Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on December 16 announced the top 10 cultural, sports, and tourism events for 2024 based on both direct and online voting.

01. The National Assembly (NA) approves the National Target Programme for Cultural Development in the 2025-2035 period.

At the eighth session of the 15th NA, the legislature approved the investment policy for the National Target Programme for Cultural Development for the 2025-2035 period. This landmark initiative is expected to specify and accelerate the implementation of the Party and State's cultural development policies, fostering the comprehensive development of Vietnamese people and the growth of a modern Vietnamese culture rich in national identity, so that culture will truly becomes an internal strength and a driving force of the cause of national development and defence.

02. The NA passes the Cultural Heritage Law (revised), also at the eighth session, which marks a critical step towards strengthening the legal framework for the country’s cultural heritage sector.

03. The Government issues two major schemes on cultural, sports, and tourism development, unlocking resources and laying foundation for the sector’s breakthrough growth.

In 2024, the Prime Minister approved two major national plans - one on a national network of grassroots cultural and sports establishments and the other on the national tourism system for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2045. These plans aim to remove bottlenecks in institutions for the implementation of policies on cultural, sports and tourism development in the new period.

04. Series of cultural, sports, and tourism activities mark the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory.

The series of cultural, sports, and tourism events organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in coordination with relevant agencies, made profound impressions with a strong ripple effect. The events received enthusiastic participation and high praise from both the public and visitors, contributing to the overall success of the programme celebrating the 70th anniversary of the great victory in the nation's history.

05. Vietnam has two more heritages honoured by UNESCO.

The Nine Dynastic Urns at the Imperial Citadel of Hue was recognised as a documentary heritage of UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme for the Asia-Pacific Region on May 8, and Ba Chua Xu (Holy Mother of the Realm) Festival on Mount Sam in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang was officially inscribed onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 4. The inclusion of two heritages of Vietnam on the UNESCO heritage lists in a single year further demonstrates the significant achievements of the country in the preservation and promotion of its cultural heritage. This also highlights Vietnam's active role and responsibility as an active member of UNESCO in integrating international treaties and cultural heritage programmes into domestic law.

06. The cultural industries create breakthroughs with large-scale programmes that have significant attraction and strong social impact.

The year 2024 witnessed many positive signs in the development of Vietnam’s cultural industry. Events such as the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2024, concerts from the programmes “Anh trai vuot ngan chong gai”, “Anh trai say hi,” the First International Jazz Festival in Nha Trang 2024, and the success of films like “Dao, Pho va Piano” and “Lat mat” have generated positive effects, contributing to the further development of the cultural industries. 07. First tourism-cinema promotion programme is held in the US.

For the first time, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism organised a Vietnam Tourism - Cinema Promotion Programme in Hollywood, the heart of the US film industry, with a large-scale event attracting over 500 guests, including top Hollywood producers and directors. This marked a breakthrough and a creative step in Vietnam's tourism promotion efforts, aiming to leverage cinema as a tool for tourism development.

08. Tourism sector see strong post-pandemic recovery, serving about 17 million international tourists and 120 million domestic visitors.

In 2024, despite many challenges both domestically and globally, tourism has remained a bright spot in the country's economy. With 17 million international arrivals and 120 million domestic trips, the tourism sector has fully recovered from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Vietnam has received three prestigious awards - "Asia's Leading Destination," "World's Leading Heritage Destination," and "Asia's Leading Nature Destination." Notably, this is the sixth time in seven years that Vietnam has been honoured as "Asia's Leading Destination" (in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024), solidifying its position as an attractive travel destination and a shining star on the global and regional tourism map.

09. Vietnam hosts the UN World Tourism’s International Conference on Rural Tourism in 2024.

The conference attracted more than 300 delegates from 50 countries around the world, demonstrating Vietnam’s growing role, responsibility, and prestige in international tourism organisations. As part of the conference, UN Tourism awarded the title of Best Tourism Village to Tra Que vegetable village in Hoi An city of Quang Nam.

10. Vietnam women's volleyball team win first medal at a world tournament, and secure the second Asian championship.

In July, at the FIVB Challenge Cup held in the Philippines, the Vietnamese women's volleyball team made history by winning its first-ever medal at a world-level competition. This achievement marks a major milestone for the team, placing Vietnam on the international volleyball map. Earlier in May, the Vietnamese women’s team successfully defended their title at the AVC Challenge Cup in the Philippines, claiming their second Asian championship./.