A LOOK BACK AT THE “10 OUTSTANDING CULTURE, SPORTS, AND TOURISM EVENTS OF 2025
The year 2025 marked a brilliant journey for Vietnam’s Culture, Sports, and Tourism industry with landmark achievements, affirming the nation’s position in a new era. Let’s look back at the 10 most typical events that defined this year:
1. Positive transformation in institutional building and completion: This was a major highlight in 2025 and a bright spot for the entire term, creating a solid foundation for the industry to step confidently into a new era. The industry successfully shifted from a “doing culture” mindset to “state management of culture”.
2. National Achievement Exhibition “80 Years: Journey of Independence – Freedom – Happiness”: Organized on the largest scale to date, this event showcased innovative directions for exhibitions and fairs while affirming Vietnam’s potential and international standing.
3. Major anniversaries and strategic direction: Marking the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam Revolutionary Press and the 80th anniversary of the Culture Industry’s traditional day, General Secretary To Lam provided critical instructions to guide development in the new period.
4. International recognition of Vietnamese heritage: Vietnam’s prestige was further elevated as UNESCO recognized four representative heritages for the first time. These include the Yen Tu – Vĩnh Nghiêm – Côn Sơn complex, an expanded cross-border heritage for Phong Nha – Kẻ Bàng, the documentary heritage of composer Hoang Van, and Dong Ho folk paintings.
5. Global initiative adopted by UNESCO: The UNESCO General Conference approved the “International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development” initiative proposed by Vietnam.
6. Breakthrough in cultural industries and music: A series of artistic events commemorating major holidays created positive social effects. It was a booming year for grand concerts, with Vietnamese music leaving a brilliant mark both domestically and internationally.
7. Launch of “Vietnam Happy Fest”: Organized for the first time as a continuous series of meaningful activities, the festival affirmed Vietnam’s image as a destination of peace, happiness, and humanity.
8. Milestones in Cinema: The 24th Vietnam Film Festival and the film “Mua do” (Red Rain) highlighted the cinema industry’s contribution to cultural industry development. Additionally, the 3rd Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF III) introduced many innovative features.
9. Excellence in Sports: The U22 men’s football team delivered a stellar performance to win their third SEA Games championship in history.
10. Record-breaking Tourism growth: Vietnam achieved the world’s most impressive tourism growth according to UN Tourism. For the first time, international arrivals exceeded 21.5 million, while domestic tourism reached over 130 million visitors.
A proud 2025 has concluded, opening new opportunities for Vietnam to continue shining on the global map of culture, sports, and tourism.
The ceremony welcoming the 20 millionth international tourist in Phu Quoc. Photo: Dinh Kien
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