Opportunities for the poor at luxury hotel

The travel agency Topas has successfully hired local tribespeople to work at a luxury eco-lodge in Vietnam.

Today, travel agencies strive to create unique and authentic experiences for their customers – experiences that set them apart from their competitors.

By involving the local population in isolated, scenic parts of the world in the operation of hotels and other tourist activities, a travel agency can create travel destinations that maintain their value, and, at the same time, provide the locals with training in tourism. For many people, this is a way out of poverty.

In 2003, the Danish travel agency Topas built the luxury resort Topas Ecolodge on a mountain top, deep in the Sapa Valley in northern Vietnam. The business objective of the resort is to provide an array of activities in spectacular scenery during the day, and the opportunity to relax in comfortable surroundings in the evening.

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English lessons during working hours
The day-to-day management of the resort is in the hands of a Danish couple, and all employees, with the exception of four, are Vietnamese from the local area. All have been trained by Topas. The eco-lodge, and Topas' associated activities in Vietnam, have become a commercial success and now account for seven per cent of Topas’ total turnover. In 2008, the eco-lodge was visited by around 6,000 guests from all over the world.

The main workforce is made up of local tribespeople, trained by two Danish employees who live and work at the lodge. The 40 tribespeople learn to work in the kitchen and take care of the guests, learning about general cleaning and maintenance. Once a week, they also receive tuition in English.

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Over time, the locals have become so adept at running the hotel and restaurant on the mountain that the eco-lodge was awarded four out of five stars by the respected web-based travel guide Tripadviser.com.

The informal training that Topas offers the employees is of high value – not only to Topas, but also to the tribespeople themselves. Eighty per cent of tribespeople in Vietnam do not receive training of any sort. The training at the lodge therefore provides many of the locals with an opportunity which they would not have had otherwise.

Based on its experience in Vietnam, Topas is planning to expand its eco-lodge concept to other parts of the world such as Bolivia. The company also has plans to extend the lodge in Vietnam.