FROM HERITAGE TO GLOBAL SOFT POWER

With its vast cultural wealth and rising global profile, Vietnam is increasingly well positioned to elevate culture into a high-value pillar of tourism. In an interview with VIR's Vy Vy, Marco Della Seta, Italian Ambassador to Vietnam, highlighted that the real opportunity lies in nurturing creativity, quality craftsmanship, and cultural diplomacy to turn heritage into lasting economic value.

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With Vietnam designating November 24 as the National Cultural Day, how do you see such a milestone contributing to tourism promotion?

I think it is an excellent and very useful initiative. Designating a national day helps raise awareness of the importance of cultural tourism. Whether through a national day, an international campaign, or a thematic year, these initiatives are valuable.

Importantly, this effort should not be limited to domestic audiences. Cultural tourism is, by nature, international. It is international tourism that brings foreign visitors, foreign currency, and broader global recognition.

In that sense, the National Cultural Day is a strong starting point, providing a focal moment to highlight culture and tourism both at home and abroad.

Your embassies around the world are among the best ambassadors of Vietnamese culture. Promoting national culture is already one of their priorities, especially as foreign policy today stands on an equal footing with security and defence in terms of national importance.

Vietnam can use its diplomatic missions to identify influential cultural figures, opinion leaders, and local ambassadors in each country, and invite them to participate in National Cultural Day celebrations in Vietnam. This approach is widely used. Many countries, including Italy, choose to operate networks of cultural institutes abroad.

Many believe this decision will help culture become a key highlight. In that context, how can Vietnam further improve its cultural tourism?

Vietnam has rightly identified tourism, and cultural tourism in particular, as a strategic sector for growth and development. This approach is not unique to Vietnam, it is also common in many other countries, including Italy.