Chairing a working session with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on April 25, the Prime Minister stressed that culture must be elevated as a “spiritual foundation,” an “endogenous resource,” and a form of “soft power” contributing to socio-economic development. At the same time, tourism should be developed into a spearhead industry, while sport plays a role in improving public health and physical well-being.

He acknowledged the sector’s recent progress in policy development and implementation, particularly in carrying out Party resolutions on cultural development. However, he also pointed to persistent bottlenecks, including slow institutional reform, gaps in the legal framework for cultural industries, and limited application of science, technology and digital transformation. Tourism and cultural industries, he noted, have yet to fully tap their potential.

Looking ahead, the Prime Minister emphasised the need to accelerate institutional improvements, streamline administrative procedures, and enhance decentralisation alongside more effective state management. He also highlighted the importance of advancing digital transformation across the sector, building integrated databases, and modernizing governance methods.

A key priority is restructuring the tourism sector to improve service quality and competitiveness. Vietnam aims to welcome 25 million international visitors and serve 150 million domestic travelers by 2026. According to the Prime Minister, tourism can generate significant revenue across related industries such as aviation, hospitality and food services, while maintaining relatively low environmental impact if managed properly.

In the cultural sphere, he urged faster development of policies for cultural industries, including completing legal frameworks for emerging areas, while strengthening efforts to preserve and promote heritage and traditional arts to prevent cultural erosion.

For sports, the Prime Minister called for a renewed development mindset, with long-term investment strategies and appropriate mechanisms to narrow the gap with regional and global standards.

He also underlined the role of the media in shaping public opinion, safeguarding the Party’s ideological foundation, and improving grassroots communication. He stressed the need to streamline organisational structures, enhance the quality of human resources, and strengthen accountability among leaders.

Concluding the meeting, the Prime Minister urged the sector to accelerate the implementation of key tasks in 2026, ensuring progress in drafting and finalising major policies, strategies and laws, while advancing cultural industries as a new driver of economic growth.

PM orders faster rollout of free textbooks, exam prep, digitalisation

VOV.VN - Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has pressed ahead with accelerated efforts to provide free school textbooks, ensure full preparation for the 2026 national high school graduation exam, and advance digital transformation across the education sector.