Hanoi to Host Global Festival to Promote Culture and Tourism
The inaugural World Cultural Festival in Hanoi, scheduled for October 10-12, is set not only to honor the profound cultural beauty of Vietnam but also to decisively affirm the crucial role and tangible contribution of culture in achieving the sustainable development goals set forth by the United Nations. This high-profile event is expected to significantly boost Vietnam’s cultural tourism sector.
As of early October, the festival had secured robust international participation, with 48 embassies, international organizations, and foreign cultural centers in Vietnam formally registering their involvement.
This wide-ranging participation includes 45 dedicated national cultural spaces, 33 food stalls showcasing global and local cuisine, 16 domestic and foreign art troupes providing performances, 12 units displaying literary works and books, and 20 countries contributing films to the film screening program.
Le Hai Binh, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, hailed the event as an essential initiative to honor cultural values and foster connection among diverse countries and ethnic groups, especially amid persistent global challenges like conflicts, pandemics, and climate change.
He eloquently remarked that the blending of cultural values at the festival will occur “without losing the identity of each nation,” but will instead actively contribute to fostering a spirit of solidarity and a collective drive toward global development.
The festival is expected to draw significant interest from both domestic and international tourism markets, serving as a powerful showcase for Vietnam’s readiness to integrate culture into its economic development agenda.
Leveraging Vietnam’s Rich Cultural Heritage for Tourism
Vietnam possesses an extraordinarily rich tapestry of cultural resources, which are increasingly being creatively harnessed to diversify and enhance its tourism product offerings across various regions.
According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Vietnam currently boasts approximately 40,000 inventoried historical sites. This massive repository of heritage includes about 10,000 sites classified at the provincial and city level, over 3,460 sites recognized at the national level, 107 sites granted special national status, and 164 national treasures.
Internationally, Vietnam’s importance is recognized by UNESCO with eight sites listed as World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and 14 heritages recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The UNESCO Memory of the World Programme further lists seven Vietnamese documentary heritages, and the nation hosts nine world biosphere reserves.
Many of these cultural heritages have been strategically developed into comprehensive cultural and tourism products, acting as a powerful driving force and a key target for the growth of the country’s tourism economy.
Across the nation, localities have successfully developed unique cultural tourism products that attract international visitors. In Hue, the imperial heritage system and court music, both recognized by UNESCO, have been integrated with experiences like wearing the traditional ao dai and enjoying imperial cuisine to create a distinctive market identity.
Hoi An, with its ancient town, iconic Japanese Bridge, and enchanting lantern festival on the Hoai River, remains a widely acknowledged symbol by tourists.
In the Central Highlands, the gong culture space and traditional festivals of indigenous ethnic groups have become magnetic cultural tourism attractions, while the Mekong Delta stands out with the Cai Rang floating market, traditional music performances, and garden ecotourism experiences.
Promoting Cultural Industries and Global Collaboration
The drive to integrate culture and tourism is moving toward more sophisticated, modern products, with a direct focus on aligning with global cultural industry trends.
In 2024, the Hanoi Department of Tourism launched 15 new night tourism products, primarily capitalizing on the city’s strengths in culture and heritage.
Standout offerings include night tours of Hoa Lo Prison, the Imperial Citadel exploration tour, overnight experiences at the Temple of Literature, and dramatic light shows at Hoan Kiem Lake.
Despite these positive steps, experts argue that the current cultural tourism products are still lacking in the uniqueness needed to truly position the destination brand.
Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research, pointed out a lack of creativity and insufficient differentiation among offerings across various localities and regions.
He noted that many valuable cultural tourism resources have not been invested in or exploited to their full potential, with numerous cultural heritage sites still not integrated into viable tourism products.
Furthermore, he stressed that the development of cultural tourism has historically suffered from a lack of coherence and linkage in product development, as well as insufficient collaboration among localities in the exploitation of cultural resources, ultimately failing to create sustainable, high-quality tourism products.
A government directive issued just over a year ago emphasized the critical importance of accelerating the exploitation of technical achievements, business skills, creativity, cultural capital, and intellectual property rights to create cultural and economically valuable products and services.
Vietnam has set a clear goal for the cultural tourism sector to account for 15-20 per cent of its total tourism revenues of $40 billion by 2030, a target that requires deep collaboration between culture and travel industries.
Vu The Binh, chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, stated that the fundamental objective of the cultural industry is to find a market for its products, and tourism is perfectly positioned to contribute significantly to the consumption of these cultural industry products.
He urged the tourism sector to collaborate more closely with entertainment, software, and technology companies to create engaging products that appeal to modern tourists, especially young travelers, with a specific focus on leveraging elements like fashion and cuisine to create vibrant local experiences.
Globally, many nations have successfully developed and exploited cultural industrial products to create competitive advantages, position national brands, and strongly attract tourists.
Examples include South Korea’s unique cultural discovery tours driven by the international spread of K-pop, Singapore’s successful strategy as a regional cultural and artistic destination, and Japan’s significant tourism revenue from exploiting artistic ecosystems like comics and souvenirs.
Even in Hong Kong, entertainment services, television, and advertising revenues account for 85 per cent of national income, underscoring the immense economic potential of integrated culture and tourism.
