Cultural tourism – if China can make it pay, why can’t Vietnam?

Vietnam is finding cultural tourism a hard sell to investors, concedes Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Danh Nga.
A two day conference focused on drumming up investment in cultural attractions in Vietnam’s 21 southern provinces has ended without the announcement of a single new venture.
After a similar conference on Central Vietnam attractions last year drew lots of investor complaints about tax policies, this year the Ministry was ready with answers. Tax Department officials explained that the corporate tax rate on enterprises that showcase culture is merely ten percent, not the usual twenty-five. The Ministry said that in addition it could arrange preferential land leases and exemption of registration fees. Still no fish took the bait.
A Tuoi Tre reporter asked Nga what sort of cultural projects interest investors. “They only pay attention to profit,” answered the deputy minister. “They believe they can make a profit in hotels, tours and sports training facilities. Investment in culture is harder. Losses and failures are frequent. Calling on investors to build theatres or cinemas or preserve Vietnamese traditional culture is utopian. We are hoping at best for investments in museums, libraries, exhibition centres and in art troupes.”
“There’s a Belgian company, Penxi,” Nga continued, “that offered some good ideas on renovating the exhibits in our museums. They have a new 3D technology, very realistic.”
Under an MOU signed with the Cultural Heritage Agency, Penxi will seek investment capital in Europe to support technology upgrades to museums in the southern region.
In addition, Nga said, some companies from China proposed to exchange ideas on developing big shows and film making technology. Some UK and Singapore companies were also present as observers.
The reporter asked Nga how Vietnam is doing relative to nearby countries in the field of cultural tourism. “We’re trying to catch up,” he replied. “We haven’t yet got a unified budget or strategy that links culture, sports and tourism.
“China provides us a model. I’ve gone there. They have a well-branded ‘tourism season.’ They’ve found ways to bridge the language barrier, and attract lots of foreign visitors, especially to their dance extravaganzas. Any foreign visitor to China knows about the outdoor musical shows designed by world famous director Zhang Yimou in Guilin, Zhejiang, Yunnan and Hainan.
“China’s multi-media musical plays featuring its local landscapes, legends and folk arts furnish lots of lessons for the ASEAN nations. But these famous performances didn’t just happen. The Chinese central and provincial governments have invested hundreds of millions of yuan in making them successful.”