Sports managers, experts and industry leaders discuss Việt Nam’s sports economy at VSES 2026 in Hà Nội on March 27. — Photo courtesy of Vietcontent.

HÀ NỘI — The Vietnam Sports Economy Summit 2026 (VSES) confirmed sports as a sector capable of generating economic value, attracting investment, and opening up new development drivers for the country.

The third edition attracted around 300 delegates from various sports-related fields across multiple localities, gathering in Hà Nội on March 27.

Following the first two editions in 2023 and 2024, the VSES 2026 delves deeper into the field of sports economics, focusing on data, markets, investment, and industry development platforms in Việt Nam.

In his opening remarks, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyễn Văn Hùng called for a broader view of sports, highlighting its role not only in health and human development but also as a driver of economic value, services, and investment and growth opportunities.

“Developing the sports economy requires a coordinated approach, aligned policies and stronger roles for the State, businesses and localities, alongside greater use of technology and high-quality human resources. With the right direction and broad participation, sports can become a key driver of growth and enhance Việt Nam’s position,” he said.

Under the spirit Shaping a New Economy, VSES 2026 broadened the perspective on sports as a field capable of generating economic value, market value, and development value for Việt Nam.

For many years, Việt Nam sports have been considered as competitive achievements and mass participation. However, international practice showed that sports has developed into a large-scale economic sector, linked to media, tourism, sponsorship, event organisation, technology, and consumption.

Việt Nam’s domestic sports market is steadily developing, with the foundations of a true sports economy gradually taking shape.

VSES 2026 aimed to connect stakeholders within the sports ecosystem, promote awareness of sports economics as an economic sector, and explore opportunities for collaboration and market development.

A key highlight of this year's forum was the first-ever release of the Vietnam Sports Economy Report 2026 which provided an initial data and analysis foundation on the scale, structure, growth drivers, and development models of the national sports economy.

Delegates from government agencies, sports organisations, large businesses, investors, sponsoring companies, experts, international partners, and media outlets raised voices and expanded their discussion from general observations to more specific issues concerning the market, investment, and industry development strategies.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyễn Văn Hùng speaks at the forum.

Among the discussed issues were a global perspective on sports as an economic sector; experiences in developing the sports economy from the South Korean sports economic model; the market, investment, and revenue models in sports; experiences in organising and developing international sports; and policies and strategies for building Việt Nam's sports economy.

They also raised fundamental questions for the next phase of development, such as the potential for forming a sports economy, the scale of the Vietnamese sports market, key growth drivers, media rights revenues, and the connection between sports, tourism and local economies.

Concluding the event, Minister Hùng said Vietnamese sports could become a promising economic sector with the right approach, adding that the focus must now shift from awareness to action by translating Party policies into practical solutions. — VNS