Sports Tourism Puts Vietnam on Regional Map

Vietnam is positioning sports tourism as a key growth driver in the region, attracting both domestic and international attention. A key feature of this year's events is the expanded public-private partnership model, with airlines, businesses, and domestic and international organizations contributing resources for transportation, accommodation, destination surveys, and professional activities. This enhances tourism infrastructure and promotional efforts. In major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, travelers are encouraged to walk, cycle, or use double-decker buses and metro systems, offering opportunities to reduce their carbon footprint while experiencing the authentic rhythm of urban life, promoting sustainable tourism. The northern province of Ninh Binh has improved tourism services, promoted destinations, and enhanced its image through major sporting events, boosting tourism and local socio-economic growth. Furthermore, the International Festival of Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts has fostered the martial spirit, strengthened national pride, promoted cultural exchanges, and reinforced the aspiration to bring Vietnamese traditional martial arts to a wider international audience. Culinary culture is also being leveraged as a significant element. The "Pho Cultural Roadshow Europe 2026" traveled across Europe, bringing together eight Vietnamese culinary artisans, chefs, and food experts to introduce Vietnamese cuisine internationally. My Quang, a signature dish of the central Quang region, reflects its history, culture, and daily life, helping to strengthen Da Nang's position on the culinary tourism map. Moreover, museums in Ho Chi Minh City are embracing digital innovation and cultural activities to showcase their rich heritage, thereby promoting cultural tourism, stimulating the night-time economy, and increasing the number of domestic and international visitors. Van Phuc silk weaving village, with its millennia-old heritage and growing integration of preservation and innovation, is poised to become a distinctive cultural destination, promoting Hanoi's sustainable cultural tourism and bringing the quintessence of Vietnamese silk weaving closer to domestic and international visitors. In the field of architectural management, the draft Law amending the Law on Architecture clarifies the concept of "national cultural identity in architecture," tying design to the preservation and promotion of regional heritage. This promotes architecture that mirrors local identity and fits each locality’s natural, historical, and social conditions. These initiatives are positioned as part of Vietnam's strategy to deepen its ties with the international community and promote economic growth through sports, culture, and cuisine. Under Vietnam's one-party system, government-led promotion of national strategies is a crucial driver of economic development. Particularly, amidst strong economic ties with China, building diverse international relationships and strengthening soft power are important pillars of Vietnam's foreign policy. Source: VietnamPlus English