Vietnam aims for cultural industries to contribute 7% to GDP by 2030

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said Vietnam has a lot of untapped potential for the development of cultural industries.

Chairing the National Conference on the Development of Vietnam's  Cultural Industries in Hanoi this week, he said that Vietnam aims for the cultural industry to contribute 7% to the GDP by 2030.

Development is not proportionate to potential

Chinh said that investment in cultural industries has pushed the cultural industry market to new heights, making a positive contribution to socio-economic development. However, compared to some other sectors, the potential and advantages of Vietnam's cultural industries have not been fully harnessed.

Traditional village handicrafts are one of the 12 cultural industries the government focuses on. Photo: VNA

The Prime Minister stressed the need for a strong transformation from awareness and thinking to action, innovation in mentality, breakthroughs in working methods, and the building of a Vietnamese cultural industry with creativity, identity, uniqueness, professionalism and competitiveness based on the "national-scientific-popular" guideline of the 1943 Vietnamese Cultural Outline.

"It is necessary to focus on solutions and roadmaps to overcome current shortcomings, especially those related to mechanisms and policies. It is important to implement solutions in planning markets comprehensively. Enterprises and banks should be mobilized for the cultural industries and public-private cooperation resources, focusing on what products and services with spiral effects to create efficiency. The development of national brands in cultural industries should be seriously considered, " Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urged.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs the conference and reaffirms the importance of developing cultural industries. Photo: Nhat Bac/The Hanoi Times

Target to contribute 7% of GDP

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said that from 2018 to 2022, the production value contribution of Vietnam's cultural industries is estimated to reach VND1,059 billion (US$44 billion).

"After seven years of cultural industry development, Vietnam is a middle-ranking country in the world in cultural industries development, and we still have a lot of room for development," said Minister Nguyen Van Hung.

However, he admitted that investment resources for culture are still fragmented and not focused on a number of specialized areas with advantages and potential. There is a shortage of qualified human resources in the cultural industries.

Minister Nguyen Van Hung said that the coordination mechanism between ministries, departments, localities, and between organizations and individuals involved in cultural industries is not synchronized and effective.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said Vietnam is a middle-ranking country in the development of cultural industries worldwide. Photo: Nhat Bac/The Hanoi Times

In addition, financial investment in culture has gradually increased but still falls short of the needs.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism aims for the cultural industry to account for 7% of GDP and continue to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country by building diverse cultural industry products and services, establishing key cultural industry centers in major cities of Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City, and developing the network of creative cities throughout the country, Hung said.

Minister Hung also proposed solutions to develop the cultural industry based on the effective application of the new values and achievements of the world's culture, science, engineering and technology through exchanges, cooperation, joint ventures and associations with countries with developed cultural industries such as South Korea, Japan and China.