“Heritage Tourism” has been selected as the official theme of the National Tourism Year of the North-Central - Hue 2012.

The National Tourism Year 2012 and Festival Hue will bring a colorful cultural event to domestic and international tourists. However, how to promote Viet Nam’s heritage values to the world?

Shining with heritage tourism
Viet Nam is known with a lot of national level heritage, world heritage, historic relics, and traditional festivals…With high efforts to preserve and develop natural and cultural values, Viet Nam’s heritage has become a unique tourism product attracting visitors.

In the frame of National Tourism Year 2012, there are more than 30 grand festival, art and cultural activities around the country. Many famous national and international travel companies will offer tours linking Viet Nam’s ancient capitals, cultural heritage sites of the Central region with other destinations. In addition, to prepare for the National Tourism year 2012, many monuments, heritage areas, and tourist attractions have been preserved and restored to serve tourists such as Hue ancient capital, Hoi An ancient town...

Developing historical - cultural tourist products will bring a breakthrough to Viet Nam tourism industry. But, its success depends on attractive tourist environment and products that can bring benefits to local people who get involved in tourist services, traditional crafts…

Honoring intangible cultural heritage
Besides tangible heritage, architectural works, arts and museums, international tourists tend to pay more attention now to intangible cultural heritage.

Nowadays, many Viet Nam’s intangible cultural heritage forms have been introduced around the world throughout traditional art-performances such as: Vietnamese Water Puppet, Hue Royal Court Music, Central Highland Gong Festival, Ca Tru and the Quan Ho Bac Ninh folk songs…Therefore, visiting Viet Nam’s historic relics, landscapes as well as discovering intangible cultural heritage will help tourists learn more about Vietnamese people and traditional values. And Viet Nam could be selected as the destination for repeater tourists in the future.

According to Department of Cultural Heritage (the MoCST), Viet Nam has over 40 thousands historical - cultural relics and attractions and some one thousand intangible heritage forms. So, linking tourism and heritage not only brings economic value but also contributes to promotion of the value of Viet Nam heritage.

Translated by Thanh Pham (TITC)