A comprehensive 2026 survey by recruitment platform Hoteljob.vn shows that almost nine out of ten hospitality businesses across Vietnam are actively seeking employees, with 89.7% of firms in Ho Chi Minh City reporting vacancies. The rapid rise in international arrivals—nearly 16 million in the first eight months of 2026, a 14.4% year‑on‑year increase—has intensified demand for workers in hotels, travel agencies, transport, restaurants and attractions, while the labour supply lags behind both in quantity and skill.
Across the sector
71.8% of respondents rate hiring as difficult or very difficult. Direct‑service roles are the hardest to fill: 61.5% of companies cite operational staff as the most challenging group, and 46.2% rank room‑housekeeping, laundry and public‑area cleaning as the top shortage. Technical and maintenance positions follow at 41%, then table service (35.9%), front‑desk (33.3%) and kitchen staff (23.1%). On average, each establishment lacks personnel in 2.4 departments simultaneously.
Turnover compounds the problem
With an average annual attrition rate of 18.9% and 35.9% of firms experiencing exits of 20% or more. Industry leaders stress the need for better compensation, transparent salary structures and clear career pathways to retain younger workers.
Government targets for 2030
Government targets for 2030 aim for tourism to contribute 10‑12% of GDP, attract 45‑50 million international visitors and generate $80‑90 billion in revenue, designating Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Phu Quoc as growth hubs. Meeting these ambitions will require not only more staff but also higher‑skill managers, digital‑savvy supervisors and multilingual guides to serve diversifying source markets such as Russia, India, Europe and the Middle East.