By Sophie Hartman, Nguyễn Thị Thu Thảo and Võ Thị Quế Chi, IECD – Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement –
COVID-19 has made travelers more aware of their impact on the environment and local communities. 53% of global travelers will be seeking more sustainable tourism products and services in the future, according to the Future of Travel Report by Booking.com[1]. As tourism and hospitality is a labor-intensive industry, it is indisputable that human resources are essential to convert into action any sustainability strategy or policy. A workforce that is equipped with the knowledge and skills for more sustainable operations is a great asset for any tourism provider to smoothly adapt to such a demand.
The Association of Southeast Asian Social Enterprises for Training in Hospitality & Catering (ASSET-H&C) is a regional network of vocational schools that provide a path to employment in the tourism and hospitality sector for vulnerable youth. Besides offering disadvantaged populations a means of social mobility, its members also strive to shape a new generation of responsible tourism workers.