Vietnam aims to bring revenue of the cultural tourism industry to represent 20% of the projected US$40 billion annual revenue of the whole tourism industry by 2030, according to the national branding project on cultural tourism being drafted by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

Hanoi Old Quarter's streets. Photo: Cong Hung (Kinh te & Do thi)

The national brand for Vietnamese cultural tourism will also be promoted and recognized in new and target markets

According to the VNAT, the project is part of the strategy on the development of Vietnam's cultural industries until 2020, with a vision until 2030 approved by the prime minister. 

The building of a national brand for cultural tourism is necessary to create a breakthrough in the development of tourism products, helping to achieve the objective of turning tourism into a spearhead economic sector.

The project is being developed by the VNAT Tourism Market Department with a focus on two key areas namely gastronomy and heritage, and creating a network of typical tourist destinations and products with high quality and acceptance by the market.

For the cultural tourism brand development, the VNAT would enhance promotion; support the development of heritage and culinary tourism products and improve policies to encourage heritage and culinary tourism.

The draft also outlines solutions to implement cultural tourism including research and forecasting, science and technology, commercial and communication, investment, applied finance.