In addition to famous countries in the Asian art industry such as Singapore, Thailand, and the Republic of Korea, along with economic development, Vietnam is emerging as a destination chosen by many international artists.
Leverage to stimulate tourism
In 2023, the Vietnamese music scene seems to have “exploded” with many shows in localities, attracting tens of thousands of spectators, including many music lovers from other countries. Worth mentioning were the famous Korean band Super Junior with the concert "Super Show 9", then the appearance of the American "prince of love songs" Charlie Puth at the 8Wonders Concert, followed by the return of saxophone legend Kenny G in "Kenny G Live in Vietnam" with the programme of the famous pop rock group Maroon 5, then the music night AREA 52 with Thai male singer Bam Bam (group GOT7), and especially the programme of the girl group Blackpink.
Entering 2024, the heat of the performance stages in Vietnam has not cooled down. June saw the reunion of the famous band Westlife with "The Hits Tour" filling the My Dinh Athletics Palace; July saw the sweet appearance of the Welsh superstar Katherine Jenkins; September witnessed the first performance of the French Ballet Malandain Ballet Biarritz at the Ho Guom Theatre; and October saw the spectacular return of BOND — the most successful string quartet in the history of world music — in "BOND Live In Vietnam", conquering thousands of audiences at the National Convention Centre, Hanoi.
The "appearance" of famous international artists not only proves that our country's technical foundation and level of art appreciation have approached international standards but also affirms that Vietnam possesses all the conditions and capacity to organise high-quality art events capable of attracting large numbers of domestic and foreign tourists.
In reality, when traveling to a destination with the main purpose of enjoying art, tourists often have the additional need to combine exploring nature and local culture to enrich their travel experience. Therefore, high-class art events that attract large numbers of attendees will certainly also create a beneficial ripple effect for tourism and the local economy.
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| BOND string quartet performing in the "BOND Live In Vietnam" programme. (Photo: THANH DAT) |
Professionalism creates brand
Many recent surveys on Booking.com show that art tourism in Vietnam still has a lot of room for development. In recent times, besides the attraction of major events with international artists participating, many live shows of domestic stars have also created a strong wave of tourism shifts in the domestic market.
Most recently, two purely Vietnamese concerts, "Anh Trai Vuot Ngan Chong Gai" and "Anh Trai Say Hi", have also attracted record figures regarding the number of attendees, despite the highest ticket prices reaching tens of millions of VND.
Grasping the trend of art tourism, many units and businesses in Vietnam have quickly built high-quality performance products with capable of attracting large numbers of tourists. Typical examples include "Tinh hoa Bac Bo" (Quintessence of Tonkin) and "Ky uc Hoi An" (Memory of Hoi An), which have been highly appreciated by the world media.
In addition to many large-scale art festivals and events held annually in localities that attract large numbers of visitors, there have been and are many gathering places for art events at Flamingo Dai Lai, Tam Dao Tourist Area, and Da Lat, which are familiar addresses for tourists who want to experience special music in the open space of nature.
It can be seen that the art tourism market in Vietnam has never been as vibrant as it is today. According to Le Quoc Vinh, Chairman of Le Group of Companies, this has great significance for the development of the cultural industry, because large-scale events not only attract tourists through their artistic values, they also encourage tourists to stay longer at the destination, spend more, and contribute positively to the local economy.
From a media perspective, Vinh analysed that to attract tourists to a destination, in addition to promoting the unique elements of nature, people, products, there also needs to be "pushes" to attract tourists. Special art events are such "pushes", and if famous international stars can be invited to Vietnam, it will create a great stimulus for tourism.
The chairman of Le Group of Companies said that in the past, many world stars wanted to come to Vietnam to perform, but were hesitant because of infrastructure, technical factors, affordability. But now, Vietnam has secured a specialised system of equipment for sound, lighting, and modern stages. Moreover, with the improvement of economic life, many people are willing to spend millions to enjoy art.
This means that Vietnam has all the conditions to carry out high-class art programs according to strict international requirements. The problem is that there needs to be more openness and readiness in terms of procedures and policies, so that stars and producers around the world feel welcomed and facilitated when deciding to choose Vietnam.
To attract more tourists to art events in general and improve the capacity to welcome and serve large numbers of visitors, in addition to enhancing the professionalism and creativity in program and product development, many experts also believe that there needs to be a closer connection between the parties, including destination management agencies, producers, event organisers, and travel agencies, to create complete tourism products, integrating art enjoyment with a series of activities such as accommodation, dining, and experiencing local landscapes and culture.
In addition, the authorities also need to research and introduce policies to encourage investment, support taxes, and legal procedures for individuals and units investing in art and culture, making Vietnam a branded art destination.
Impressive statistics on the increase in the number of visitors, accommodation occupancy rates, and flight frequency at event locations are "telling" numbers that confirm that art and tourism are the "perfect couple". Art creates products that stimulate tourists' demand for tourism, and tourism creates a market for consuming art products.
