Turning cultural values into a driver for growth

This represents a significant strategic shift, requiring Party committees and organisations to reorient their mindset from merely “preserving and enjoying culture” to “leveraging culture as a development resource,” effectively transforming cultural values into a direct asset for socio-economic progress.

Translating vision into concrete goals and products

Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW, issued by the Political Bureau on January 7, 2026, on developing Vietnamese culture, sets a target for cultural industries to contribute approximately 7% of GDP by 2030, while establishing 5 to 10 national brands.

This mandate calls for a new perspective: beyond preserving cultural values, efforts must actively generate resources, linking heritage with innovation, technology, and the market to develop high-value-added products and services that fuel economic growth.

With its distinct advantages in heritage and cultural identity, the city of Hue is exceptionally well-positioned to develop its cultural industries in tandem with tourism. To implement Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW, the Action Programme No. 33-CTr/TU of the City Party Committee sets the goal of building Hue into a distinctive cultural and tourism hub and a national leader in cultural industries, aiming to contribute approximately 10% to Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) by 2030.

Aligned with this objective, the Hue City Party Committee has directed Party organisations at all levels to leverage the city’s heritage assets, utilising local culture and its people as the foundation for development, while progressively integrating cultural values into everyday life. Events such as the Hue Festival, the “Hue — Capital of the Ao Dai” and “Hue — Culinary Capital” festivals, along with a wide range of performing arts and heritage-based tourism activities, have significantly boosted the sector.

In the first nine months of 2026, the city welcomed over 6.4 million visitors, with tourism revenue estimated at 15.4 trillion VND. According to Vice Chairman of the City People’s Committee Tran Huu Thuy Giang, in order to develop cultural products, expand markets, and connect stakeholders within the ecosystem, the City Party Committee has prioritised advancing cultural industries through several flagship projects currently underway.

These include the Hue Cultural Industry and Innovation Performance Centre; a site-specific performing arts space at the Ho Quyen (Tiger Arena) monument and Con Da Vien islet; and the Ho Thuy Tien Art Innovation Park and Creative Residency.

In addition to these projects, Hue has allocated approximately 4.2 trillion VND to carry out 59 tasks under Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW for the 2026–2030 period, with about 743 billion VND earmarked specifically for the “Four-Season Festival” initiative and various cultural events. Hue is currently drafting a development strategy for its cultural industries, looking towards 2030 with a vision for 2045, focusing on six sectors that align with the city’s strengths.

Turning culture into a resource for development

In Quang Ninh, authorities are implementing Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW by linking the development of cultural industries with the heritage economy, tourism, and services.

Action Programme No. 12-CTr/TU, issued by the Provincial Party Standing Committee (now the City Party Committee), operationalised Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW with the goal of building a modern, distinctively rich culture for Quang Ninh, ultimately establishing the province as an attractive destination across Asia and the world.

According to leaders of the Quang Ninh Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, the province possesses significant advantages for developing its cultural industries, particularly in performing arts, cultural tourism, cinema, and creative products rooted in its heritage. The strategic vision is to transform cultural, historical, and landscape assets into high-quality, branded offerings that cater to both local residents and visitors.

Quang Ninh boasts immense potential, anchored by a rich heritage portfolio that includes 630 historical sites, eight of which are classified as “special national heritage sites,” notably two World Heritage-recognised areas: Ha Long Bay and the Yen Tu scenic complex. The province has chosen a development path that leverages culture as a primary driver, fostering the growth of cultural industries through innovative approaches that enhance the appeal of its tourism sector and create new avenues for expansion.

Events such as the International Music Festival, the Ao Dai Festival, the Ha Long Carnival, and the Yen Tu Cherry Blossom and Golden Apricot Blossom Festival have injected vibrant energy into the local tourism landscape. A series of performances, including “Ha Long Concert 2025,” “Quang Ninh — Land of Heroic Miners,” and “Quang Ninh Welcomes the New Year 2026,” has attracted hundreds of thousands of domestic and international visitors.

The province is implementing a “Two Heritage Sites — One Destination — Multiple Experiences” strategy, linking Yen Tu with Ha Long Bay to create a cohesive suite of signature tourism products. Local authorities have mobilised trillions of Vietnamese dong to preserve and restore cultural heritage, while developing major infrastructure such as public squares, museums, libraries, and sports complexes, establishing Quang Ninh as a premier host for a wide array of regional and international cultural and sporting events.

In the first nine months of 2026, tourist arrivals in Quang Ninh reached 18.8 million, with tourism revenue exceeding 56.4 trillion VND, contributing significantly to the province’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) growth.

These results affirm the effectiveness of transforming cultural resources into socio-economic value, providing a vital impetus for Quang Ninh to establish a new growth model centred on a transition from “brown” to “green” development. Culture has been integrated into the core of this growth process, helping shape policies, stimulate creativity, and generate long-lasting impact.