Tourism market grows but human resources lag behind
International arrivals surge, foreign language tour guides remain scarce
In the first six months of 2026, Vietnam welcomed nearly 12.3 million international visitors, an increase of 14.9%. Specifically, Russian visitors reached about 742,700, an increase of up to 185.8%, becoming the third-largest market after China and South Korea.
This is a very encouraging sign. But behind that growth rate is a thought-provoking paradox: the whole country currently has only 462 international tour guides who use Russian.
Out of a total of 27,663 international tour guides, 15,208 speak English, 6,918 speak Chinese; while only 759 speak Japanese, 369 speak German, 323 speak Spanish, and 225 speak Italian.
The number of international tourists to Vietnam increased sharply in the first half of 2026 (Source: collected)
Tourism human resource training has not kept pace with the market
The issue is not just a lack of people with foreign language skills. What is more concerning is that the market is changing faster than the tourism industry’s ability to prepare human resources. Flight routes can be opened quickly, but people cannot be trained in a single season.
As of mid-June 2026, Vietnam has 4,615 international travel enterprises. In just six months, 285 new licenses were granted, reflecting great confidence in market prospects. However, a business can be established in a few months, a flight can be opened after a promotion season, but training a guide proficient in Russian, Japanese, German, or Arabic takes many years.
Tourism foreign language is not just about speaking a few conversational phrases. A guide must understand culture, history, guest psychology, religion, cuisine, law, crisis management skills, and the art of storytelling. They must convey very Vietnamese things using a language and frame of reference that tourists can feel. Therefore, we cannot wait for visitor numbers to increase before opening classes.
The Russian-speaking staff at Furama Resort Danang is part of the effort to improve service quality for the Russian tourist market.
Foreign language human resources: Gaps and opportunities
The Russian language human resource puzzle
Previously, for the Russian market, the tourism industry relied heavily on Vietnamese people who had studied, worked, or lived in the Soviet Union and Russia. They had good Russian language skills, understood the culture, and had practical experience. But most of this force is now over 60 years old. They are still a valuable source of knowledge, but it is difficult for them to regularly lead long journeys or work with high intensity.
Meanwhile, the next generation is not yet strong enough. The Russian market had declined for a long time, causing few students to choose to study Russian, businesses not daring to hire long-term, and schools finding it difficult to maintain classes when the output was unclear.
The result is a vicious cycle: No visitors means no training; when visitors return, there are not enough people to serve them in time.
Growing demand for foreign language human resources
A representative of a business specializing in the Russian market said that newly graduated Russian language students, if they use the language well, can receive an income of about 20–26 million VND per month. Businesses like Anex and ABTour are also ready to accept paid interns and guarantee job opportunities if they meet requirements.
This shows that the problem no longer lies in the question “will there be a job after studying Russian.” The market has begun to answer with recruitment demand and income. What is missing is a sufficiently tight connection mechanism between schools, businesses, management agencies, and students.
The recovery of the Russian tourist market brings an increasing demand for human resources capable of using Russian in the tourism industry.
Triple-party cooperation model in tourism human resource training
Schools need to train according to market forecasts
At a recent workshop at Furama Resort Danang on cooperation between the three parties: State – School – Enterprise, a very clear issue was raised: universities should not only accept “orders” when businesses are already short of people. Schools must participate from the market forecasting stage.
If Russia, Japan, India, the Middle East, or Eastern Europe are identified as key markets in the next three to five years, training programs must be prepared starting today.
Specialized training for each tourist market
Dual programs are needed, for example:
* Russian language associated with tourism operations;
* Japanese for hotels, MICE, and golf;
* German for heritage tourism and long-term stays;
* Arabic for Halal tourism;
* Specialized classes in Polish, Czech, or Spanish serving new markets.
Businesses need to participate from the beginning by forecasting demand, sending experts to teach, providing scholarships, accepting paid internships, and committing to recruitment. And perhaps training should not be mass-produced. Each language could be piloted with 30–50 students, but training must be deep, linked to practice, and have clear outcomes.
Utilizing human resources during the transition period
While waiting for the new generation to be trained, Russian market businesses propose researching mechanisms to utilize Russians living and working legally in Vietnam, along with local Vietnamese who know Russian. Of course, they cannot replace the legal role of licensed tour guides, but they can participate in roles such as:
* language assistants;
* customer care;
* airport and hotel support;
* specialized interpretation;
* training in Russian communication and culture;
* verification of Russian language content.
The foreign language staff at Furama Resort Danang is a testament to the role of businesses in developing tourism human resources.
At the same time, those who have studied and worked in Russia, even if they are older, can still become practical instructors, cultural advisors, and trainers for the next generation. This is a way not to waste a source of knowledge accumulated over many decades.
Can AI replace tour guides?
What about AI? AI supports language, but it cannot replace understanding. AI and automatic translation tools can help guests read menus, find directions, ask for information, or handle basic communication. But technology cannot yet replace a person who understands culture, recognizes the mood of the group, handles incidents, and tells an emotional story. AI addresses basic language needs; humans create trust, understanding, and memories of the destination.
Russian guests need receptionists, restaurants, spas, hospitals, transportation, and rescue services capable of basic communication. Indian guests need a team that understands wedding rituals, vegetarian cuisine, and how to organize large groups. Middle Eastern guests need personnel who understand Halal, privacy, and family needs. Japanese guests need accuracy, cleanliness, punctuality, and clear information.
Therefore, three levels of human resources are needed:
Specialized level: tour guides, market operators, interpreters, and sales.
Professional level: hotel, restaurant, airport, hospital, and attraction staff.
Digital support level: chatbots, menus, maps, signage, and multilingual content.
Human resources will determine the competitiveness of Vietnam’s tourism
In 2026, Vietnam aims to welcome 25 million international visitors. Singapore expects about 17–18 million arrivals and aims for tourism revenue of about 31–32.5 billion SGD. Malaysia sets a very high goal for Visit Malaysia 2026 with 47 million international arrivals, although Malaysia’s “visitor arrivals” statistical scope may be broader and not completely equivalent to Vietnam’s tourist targets.
The ASEAN tourism competition is increasingly a competition for people, and Vietnam is not the only ASEAN country facing the tourism human resource puzzle.
Because in the new ASEAN tourism competition, the winning country is not just the one that welcomes more visitors.
It is the country that understands guests more deeply, serves guests better, and prepares people earlier.
