Developing cultural industry associated with tourism - creating added value for Vietnamese destinations

The event attracted a large number of experts, scientists , managers and businesses operating in the field of culture and tourism at home and abroad.

At the workshop, many opinions agreed that developing cultural industry associated with sustainable tourism not only creates unique and rich tourism products, but is also an inevitable direction to improve competitiveness, contributing to promoting the image of the country and people of Vietnam in the current process of deep international integration.

Speaking at the workshop, Prof. Dr. Dao Manh Hung, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Training Association, emphasized: “Cultural industry helps create unique tourism products, imbued with national and local cultural identity, creating differences and enhancing the competitiveness of destinations. In turn, tourism is an effective promotional channel, helping cultural industries expand their markets and increase revenue.”

According to Prof. Dr. Dao Manh Hung, the combination of these two fields will form a new value chain - where culture becomes a "source of creative materials" for tourism, and tourism becomes a "gateway" to bring culture closer to the public at home and abroad. Tourism products associated with culture - such as participating in festivals, learning to make crafts, enjoying cuisine or experiencing folk art - are effective ways to improve the quality of experience and develop sustainable tourism.

However, he also frankly admitted: Vietnam has a lot of potential and rich cultural resources, but the starting point in building the cultural industry is still low. The data base is "thin", human resources and infrastructure are not synchronized, copyright infringement is still common, the creative environment has many barriers - all are challenges that need to be overcome soon so that the cultural industry can truly become a pillar of sustainable tourism development.

One of the highlights at the workshop was the proposal of Vice President of the Vietnam Tourism Association Nguyen Hong Hai, who said: “To promote the mutual relationship between the cultural industry and tourism, it is necessary to build a cultural industry ecosystem linked to the tourism value chain of each locality, based on cultural identity, creativity and application of digital technology”.

According to him, Vietnam needs to promote the development of unique cultural tourism, effectively exploit tangible and intangible heritages, and harmoniously combine them with art, cinema, cuisine, fashion and music. Promoting digital transformation in promoting culture and tourism, creating a platform for interaction between tourists, artists and businesses will help form a sustainable creative ecosystem. In addition, it is necessary to strengthen international cooperation, support creative startups and invest in developing modern cultural infrastructure - factors considered as "leverage" for Vietnam to enter a new era of the cultural industry.

In Vietnam, the need to build multi-functional cultural centers, theaters, cinemas, and creative spaces that meet international standards is increasingly urgent, not only in large cities but also in localities with rich tourism potential. Digital infrastructure is also a key element - specialized online platforms for Vietnamese cultural products are not only promotional tools but also effective commercial channels and connections between producers and consumers.

From an international perspective, Professor Kim Si Bum - Academy of Cultural Industries, Gyeongkuk National University (Korea), member of UNESCO's Rural Creative and Sustainable Development Program - shared: "The combination of cultural and tourism development is very important, but it is necessary to note the difference between cultural cities and tourist cities. Tourism cannot trade cultural values just to serve economic goals."

According to him, cultural identity is the soul of each destination. A sustainable tourism development strategy must be based on the principle of preserving, respecting and promoting indigenous cultural values, avoiding excessive commercialization or fading of identity. This is what helps tourism develop in the long term, creating real attraction for international tourists.

Dr. Nguyen Van Luu, former Director of the Department of Training (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), proposed: it is necessary to raise awareness, innovate leadership thinking and cultural - tourism management methods, and increase investment resources for cultural development programs associated with tourism. In addition, promoting the training of creative human resources, developing a team of highly qualified experts in the fields of design, communication, content production, cinema and technology is also a key factor.

Delegates agreed that the intersection between cultural industry and tourism not only opens up opportunities for economic growth but also serves as a driving force for spreading national cultural values. Each locality needs to clearly define its identity and build its own cultural brand to create competitive advantages, contributing to promoting sustainable development of Vietnamese tourism in the integration era.

The conference in Ninh Binh is not only an academic forum but also a “starting signal” for a new development phase, where Vietnam’s cultural industry is seen as an endogenous resource for tourism and green growth. With the right investment, modern infrastructure and long-term vision, Vietnam can completely turn its rich cultural heritage into soft power - both preserving traditional values and creating the future of sustainable tourism.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/du-lich/phat-trien-cong-nghiep-van-hoa-gan-voi-du-lich-tao-gia-tri-gia-tang-cho-diem-den-viet-nam-20251030172850301.htm