Experience-based learning at Horizon Vietnam travel agency for French-speaking students

On the morning of October 17, 2022, students of the Faculty of French Language and Culture of Hanoi National University had the opportunity to participate in an experiential learning session at the Horizon Vietnam Travel office. This practical visit is part of the experiential learning activities of the “Introduction to Tourism Studies” module for the French-speaking students.

The students & Ms. Duyen TRAN – Human Resources Director

Under the guidance and thanks to the interaction with Ms. Duyen TRAN – Human Resources Director of Horizon Vietnam Travel -, Ms. Van NGUYEN – Sales Director – and Mr. Duong – Marketing Director – the students well understood the functions and activities of each department in a local travel agency.

Duyen Tran reported: “Mr. Ta Duy Bau, the founder of our agency, is a dynamic, conscientious, competent and travel-loving man. Bau gained many years of experience at a young age. He is an independent French-speaking tour guide in Vietnam and in all countries in Indochina. It is this practical experience and, above all, his great passion for tourism and cultural exchange that Bau wants to share with his customers. He turns to his friends, all of whom are tourism professionals. They too have gained a lot of experience in this area and share the same passion for travel. Together they founded HORIZON VIETNAM Travel. Since its founding, the agency has organized numerous trips for tens of thousands of travelers. In addition to the French-speaking countries, Horizon Vietnam Travel is also opening up the market in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Germany.

For her part, Sales Director Van NGUYEN briefly introduced the functions and responsibilities of the sales department at Horizon Vietnam Travel, as well as the competencies required to meet travelers’ expectations. In order to conclude a travel contract, the advisor should record the traveler’s wishes and needs in order to propose a tailor-made travel program. French travelers, for example, expect to be served as quickly as possible. Once a traveler makes a request, the travel advisor must respond to the customer within 24 hours. This is a way to show the agency’s good reputation and professionalism to travelers, especially those who are using the agency’s services for the first time. In addition, the agency is always flexible in the event of changes in travelers, ensuring rapid and direct intervention at any time and adapting the trip to their rhythm. Calculating services during the trip is an important task. In fact, services such as accommodation, transport, sightseeing, etc. must be precisely calculated and carefully checked. This aims to ensure a wonderful traveler experience and the agency’s business results at the same time.

Ms Van NGUYEN shares her experiences

One of the important departments of Horizon Vietnam Travel is marketing – responsible for the image and promotion of the agency to travelers. “Competition in the business environment, especially in the tourism sector, is very fierce. In order to maintain our position in the market, Horizon Vietnam Travel always seriously invests in promotional activities and promotes various travel packages that are suitable for many travelers,” said Duong DO – Marketing Director of our agency. To build an effective marketing strategy, you must first analyze the market and set precise goals, such as: the number of interactions, the target number of visitors, etc., that correspond to the financial conditions of the agency. Based on this, the agency gradually builds up the communication message and finally implements the marketing strategy. This is also crucial in the task of retaining previous travelers and attracting new ones.

During his exchange, Duyen TRAN repeatedly encouraged French-speaking students to seize all opportunities in today’s digital age. Duong DO also gives his objective assessment of Generation Z based on the joint work. He sees youth, creativity, enthusiasm and progress in their work. However, Gen Z often puts themselves above the company, which is sometimes a weak point for newcomers.

Thanks to hands-on experience at the Horizon Vietnam Travel office, students have the opportunity to observe and learn more about tourism-related careers. In this way, they gain a better understanding of their professional orientation in the future.