Ho Chi Minh City will prioritize five cultural industries from 2026 to 2030, including cinema, performing arts and cultural tourism, aiming to raise their contribution to the city's GRDP to 7.2% by 2030.
Ho Chi Minh City plans to develop at least five national cultural industry brands by 2030 as part of a strategy to strengthen its creative economy and expand the economic contribution of cultural activities.
At a regular press briefing held at the HCMC Press Center on November 12, a representative of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports outlined the city's cultural industry development strategy for 2026-2030, identifying five priority sectors.
HCMC film industry generates nearly VND13 trillion in revenue
Cultural industries have experienced strong growth in recent years, with Ho Chi Minh City's film sector alone generating nearly VND13 trillion in revenue.
Cultural industries have emerged as one of Ho Chi Minh City's dynamic economic sectors in recent years.
The city currently has more than 17,670 businesses operating in cultural industries, accounting for 7.74% of all local enterprises and employing approximately 97,000 people.
The sector's contribution to the city's gross regional domestic product (GRDP) increased from 3.54% in 2020 to an estimated 5.7% by the end of 2025, with average annual growth of around 14%.
These figures demonstrate how cultural activities have evolved beyond their traditional role to become a significant component of the city's economy.
Among the various sectors, cinema stands out as an area of particular competitive strength.
The city's film industry generates an estimated US$500 million, equivalent to approximately VND12.95 trillion, in annual revenue.
It contributes around 0.43% of the city's GRDP and accounts for approximately 40% of Vietnam's film market.
Performing arts, music and entertainment events have also become increasingly professional, with stronger integration between artistic production, technology, media and commercial activities.
The industry's value chain now extends beyond ticket sales to include sponsorship, advertising, copyright licensing and digital content distribution.
Concerts and cultural events are also becoming more closely connected with tourism, services and the nighttime economy.
Popular entertainment programs such as Anh Trai Say Hi and Anh Trai Vuot Ngan Chong Gai have attracted considerable public attention and generated substantial economic activity.
Meanwhile, several established cultural events have helped Ho Chi Minh City develop its own distinctive identity.
These include the Ho Chi Minh City International Music Festival, known as HOZO, the Autumn Melodies classical arts festival, the Ao Dai Festival, the River Festival and the Youth Festival.
The city's cultural calendar is also expanding with new productions, including Mo Show, introduced in 2026.
Advertising represents another rapidly developing industry, benefiting from the city's large consumer market and vibrant commercial and media activities.
Beyond operating as an independent business sector, advertising plays an important role in supporting other cultural industries through promotion, branding and content commercialization.
Digital content, video games and entertainment are also recording rapid growth.
Some companies have shifted from producing individual products to developing integrated content ecosystems, distributing their products across multiple platforms and gradually establishing ownership of intellectual property.
In addition, the city's radio and television sector generates approximately VND12 trillion in annual revenue, while publishing records around VND110 trillion annually.
Five priority sectors to drive cultural industry growth
Concerts such as Anh Trai Vuot Ngan Chong Gai and Anh Trai Say Hi have attracted large audiences and generated economic benefits for Ho Chi Minh City.
Rather than spreading investment evenly across all cultural industries, Ho Chi Minh City intends to concentrate resources on sectors with strong market potential and competitive advantages.
Its selection criteria include market size, business capabilities, workforce quality, infrastructure and the potential to generate high added value.
The strategy also emphasizes developing distinctive cultural products capable of creating economic benefits across other industries.
For the 2026-2030 period, the city has identified five priority sectors:
Cinema Performing arts Advertising Cultural tourism Publishing
Of these, cinema, performing arts and cultural tourism are considered particularly well-positioned to build recognizable brands and generate broader economic and cultural influence.
Advertising and publishing, meanwhile, are expected to deliver relatively rapid growth.
By 2030, Ho Chi Minh City aims to increase the contribution of cultural industries to 7.2% of its GRDP, maintain average annual growth of approximately 12% and establish at least five national cultural industry brands.
To achieve these objectives, the city plans to implement several flagship projects designed to strengthen its cultural infrastructure and international profile.
One initiative involves developing a performing arts ecosystem centered on the Phu Tho Circus and Multipurpose Performance Theater.
The city also plans to organize the Ho Chi Minh City Light Festival and position itself as a regional hub for international music and events.
These projects are expected to strengthen connections between cultural production, tourism, entertainment and related services, helping the city expand its creative economy while building a stronger cultural identity.
Vietnamnet.vn
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