The ministry’s spokesperson Nguyen Thai Binh reported that during 2019, the ministry has submitted to the Prime Minister for approval seven special national relics and 27 national treasures.
In particular, the Then singing practice of the Tay, Nung, and Thai ethnic groups has been named in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
According to Binh, the dossiers on the Xoe dance of the Thai ethnic group and the traditional pottery art Cham group are being compiled to seek UNESCO recognition.
He announced that the campaign “All people unite to build cultural lifestyle” has created positive changes in social life, contributing to the fulfillment of economic, cultural and social development targets, security and national defence, social safety and order, poverty reduction, the building of new-style rural areas and the implementation of grassroots democracy regulations.
A highlight in the sport and physical training field was the country’s success in various regional and international competitions. During the year, Vietnamese athletes brought home 587 gold, 428 silver and 468 bronze medals. At the 30th SEA Games, the Vietnamese team ended in second place among 11 participating countries, winning 98 gold, 85 silver and 105 bronze medals.
It is noteworthy that the country’s U-22 team won the men’s football title for the first time in SEA Games history, while the women’s team earned their sixth SEA Games championship title.
Furthermore, the tourist industry recorded breakthrough results, welcoming a record 18 million foreign visitors, up 16.2 percent from 2018. Vietnam has surpassed Indonesia to rank fourth in ASEAN in the number of international arrivals.
The country won four awards at the World Travel Awards 2019, selected as the Top Destinations in Asia for the second consecutive year, the Top Gastronomic Destinations in Asia, and Top Cultural Destinations in Asia, while Hoi An ancient town won the title of “Asia’s Leading Cultural City Destination 2019”.
Vietnam continued to improve its ranking on the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) of the World Economic Forum, jumping up four places to the 63rd position in 2019 compared to 2017.
