Cooperation to promote the development of Ho Chi Minh City’s cultural industries

The signing ceremony marks a new stage in connecting the tourism sector with the performing arts, contributing to the implementation of the policy on developing cultural industries and building Ho Chi Minh City into an attractive, modern, culturally distinctive and regionally competitive destination.

During the 2026–2030 period, the two organisations will coordinate to leverage each other's strengths in building an ecosystem of distinctive cultural tourism products; developing tourism products associated with the performing arts, cultural heritage, creative spaces and the city's signature cultural events; while enhancing visitor experiences, attracting both domestic and international tourists, contributing to the development of the night-time economy and strengthening the Ho Chi Minh City destination brand.

According to the contents of the MoU, the two organisations will focus on implementing the following key areas of cooperation: jointly researching, designing and developing tourism products linked to the performing arts, cultural heritage, creative spaces and cultural events; and gradually transforming artistic performances into tourism products serving both domestic and international visitors.

The two parties will develop arts tourism products, night-time tourism, festival tourism and specialised tourism products associated with the performing arts. Particular emphasis will be placed on developing cultural and artistic products produced by the Ho Chi Minh City Arts Centre to serve MICE visitors, the night-time economy and tourism stimulus programmes.

The MoU also focuses on strengthening the promotion and publicity of artistic programmes through media platforms, tourism promotion events, tourism information systems, trade fairs, exhibitions, forums, mobile performances, and domestic and international tourism promotion programmes.

The two parties will jointly organise famtrip and presstrip programmes, receive delegations of travel businesses, journalists, KOLs, partners and international visitors to experience and promote Ho Chi Minh City's cultural tourism products; connect travel companies, accommodation providers, airlines and event organisers to establish high value-added tourism–culture–arts product chains; and develop service packages, preferential offers, experience tickets and gifts for visitors, thereby helping extend visitors' length of stay and increase tourist spending in Ho Chi Minh City.

The MoU also addresses strengthening information sharing and research into trends in cultural tourism and cultural industry development; and gradually proposing models for developing the creative economy associated with tourism, in line with Ho Chi Minh City's development orientation for the 2026–2030 period.

According to Le Truong Hien Hoa, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, as the tourism industry aims to improve product quality, diversify visitor experiences and enhance destination value, strengthening the linkage between tourism and the cultural and arts sectors is of great significance.

"The cooperation between the Tourism Promotion Centre and the Ho Chi Minh City Arts Centre will help make more effective use of cultural values in tourism development, while bringing the image of Ho Chi Minh City closer to friends at home and abroad," Le Truong Hien Hoa said.

Speaking at the ceremony, Nguyen Cam Tu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Centre, stated: "Tourism and the arts are both creative industries. When systematically connected, the arts not only enrich visitors' experiences but also become a driving force for developing the night-time economy, enhancing the attractiveness of destinations and promoting the image of Ho Chi Minh City to the world."

It is understood that, through this cooperation programme, the Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Promotion Centre and the Ho Chi Minh City Arts Centre expect to create many distinctive cultural tourism products, contributing to the goal of developing the city into one of the region's leading international centres for tourism, culture and events, while making a positive contribution to the development of the city's cultural and creative industries in the new period.