HCM City (VNS/VNA) -  Preservation of cultural and naturalheritage sites plays an important role in tourism growth in Vietnam, expertssaid at a conference on November 30 in HCM City.

Vo Van Thanh of the Southern Institute of Social Sciences (SISS), said thanksto tourism, protection, conservation and restoration of world heritage siteswere improved.

"In Vietnam, heritage tourism activities have contributed to introducingthe country’s World Heritage sites,” he said.

The conference, which discussed the opportunities and challenges for culturalheritage values, was organised by the HCM City University of Culture incollaboration with SISS, the HCM City Institute for Development Issues, and theInternational Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration ofCultural Property (ICCROM).

More than 300 cultural experts and researchers from Vietnam and abroad tookpart in the event.

Preservation of heritage sites has helped create jobs and improved livingstandards in local communities, Thanh said.

Last year, heritage sites brought a high level of visitors and revenue fromticket sales and tourism services, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sportsand Tourism’s Cultural Heritage Department.

Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh province, for example, welcomed 6.93 million visitorslast year, including 2.9 million foreigners, a year-on-year increase of 12.9million.

Its tourism revenue reached nearly 10.8 trillion VND (463 million USD), a riseof 39 percent compared to 2016.

The Hue Citadel welcomed 3 million visitors, including 1.8 million foreigners,earning 320 billion VND (13.7 million USD) from entrance ticket sales, afour-time increase compared to 2011.

Nguyen Thi Thu Trang of the cultural heritage department said: “Tourism isconsidered a motivating factor to protect cultural and natural heritage sites.It is one of the most effective means for cultural exchange between Vietnam andthe world.”

Vietnam has eight UNESCO-recognised World Heritage sites and eightUNESCO-recognised world biosphere reserves.

The World Heritage sites are the Hue Citadel, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An Ancient Town,My Son Sanctuary, Phong Nha – Ke Bàng National Park, Thang Long Royal Citadelcomplex, and Ho Dynasty Citadel.

The biosphere reserves are the Can Gio Mangrove Forest in HCM City, Nam Cat TienNational Park in Dong Nai and Lam Dong provinces, Cat Ba Archipelago in HaiPhong city, Hong (Red) River Delta, Kien Giang biosphere reserve in the MekongDelta, Cu Lao Cham in Hoi An, Western Nghe An, and Ca Mau Cape in thesouthernmost province of Ca Mau.-VNS/VNA