Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc delivers speech yesterday at a conference reviewing 2016 developments and setting tasks for 2017 for the cultural, sports and tourism sector. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Culture should be well positioned like other crucial sectors in national economic development, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc said yesterday while addressing a conference reviewing 2016 developments and setting tasks for 2017 for the cultural, sports and tourism sector.

The teleconference took place in simultaneously in Hà Nội, the central city of Đà Nẵng and HCM City.

In 2016, many Party policies and guidelines and State management regulations in culture, sports and tourism, such as the Law on Tourism, and a project to develop tourism into a spearhead sector, were refined.

The preservation and promotion of cultural values yielded significant outcomes, helping honour traditional cultural values and create attractive cultural and tourist products, the PM said.

He noted that in 2016, the practice related to the Vietnamese belief in Mother Goddesses of the Three Realms was officially recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, increasing the number of internationally recognised heritages in Việt Nam to 25. In sports, the country also recorded achievements in international competitions.

Việt Nam greeted 10 million international visitors and earned revenues of VNĐ400 trillion (US$18 billion), four years ahead of the 2020 target.

However, the PM expressed concern about such problems as deviation from traditional cultural customs, degradation of ethics and lifestyle, vanity, extravagance in weddings, funerals and festivals, poor cultural life in rural areas and industrial zones, low sports performance in various regional and global competitions, and non-competitive tourist products.

Regarding tasks for 2017, he said culture development should be stepped up in harmony with economic development. Social progress and people’s living conditions need to be further improved. International culture should be absorbed selectively, while traditional cultural identities should be preserved and promoted.

The cultural sector should create a new image of Việt Nam and its people working to intensively integrate into global life and build a healthy cultural environment.

The tourism sector should seek to lure more foreign tourists who wish to stay longer, spend more money and go home with memorable experiences that will make them want to return. The sector should also tackle tourists’ fears of security and safety, he said. — VNS