Cultural and tourism industry is a bright spot in 2025

On December 27, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MOCST) held a Conference to summarize the work in 2025, the 2021-2025 term and deploy key tasks in 2026.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and directed the Conference.

Speaking at the Conference, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said: It can be said that in 2025 and the 2021-2025 term, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the entire industry will always receive comprehensive and regular leadership from the Central Executive Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, headed by the General Secretary; of the Government, the Prime Minister; of the National Assembly; the close coordination of central departments, ministries and branches; the support of provinces/cities; the cooperation of federations, associations, business communities and the active response of the people in the development of culture, information, sports and tourism; thereby achieving many important results".

According to the report, in 2025, the Culture, Sports and Tourism sector (CST) will continue to synchronously deploy key tasks according to the orientation of the Party and State, achieving many important results in the fields of culture, sports, tourism, journalism - media and international cooperation, making practical contributions to the socio-economic development and international integration of the country.

In the field of culture, the system of grassroots cultural and sports institutions continues to be consolidated and expanded. By mid-2025, the whole country will have 97.7% of districts and towns with cultural and sports centers; 77.4% of communes and wards have cultural and sports centers; more than 76% of villages, hamlets and hamlets have cultural houses.

The library system has developed widely with nearly 22,000 grassroots libraries, more than 27,000 school libraries and public document capital reaching over 28 million copies of books. Reading activities and developing a reading culture continue to be maintained, gradually adapting to the digital environment.

The work of preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage is enhanced. Many relics have been restored and embellished in accordance with legal regulations; the work of preparing records, inventorying and digitizing heritages is focused on.

Vietnam continues to coordinate with UNESCO in preserving and promoting recognized heritage titles, while preparing nominations for new heritages. Activities to protect and promote intangible heritage associated with the community are implemented in a sustainable direction, limiting commercialization.

The cultural industry has developed positively, contributing an average of 6.5-7.5% of GDP per year. The film industry, performing arts, fine arts, photography, video games, creative design and cultural tourism are attracting investment.

In 2025, Vietnamese cinema recorded many films with high revenue, with works approaching the 800 billion VND mark. Many professional art programs and festivals are organized on a large scale, contributing to promoting the cultural image of Vietnam and promoting the domestic creative market.

In the field of sports, the mass sports movement is maintained and widely developed. Physical training programs following Uncle Ho's example, school sports, and sports for everyone are implemented synchronously.

The work of training young athletes is focused on, gradually improving the quality of resources for high-performance sports.

In 2025, Vietnamese sports will participate in many major tournaments such as the 33rd SEA Games, the Asian Youth Sports Festival, the World Sports Festival and achieve positive results, affirming their position in the region and gradually reaching the continent.

The tourism sector continues to be a bright spot, playing an important role in economic growth. In 2025, the number of international visitors to Vietnam is estimated to reach about 21.5 million, an increase of 21% compared to 2024; domestic tourists will reach about 135 million, an increase of 22.7%.

Total revenue from tourists is estimated at about 1 million billion VND. In the 2021-2025 period, tourism will contribute stably by 68% to GDP. Vietnam's tourism competitiveness has improved significantly, increasing by 28 places according to the World Economic Forum's ranking.

Tourism promotion and advertising work is promoted on a digital platform; tourism products are more diverse, focusing on green tourism, community tourism, cultural tourism.

In the field of journalism and communication, the implementation of the National Press Development and Management Plan continues to be seriously implemented. By July 2025, the country will have 740 press agencies, a decrease of 110 agencies compared to 2019; the number of print newspapers will decrease by nearly 50%.

Key press agencies continue to affirm their role in guiding information and expanding activities in the digital environment. State management of the press is strengthened through inspection, examination, handling of violations, granting and revoking licenses in accordance with legal regulations.

Foreign cultural activities and international cooperation have been effectively implemented. Vietnam actively participates in bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms on culture, sports and tourism.

In particular, the initiative " International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development" proposed by Vietnam was approved by the UNESCO General Assembly, contributing to enhancing Vietnam's role and position in global cultural cooperation.

In 2025, the culture, sports and tourism sector will focus on perfecting institutions with nearly 130 legal documents issued, amended and supplemented; promoting administrative reform, streamlining the organizational apparatus, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management.

Entering 2026, the Culture, Sports and Tourism sector has determined to continue promoting the achieved results, focusing on building new development space, associated with digital transformation, international integration and sustainable development, contributing to the implementation of socio-economic development goals for the period 2026-2030.

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