The statement above is a forceful affirmation by Nguyễn Văn Mỹ, Director of Lửa Việt Travel Company, that ‘the success of an individual or organization must stem from diligent practice, learning, creativity… and hard work.’
As living standards rise, demand for travel grows. Facing many challenges from major travel companies nationwide, Lửa Việt has still risen to become one of the leading travel companies. This success owes no small part to the decisive, comprehensive leadership of the head of Lửa Việt.
Only by speaking with Nguyễn Văn Mỹ can one fully appreciate the dedication of a leader who considers himself a ‘foot soldier.’ To learn more about this leader who loves reading culture, an editor from Ceobank.vn, part of the Vietnam Records Organization, held an open, sincere conversation with Nguyễn Văn Mỹ, founder and Director of Lửa Việt Outdoor Travel Company.
-Hello, could you share the pivotal milestones in your entrepreneurial life?
I would not dare call it a milestone, but the preparation for a turning point in my career began when I was assigned to head the management committee of Thanh Đa Summer Camp from 1988 – 1993. It was organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Federation and the city's Communist Youth Union for the children of city officials and public employees. The camp had existed since 1978, but its activities lacked a clear direction. Upon taking on the role, I selected a team, introduced annual themes with suitable activities, and kept improving the program. Although more than 3,000 children attended each year, that was a drop in the ocean compared with the city's child population. Recognizing this enormous demand led me to establish the ‘Lửa Việt Outdoor Activities Center’ (TTDNLV) under the city Youth Union in 1995, followed by Lửa Việt Outdoor Activities Co., Ltd. in 1999.
– What brought you into tourism, and what did you do before that?
Born and raised among fields, I accompanied my father to help on the farm from a very young age: weeding, tending cattle, collecting firewood… Gradually, I did every kind of farm work, though I was only just over 10. I received my first month's salary, called an allowance back then, from my “profession” as a Youth Union official in May 1975; for the entire preceding year, I had been a clandestine operative for the City Youth Union. When TTDNLV was established, it operated experimentally, serving children on a break-even basis. Seeing the children enjoy lively, safe, engaging outings, parents and teachers asked to join. It still operated at break-even because the Center existed in name only and its personnel held concurrent roles. From 1997, it had one full-time employee but served more than 30,000 children and adults. In 1999, it became a company to formalize its status. For many years afterward, it still operated like a community initiative, using its profits for charity.
– What memorable difficulties and challenges did you encounter while starting, building, and developing the Lửa Việt brand?
The hardest moment was being forced to choose under the ultimatum: “Lửa Việt must merge with Thanh Niên Tourism” or “Leave the City Youth Union.” A merger was unsuitable because our perspectives and methods differed. Yet leaving to operate independently was difficult because the State had stopped issuing licenses for tourism companies. After consulting colleagues, I decided to leave the City Youth Union after 25 years. Thanks to our earlier social activities and many customers who were retired officials and veteran revolutionaries, the City Youth Union wrote to the City People's Committee, and Lửa Việt Company received a special exception to be established. Remembering those years of connection, growth and our roots, Lửa Việt chose 26/3/1999 as its founding date.
– Besides Lửa Việt, we hear many other major names in tourism, such as Saigontourist and Cholontourist… What has the company done, and what will it do, to keep Lửa Việt a top choice?
Alongside major brands such as Saigontourist, Viettravel, Vietnam tourism, Hanoi tourism, Benthanh tourist, and thousands of other established companies, Lửa Việt remains a choice for many travelers, though we would not dare call it the leading one. With 62 employees and branches only in Bình Dương and Hanoi, Lửa Việt is tiny compared with many giants, yet its business performance and brand are not small. Lửa Việt is always “different”—specifically in its people, manner and attitude of service, new tours and routes, social programs, unique “talk to talk” PR strategy, and care for employees… At Lửa Việt, everyone from the top leader to staff works as a tour guide, marketer, and salesperson; some also teach professional skills and write for newspapers…
– Many Vietnamese travel the world, but what about bringing international tourists to Việt Nam, sir? Does Lửa Việt intend to expand its operations worldwide to promote the image of Vietnamese tourism?
Lửa Việt currently runs regular tours to ASEAN countries, South Korea, Japan and China… Tours to the US, Europe and the Middle East… are currently organized only for groups, rather than on a regular schedule. Its inbound business remains weak. Lửa Việt hopes that within the next 5 years, outbound and inbound tourism, together with domestic tourism, will form three strong, coordinated pillars. Lửa Việt always regards tourism as people-to-people diplomacy and cultural ambassadorship, so it places even greater emphasis on people, especially its tour guides.
– In your view, what are Vietnamese tourism's advantages? How can domestic tours become more attractive? What consistent operating and customer-service principles does Lửa Việt pursue?
