Employment Risk Management Under the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Case of Tourism and Hospitality Students in Vietnam

As a large and fast-growing sector, the tourism and hospitality industry is in need of high-quality human resources. Worldwide, this sector has been suffering severe impacts from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and it can be seen as one of the worst affected areas. Numerous difficulties faced by the tourism and hospitality industry under the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic may influence its student’s perception of work thereby affecting the future human resources of this sector. Under such context, the tourism and hospitality student’s perception of their future career, their occupational risks, and how they manage such risks are important topics to be discussed. This study aims at investigating tourism and hospitality student’s perception of the COVID-19 pandemic as their employment risk, how they respond to such risk, and their need of support for employment seeking recovery post-COVID-19. An online survey of 337 tourism and hospitality students from universities throughout Vietnam has been taken. The result showed that the participants seemed to perceive and show their worries about the strong impact of the pandemic on the tourism industry and on their future themselves. Some reactions have been taken by the students in response to the impacts. Students also showed their need for support from universities such as up-to-date information and knowledge, efficient adaptive skills, and industry connections as well as increased internships and practical training opportunities. Such demand may become implications for universities who wish to enhance their training program and quality for their tourism and hospitality students.