Philipp Wassler

Philipp Wassler

Phillip, is a NHTV masters in Tourism Destination Management alumnus and is now lecturer at Faculty of Hospitality & Tourism at Hue University.

As Shakespeare said in his well known play ‘Macbeth’: ‘Time creeps in this pretty pace from day to day’. Even here in Huế, the former imperial capital of Vietnam renowned to be conservative even for Vietnamese standards, progress steadily makes its way.

Officially hammer and sickle still run the place and both visitors and locals alike are reminded about this fact by countless Soviet Style propaganda posters depicting communist guru Hồ Chí Minh companionably smiling from every corner. While the popular ‘uncle of the people’ has been the only one smiling upon the streets of Vietnam for the last three decades, lately a new face with a far more capitalist smirk is increasingly giving him the stare down: Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food icon Colonel Harland is brightly grinning from newly built up-to-date shopping malls where emancipated Vietnamese girls in traditional ‘Ao dai’ long dresses use the free wireless connection in order to social network with their boyfriends on their latest-fashion iPhones. While the locals are opening up to the outside world international tourists are already addicted to the countries ‘hidden charm’. As many of its neighbors also the Asian Tiger Vietnam is on the run and ready to enter the race for the newest, hippest and most attractive South-East Asian tourism destination.

And here I am, a recently graduated TDM master riding the wave of Vietnam’s very own 60’s swing as a lecturer at the faculty of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of Huế in central Vietnam. No better example for the countries change of face could be given than the first course I am assigned to teach, entitled ‘English for Tourism’. My main focus is to prepare young and eager Vietnamese bachelors to effectively interact and cooperate with international tourism companies and tourists alike using adequate English vocabulary. I have the pleasure to be one of the first teachers to actually hold lectures in English language only, which makes teaching a challenging experience for both me and my students. The ones who know me from my NHTV times will remember my ceaseless inclination to cultural studies which due to the high degree of autonomy that Huế University is granting me often comes to the surface during my lectures. Not only adequate vocabulary but also the basic understanding of various foreign cultures are part of my message for the future tourism professionals of Vietnam.

Phillip on a day trip to Hoi An with a group of exchange students from Thailand

Phillip on a day trip to Hoi An with a group of exchange students from Thailand

It is absurd to think that before starting my TDM master I had never seriously considered to live in Asia. It was more of an utterly strange world than an attractive destination to me. During my fieldtrip in 2010 I had the possibility to live in both Singapore and Bali where I have discovered my passion for the now not so Far East and got seriously interested in being a lecturer. The ‘cultural complexity’ course which is an essential part of the TDM master has further encouraged me to pursue my not always very empirical road towards the more philosophical side of tourism.

And so, here I am. Lecturing in Huế, riding my motorbike to work every day and sipping strong black coffee in the sun. Since a little more than one month and hopefully for a long time to come. Not a bad deal at all…