Prime Minister Le Minh Hung speaks at the working session with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Photo: VNA  

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung on April 25 chaired a working session with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to review the implementation of assigned tasks, with a focus on advancing the Politburo’s Resolution No. 80 and the National Assembly’s resolution on cultural development, as well as addressing proposals and recommendations and defining effective approaches and orientations for handling key issues in the coming period.

Reports presented at the session highlighted notable progress. Institutional frameworks have been gradually improved, helping to remove bottlenecks and mobilise resources more effectively. Cultural heritage preservation and promotion have been strengthened, high-performance sports have maintained positive results, and the proportion of the population engaging in regular physical activities has reached 38.2%.

Tourism has emerged as a bright spot as Vietnam welcomed a record number of 21.5 million international visitors in 2025 and generating an estimated 1 quadrillion VND (37.9 billion USD) in revenue.

The ministry has further advanced administrative reforms by decentralising 36 procedures to provincial and grassroots levels, cutting unnecessary business conditions, and significantly reducing compliance costs and processing time.

Concluding the meeting, PM Hung emphasised that the culture, sports and tourism sector encompasses a broad scope of work with far-reaching social impact, and has received consistent attention from the Party and the State. He noted that cultural values and ethical standards are matters of deep concern to society, shaping both national identity and development quality.

While commending the ministry’s efforts, particularly its proactive role in advising and implementing Resolution No. 80, the PM pointed out several shortcomings, including delays in completing policy frameworks, gaps in legal regulations for emerging areas such as cultural industries, and limited application of science, technology, and digital transformation.

The government leader also noted that Vietnam’s high-performance sports still lag behind regional and global standards, while tourism and cultural industries have yet to fully match their potential. Challenges related to human resources and the risk of losing traditional artisans were also underscored.

Therefore, PM Hung stressed the need for a fundamental shift in mindset and working methods, moving away from entrenched practices, and transforming decisively from a management mindset to one that serves, enables, and leads development. He urged acting proactively and decisively in proposing groundbreaking policies for consideration by competent authorities, ensuring the timely implementation of the Party’s major directives.

Institutional reform remains a top priority, he said, stressing the need to swiftly translate the Party's guidelines into concrete policies and ensure timely issuance of implementing regulations. He also called for the vigorous rollout of the National Target Programme on Culture, aligned with clearly defined objectives and beneficiaries.

In terms of sectoral development, the PM urged a strategic restructuring to enhance competitiveness, particularly in tourism, with the goal of welcoming 25 million international visitors and serving 150 million domestic tourists by 2026. He emphasised that the sector plays a vital role in achieving double-digit economic growth, noting that increased international tourism can generate substantial revenue across aviation, hospitality, and services with relatively low environmental impact.

At the same time, he cautioned against revenue leakage to foreign entities, stressing the need for policies that ensure greater domestic value capture.

The government leader also directed stronger state management and the enhanced role of media and communications in shaping public opinion and safeguarding the Party’s ideological foundation. Accelerating digital transformation across the sector, including the completion of national databases and administrative reforms in the digital environment by the second quarter of 2026, was identified as a key priority.

Looking ahead, the Government will prioritise the development of legal frameworks for cultural industries, including the building and submission for approval of a dedicated law, as well as policies on copyright, professional incentives, and administrative sanctions in media and publishing.

PM Hung called on the ministry to act with greater determination, proactivity, and effectiveness, ensuring that culture becomes a true “spiritual foundation,” an “endogenous resource,” and a source of “soft power” for national development. Tourism must evolve into a spearhead economic sector and sports should contribute meaningfully to improving public health and physical well-being, he added./.