Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Sports Economy Summit 2026 (VSES 2026), held in Hanoi on March 27, sought to promote a broader understanding of sport to enhance public health and national prestige, and generate economic value, attracting investment and opening new growth in Vietnam.
Building on previous editions held in 2023 and 2024, this year’s forum delved more deeply into the economics of sport, with a focus on data, market development, investment and the long-term industry in Vietnam. A key highlight was the launch of the Vietnam Sports Economy Report 2026.
Opening the forum, Nguyen Van Hung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stressed the need to view sport through a broader lens, not merely as a vehicle for improving public health, developing human potential and enhancing national standing, but also as an economic sector capable of creating added value, stimulating services, attracting capital and expanding development opportunities.
With the spirit of “Shaping a New Economy”, the VSES 2026 broadened the discussion around sport as a sector capable of generating economic, commercial and developmental value for Vietnam.
This year’s forum not only continued conversations initiated during earlier editions, but also addressed more fundamental questions relating to data, markets, investment, media rights, branding and the broader ecosystem required to sustain industry growth.
For years, sport in Vietnam has largely been viewed through the lens of competitive achievement and mass participation. International experience, however, demonstrates that sport has evolved into a major economic sector closely linked with media, tourism, sponsorship, event management, technology and consumer industries. While Vietnam’s sports market remains at an early stage of development, the conditions necessary for building a genuine sports economy are increasingly taking shape.
A major milestone of this year’s programme was the first-ever publication of the Vietnam Sports Economy Report 2026, providing initial data and analysis on the scale, structure, growth drivers and development models of the country’s sports economy. The report also created a foundation for shifting discussions beyond broad observations towards more concrete issues surrounding market opportunities, investment strategies and long-term sector development.
International experts participating in the forum offered global perspectives on sport as an economic industry, while sharing lessons drawn from overseas models, including the development of the Republic of Korea’s sports economy.
Discussions focused on major themes such as global trends in sports economics, investment models and revenue structures in sport, international experiences in sports organisation and development, and policy strategies for building Vietnam’s sports economy.
The forum also raised a series of fundamental questions for the next stage of Vietnamese sport development, including the potential scale of Vietnam’s sports market, future growth drivers, revenue opportunities from media rights, and the integration of sport with tourism and local economic development.
Compared with the 2023 and 2024 editions, which primarily sought to introduce initial awareness of sports economics, VSES 2026 marked a more direct phase of discussion – one focused on data, market opportunities and the practical conditions required for growth, while helping to shape a long-term vision for Vietnam’s sports economy./.
