From film studio to festival: Cultural industry will help Ninh Binh tourism "transform"

Cultural industries are not an accessory but a catalyst for tourism development. Vietnam’s cultural industries open up a path to diversifying the local economy , deepening the visitor experience and nurturing the soul of the people.

That was the comment of Mr. Jonathan Baker, Chief Representative of UNESCO in Vietnam at the workshop "Using cultural industry as a lever for Ninh Binh tourism to take off" organized by Tien Phong Newspaper in coordination with Ninh Binh province on May 9.

At the workshop, domestic and international experts proposed many solutions to turn the cultural industry into a driving force for sustainable and creative tourism development.

Increase commercial value for tourism

According to Mr. Bui Van Manh, Director of Ninh Binh Department of Tourism, the province has identified a number of key solutions to innovate the thinking of developing cultural industry in a modern direction, integrating technology and digital transformation, forming cultural products with high commercial value, associated with unique tourism products.

In addition, priority is given to developing cultural industries such as cinema, music, fine arts, design, handicrafts, performing arts, cultural tourism, festivals, etc. associated with the heritage identity of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex. A number of creative centers, cultural spaces, and tourist experience areas associated with traditional craft villages are also being formed, on the basis of promoting socialization and mobilizing domestic and foreign investment resources.

In addition to the achievements, in the development process, Ninh Binh province's tourism still has some limitations such as: Lack of attractive tourism products, innovative products with high added value; not clearly distinguishing between commercial cultural industrial products and public cultural services; lack of mechanisms and investment resources to transform natural resources and cultural heritage into tourism products with high added value, cultural industrial products...

From the perspective of state management, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Phan Tam said that in order for the cultural industry to become a lever for tourism to take off, localities in general and Ninh Binh in particular need to create favorable policies to attract the private economy, while focusing on digital transformation, digitizing heritage, and developing virtual museums. In addition, digital transformation in culture is inevitable, so that the value of heritage goes beyond the local scope.

“Ninh Binh tourism industry should not only focus on measuring the number of visitors and revenue, but also need to build a set of indicators to measure cultural tourism development, visitor experience, and resource exploitation efficiency,” Mr. Phan Tam suggested.

According to Associate Professor-PhD Bui Hoai Son, a full-time member of the National Assembly’s Committee on Culture and Society, for Ninh Binh, typical tourism products associated with culture and spirituality will have lasting vitality. For example, the journey to the ancient capital of Hoa Lu will be more profound if visitors hear about the uprising of Dinh Bo Linh, witness the coronation ceremony, or participate in traditional festival activities as a “participant,” not just a spectator.

Experts participating in the discussion at the workshop. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

Similarly, a trip to Bai Dinh Pagoda – the largest pagoda in Southeast Asia – would not be complete if it only involves passing through the architectural works without understanding the Buddhist philosophy, without feeling the tranquil atmosphere, or without participating in the rituals of meditation, chanting, and incense offering.

Moreover, culturally and spiritually unique products are also an important solution to preserve and spread heritage values in the community. When indigenous cultural elements are exploited respectfully, selectively and strategically, the local people themselves – from artisans, monks, village chiefs, and elders – will become the subjects of the tourism development process, not just service providers.

Culture is the driving force for tourism development

From an international perspective, Mr. Jonathan Baker, Chief Representative of UNESCO in Vietnam, said that the key to the problem is that the cultural industry is not a supplement but a core driving force of sustainable tourism development. However, as experts warn, there is still a long way to go from awareness to action.

Mr. Jonathan Baker proposed specific solutions such as: Building a cultural industry map integrating tourist destinations; investing in creative industries capable of creating products with economic value; developing a "heritage incubator" to support local cultural startups; empowering young people through digital storytelling projects, skills training and spreading indigenous culture through technology...

Mr. Jonathan Baker, UNESCO Representative in Vietnam, speaking. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

The UNESCO Representative in Vietnam also stressed that investment in culture must go hand in hand with cultural protection. Protecting Trang An’s cultural landscape requires strong local engagement, coordinated policy and planning tools to ensure that tourism contributes to reinforcing the very values that make Trang An special.

“World Heritage designation is not the end of our journey. It is a reminder and a guide for us to act with a vision of responsibility towards future generations. UNESCO remains committed to working with the people and leaders of Ninh Binh to realise this vision,” said Mr. Jonathan Baker.

Mr. Jonathan Baker believes that by putting culture at the heart of tourism and putting community at the heart of the action, we can exploit the full potential of Ninh Binh as a world-class destination, a model of sustainable development and a vibrant landscape with lasting heritage.

Sharing experiences from Korea, Ms. Park Eun Jung, Chief Representative of the Korea Tourism Organization in Vietnam, said that TV drama filming locations can also become attractive tourism content. For example, Suwon city is located near Seoul, similar to Ninh Binh near Hanoi, where many K-Dramas are filmed. The locations appearing in the drama are strongly promoted, becoming attractive tourist destinations.

“Developing tourism products from TV drama filming locations is done in several stages. First, we monitor popular TV dramas, then invite representatives from travel agencies to participate in field surveys, then develop tourism products. Finally, we attract tourists through online marketing on various channels,” Ms. Park Eun Jung shared.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong, Director of the Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism, spoke at the conference. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

According to Associate Professor-PhD Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong, Director of the Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism, Ninh Binh needs to build a map of cultural industries integrated with tourist destinations. In the immediate future, Ninh Binh province needs to review the overall situation and potential to determine the level of overlap or connectivity between tourist destinations and clusters and complexes of creative cultural spaces.

"The specific solution is to aim to bring Hoa Lu into the UNESCO creative cities network in the field of traditional arts to position the heritage urban brand in connection with the whole province as a leading destination in Asia in terms of the ability to converge creativity in the journey to discover unique cultural tourism experiences, human history and nature," Associate Professor - Doctor Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong said./.