Cultural Industry in Development of Culinary Tourism in Vietnam

Culinary tourism represents an emergent phenomenon that has garnered attention globally, including in Vietnam, in recent years. In conjunction with this, the notion of the cultural industry is increasingly recognized as a mechanism for disseminating national cultures worldwide amidst the rapid exchanges characteristic of contemporary society. Nations endowed with rich gastronomic traditions have adeptly leveraged the cultural industry to enhance culinary tourism within their borders, thereby establishing themselves as global exemplars, as seen in countries such as Korea, Japan, and China. Although Vietnam is revered as a culinary utopia, the cultural industry has yet to significantly catalyze the robust development of its culinary scene to achieve global prominence akin to that of other nations. This article synthesizes the experiences of culinary tourism alongside the application of cultural industry strategies to bolster culinary tourism in various countries, while also examining the prevailing conditions in Vietnam in recent times. Consequently, it aims to extract pertinent lessons for Vietnam and propose several strategic recommendations to advance this form of tourism both currently and in the future.