In my view, Vietnamese tourism's greatest strengths are its cuisine and diverse resources. Its weakest point is people, especially those in relevant leadership bodies. However, this assessment is not universally accepted, even within tourism. Outdated, habitual, emotional thinking persists, along with speaking out of turn and flattering leaders. Lửa Việt employees' operating criteria are the 4 T principles: “Pioneering – Autonomy – Honesty – Determination to Win.” Our customer service principle is “Be wherever customers need us and bring them the best services.” For Lửa Việt, “customers are family.”
– In recent years, Vietnam has prioritized tourism development through many activities, such as campaigning for votes for Hạ Long Bay and selecting a Vietnam Tourism Ambassador… How do you think Vietnam’s tourism image can best be promoted globally? If possible, whom would you nominate as Tourism Ambassador for Việt Nam?
Vietnamese tourism lacks commanders with Mind, there is Scope and Decisive, dare to act and take responsibility. Tourism PR is ineffective because it focuses too much on appearances and showiness while lacking substance. To invite friends over, first you must clean your house and teach your children and grandchildren to be respectful and polite… The best PR for Vietnamese tourism is to strive to “become the world's kitchen” (Philip Kotler's idea), rectify and improve service quality, starting first with people. If I could nominate a Vietnam Tourism Ambassador, I would invite Professor Dr. Trần Văn Khê, a walking encyclopedia and living monument to Vietnamese cuisine, culture and history, but sadly the Professor has passed away.
– What is the greatest value the company delivers? What is its future development direction?
The company's greatest value is “Customer Satisfaction.” Its greatest asset is “The People Who Built the Lửa Việt Brand.” Its development direction is to become a comprehensive Top Ten company (currently only domestic), with Lửa Việt's distinctive style.
– What is most distinctive about the Lửa Việt brand?
What creates Lửa Việt's distinctive style and determines its brand value is its PEOPLE, from the board chairman and CEO to every employee. You can understand the ‘soldiers’ by looking at the ‘general,’ and vice versa.
– How do you assess the tourism business and the position of Viet Nam compared with the region and the world in this field?
Tourism is an integrated business with multiple benefits, both direct and indirect, tangible and intangible, helping drive other industries' development. Vietnam is “leading the bottom group of ASEAN” in tourism. The total number of tourists across 11 ASEAN countries is only equal to France's, despite having 7 times its land area and 9.7 times its population. As Vietnam grows, so do other countries; they are not waiting for us and are moving even faster. There is still so much work to do with all our efforts to break through and join ASEAN's leaders.
– What community-oriented activities has Lửa Việt carried out, is it carrying out and will it undertake?
Social activity is one of the priorities in Lửa Việt's company founding documents. Before its establishment, Lửa Việt was known for major social activities: city-level festivals such as “Pink Smile,” “Repaying Gratitude,” and “Gratitude to Mothers”; regional and national gatherings including “Children Overcoming Difficulties and Excelling in School,” “Women of Nam Bộ,” “Women of Southern Vietnam,” and “Southern Female Youth Volunteers”; and regular activities such as “Mid-Autumn Festival Week,” “Santa Claus's Office” in Vietnam, and “Spring Tree.” These activities continue to become deeper, more diverse, and more effective. “Mid-Autumn Festival Week 2002,” which served more than 22,000 children over 2 weeks, from Bạc Liêu to the Central Highlands, along the Hồ Chí Minh Road to Nghệ An and back via National Highway 1, was recognized by Vietkings and awarded a Vietnam Record Cup.
– Besides business, what other passions do you have?
My professions are travel management, tour guiding, teaching, and journalism, so I must keep learning throughout life. I learn from books and everyone I meet. The easiest way to self-study is reading books, newspapers, and the Internet. Whenever I have free time, I read to ‘refuel’ for work. My passion is my work: I treat tourism as a kind of ‘professional religion,’ because ‘the profession chose me, so I must dedicate myself wholeheartedly to it.’
– Could you tell us a little about your family life, marriage, and children?
Like many others, I have a small family, a wife and children. My wife currently works in the same profession. To me, ‘family is the most precious asset’ and ‘children are not accessories.’ After exhausting tours and hard working hours, I want to rush home to a peaceful place where my worries ease. I enjoy home-cooked meals and playing with my children and grandchildren.
– What lessons or advice would you like to pass on to the next generation?
Personally, I have some experience from the school of life, but I would not presume to teach or advise anyone. What I can share with those interested is this: “The lotus is beautiful because it is nourished by mud and transforms it into a noble fragrance. For me, whatever I do, I must do wholeheartedly. “Do not do to others what you would not want done to you.”, meaning do not do to others what you would not want done to yourself. To receive, know how to give… and nothing is impossible. Willpower sets people apart: “To Become a Great General, Begin by Being a Good Soldier.”
Collected
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