and hospitality and tourism industry personnel, are an integral part of the tourist’s total experience, and thus a critical element of success. These interactions typically take place in hotels, resorts, other lodging enterprises, and restaurants, which collectively constitute the hospitality industry. A key factor behind the success of the hospitality industry is the availability of high quality personnel to deliver, operate and manage tourist products. One key role of hospitality education is to support the profession, requiring a close partnership between the hospitality industry and education providers (Tesone & Ricci, 2005; Zopiatis & Constanti, 2007). Through such a partnership, industry needs can be identified and addressed, via the provision of skilled staff with appropriate educational qualifications (Smith & Cooper, 2000). A competitive education system must response to the needs and expectations of those involved, including industry employers, students, and educational providers (World Tourism Organisation [WTO], 2004). In Vietnam, given the comparatively low contribution of the hospitality and tourism sector to the economy, namely 4.6% of 2013 GDP (Crotti & Misrahi, 2015), a more in-depth exploration of aspects of the industry are worthwhile to consider. The hospitality industry in Vietnam is in an early stage of development, as is the education system that supports it. As the hospitality and tourism industry is by nature labour-intensive, one such aspect which exerts a major impact on the services delivered by the industry, is human resources. The potential economic contribution of the hospitality and tourism sector in Vietnam is well recognised (Crotti & Misrahi, 2015), with the current human resources preparation identified as a limitation (Ha, 2012). Widespread concern has been expressed in the literature with regard to graduates’ lack of skills and poor preparation for the workplace (Bodewig et al., 2014; Montague, 2013; Pham, 2008; Tran & Swierczek, 2009; Tran, 2013). Tran and Swierczek (2009) explored employers’ needs and assessed graduate quality and skill delivery in university courses. Results indicated that graduate quality and skill delivery were reported to be generally below standard, with a particular concern focused on interpersonal skills for effective teamwork. Interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, and learning attributes were found to be the most three important qualities assessed by the industry employers. In a 2010 study, Nguyen and Robinson interviewed managers across industries and found that Vietnam has experienced an oversupply of low-level labour, at the expense of an adequate supply of skilled workers and managers.