Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

The affirmation was made by UNESCO Chief Representative in Vietnam Christian Manhart at a symposium reviewing the five-year implementation of the strategy in the 2016-2021 period held on September 12.

According to him, this strategy combines socio-economic development with cultural development, focuses on the economic values of cultural-artistic creativity, and pays attention to the creativity diversity of individuals, collectives and communities.

The development of cultural industries is one of the key factors for economic growth, contributing to GDP development through job generation and opening of new markets.

Vietnam will succeed if it can properly mobilise cultural resources, knowledge, and modern technology to create diverse and attractive cultural products and services, he added.

Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong, Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Cultural and Arts Studies (VICAS), said that cultural industries are strategic assets in Vietnam’s foreign policy and international cooperation and help to strengthen the uniqueness of the country. Cultural industries play a key role in promoting cultural identity and modernising the nation, serve an effective tool for economic growth and innovation, and make culture an important component of international trade and competitiveness.

The National Strategy on the Development of Vietnamese Cultural Industries by 2020, with a vision to 2030, was approved by the Prime Minister on September 8, 2016, with a goal of cultural industries’ occupation of around 3% to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2020.

In 2018, cultural industries contributed 7.46 billion USD, accounting for 3.61% of GDP, and generating jobs for over 3 million people, making up 6.1% of the country’s total number of labourers./.

VNA