The application opening ceremony for service tender #132378: Provision of Technical Assistance started at 17:05 on 28 May 2012 in the meeting room of Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of the Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme (ESRT).

The Vietnam Tourism Certification Board is identified as an important stakeholder in the Component 3 (Vocational Education and Training) of the ESRT Programme. The Programme will support and collaborate closely with VTCB to implement this component, especially in development of the Vietnam Tourism Occupational Skills Standards (VTOS).

The "South East Asia Hotel Expansion Summit" will take place on 31st May – 01st June 2012 at the Mövenpick Hotel Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Within the implementation period of the ESRT Programme, the Vietnam Tourism Occupational Standards will be expanded to cover more skills.

The VTOS - Vietnam Tourism Occupational Skills Standards were developed by international and Vietnamese experts within the implementation of the Vietnam Human Resources Development in Tourism Project funded by the European Union (2004 – 2010), and were assessed, approved and published by the Vietnam Tourism Certification Board.

HOI AN – A workshop on Poverty Reduction and Decent Work through Tourism, organised by the ILO in Hoi An on May 7-8, 2012 gave a focus on pro-poor tourism and provided an opportunity for policymakers, stakeholders, employers and workers to raise their voice on an action plan to further support the tourism industry in Vietnam.

From 3-5 May 2012 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the World Tourism Organization has organised the UNWTO HIGH-LEVEL REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON GREEN TOURISM in conjunction with the 24th Joint Commission Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for South Asia and the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific.

Listing all acvitities implemented or participated by the ESRT Programme in May 2012.