Study tourism at VNU-USSH: Training combined with domestic and international practice

Tourism has long been a key economic sector of the country, making a significant contribution to the national GDP. To improve service quality and develop the tourism industry to keep pace with domestic and international demands, the need for high-quality human resources in this field is increasingly requiring stringent standards. Therefore, tourism training programs at universities face the need for innovation to keep up with reality.
The Faculty of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, is a leading training institution nationwide, making a significant contribution to providing high-quality human resources in the tourism sector.
With two training programs:Tourism and travel services managementandHotel ManagementThe Faculty of Tourism Studies not only provides students with the scientific theoretical foundations in this field but also offers them practical value during their studies. Beyond diligently attending lectures, Tourism Studies students also gain practical experience through internships and field trips to various localities, organizations, and businesses, allowing them to apply the fundamental theories learned at school.
Faculty and staff of the Faculty of Tourism Studies are not only leading training experts in the field academically, but they also constantly update themselves on the trends and demands of society, and innovate training programs.
Associate Professor Pham Hong Long, Head of the Tourism Department at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, often advises students, "You must travel a lot, because traveling is the fastest way to learn." As a famous person once said, "The world is like a book, and those who don't travel only read one page." Travel to turn the pages of that book. As tourism students, traveling isn't about enjoyment, but about observing, learning, and accumulating experience. This has also been the guiding principle in the Tourism Department's training activities for many years.

Practical experiences at local areas, organizations, and businesses both domestically and internationally are regularly organized at the Faculty of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Under the guidance of lecturers, Tourism Studies students have explored many famous landmarks and gained new knowledge on each trip. Each cohort consists of two practical modules (Comprehensive Internship and Comprehensive Practical Training), in addition to specialized internship modules and short trips as part of their specialized courses. Tourism Studies students gain numerous practical experiences alongside the academic knowledge acquired through traditional teaching methods.
The Faculty of Tourism Studies not only provides students with opportunities to explore the industry's realities domestically but also supports and guides them in international practical experience activities. Some recent domestic practical programs for Tourism Studies students include:
Recently, students from the K67 Hotel Management program participated in a comprehensive internship program themed “Youthforia: Passionate Youth” in three central cities: Nha Trang, Da Lat, and Ho Chi Minh City. During the internship, the students not only visited famous tourist attractions and learned about the local culture of each region, but also participated in a hotel tour at Vinpearl Landmark 81 – the tallest building in Vietnam, located on the Saigon River. This is the first Autograph Collection hotel in Vietnam, owned by Marriott International, one of the world's largest hotel groups.

The K67 class of students majoring in Tourism and Travel Service Management also organized a comprehensive internship trip to Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Da Nang. The group visited famous tourist destinations such as Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue Imperial Citadel, Lang Co Bay, Tu Duc Mausoleum, Hai Van Pass, Cham Sculpture Museum, My Son Sanctuary, Mother Thu Monument, Son My Memorial Site, Sa Ky Port - Ly Son Island, etc. With experiences at these locations, which any tour guide in the industry needs to have a solid foundation of knowledge, the students were equipped with a strong professional foundation and career orientation for the future.

Not only do students gain general knowledge about the tourism industry through exploring tourist destinations, but they also acquire useful knowledge and experience during surveys and internships at hotels such as Melia Vinpearl Riverfront Da Nang, Hyatt Regency, Mikazuki Japanese Resort & Spa Da Nang, Vinpearl Resort Hoi An, Canary Gold Hotel, Phu Yen Everyday Hotel, Champa Resort Nha Trang, and Sunrise Nha Trang Beach Hotel and Spa, etc. With each hotel surveyed and learned from, students refine their understanding of the hotel system in Vietnam. Furthermore, applying these skills with those taught traditionally helps train proactive, positive, and professional human resources from their time in school, creating a competitive advantage in future job opportunities.

For those working in the tourism industry, nothing limits their travels and the places they can explore. Therefore, the Faculty of Tourism Studies strives to provide students with practical experience in many countries.
In early June 2024, the K67 class of Hotel Management students completed an 8-day, 7-night comprehensive internship in China. Through this course, students acquired the necessary knowledge and skills to guide their career development. The internship, themed "Flower-Shaped Youth," signifies that "the most beautiful days of youth pass by like flowers fluttering in the sky. But let's not let them slip away forever; let's cherish them in the film of youth." The students participated in a long journey through many culturally diverse locations with vibrant tourist activities, such as: Huu Nghi Border Gate, Nanning, Guizhou, Qianhu Miao Village, Zhenyuan Ancient City, Xiaoqikong, etc.

Through this trip, Hotel Management students not only gained knowledge about the local culture of China but also participated in Hotel Tours at 4- and 5-star hotels such as Home2 - Suites by Hilton, Gleetour Gizhou, Nanning Hotel, and Phoenix Hotel. In addition, throughout the trip, the group experienced firsthand the service quality of five 3- and 4-star hotels. Through this, students not only created films capturing vivid and up-to-date images of the Chinese hotel market but also applied the knowledge gained from their 2023 Summer Internship in Vietnam to compare and contrast the unique differences between the two hotel systems, enhancing their understanding for future career development.

Student Nguyen Thi Dieu Ly, class K67, Hotel Management major, shared: “The overseas internship was an invaluable learning and experiential trip. It was an opportunity to travel, explore the culture of another country, and also a time of fun and camaraderie for our class. We hope to have many more opportunities and trips like this to freely learn and explore vast horizons of knowledge that no textbook can guide us to, so that we can improve ourselves and become citizens who contribute to the Vietnamese tourism industry in particular and the development of the country in general.”
Every road has an end. However, I believe that the knowledge I have gained at the Faculty of Tourism Studies, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and the memories I have created here will never fade from my memory. Above all, it has helped students like me to be trained to become highly skilled professionals in the field.”