Vietnam is home to 24 tangible and intangible cultural heritage elements, and natural heritage elements recognized by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), including eight natural heritage sites, 12 intangible cultural heritage elements and four documentary heritage elements.
According to Deputy Director General of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu, the Politburo’s Resolution 08-NQ/TW on developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector stresses the preservation of the nation’s cultural heritage value.
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A corner of Hoi An ancient city |
Cultural tourism is hoped to become a key product of the sector, he said, adding it has drawn large numbers of domestic and international visitors, helping drive tourism growth, create jobs and enhance the local socio-economy.
Last year, UNESCO-recognized natural and cultural heritage elements welcomed more than 16 million visitors, including 7 million foreigners, earning more than VND 2.5 trillion (USD 107.5 million) from entrance tickets.
Many localities have developed their own tourism brands based on their cultural heritage elements. The Complex of Hue Monuments, royal court music, woodblocks, the imperial archives of the Nguyen Dynasty and poetry on Hue royal architecture have made Hue city an alluring destination, as it received 1.8 million foreign visitors and pocketed VND 320 billion (USD 13.76 million) from entrance tickets last year.
Meanwhile, Hoi An ancient city in Central Quang Nam province also an attractive destination in Vietnam. The city greeted 1.96 foreigners and raked in VND 219 billion (USD 9.41 million) from entrance tickets in 2017.
Other destinations such as Ha Long Bay and Yen Tu (Quang Ninh province), Phong Nha-Ke Bang (Quang Binh), Trang An (Ninh Binh) and Black Lady Mountain (Tay Ninh) have been top tourism spots for years.
Sieu said the tourism sector and localities should map out a tourism plan in which tourism development must be made in tandem with respecting local cultural values.
Local people play an important role in branching out cultural tourism, he stated, saying that building digitalized database on Vietnamese cultural heritage elements, applying advanced technologies into the management of cultural heritage elements and developing smart tourism should be a focus.
Source: VNA