Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Vietnam)

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Vietnamese: Bộ Văn hóa, Thể thao và Du lịch) is the government ministry in Vietnam responsible for state administration on culture, family, sports and tourism nationwide, in addition to the management of public services in those fields. The ministry was founded in 2007 after the merger of the Committee of Physical Training and Sports of Vietnam, General Department of Tourism, and the Culture section from the Ministry of Culture and Information.

The Ministry of Information and Propaganda was one of the first 12 cabinet ministries established within the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The first Minister was Mr. Tran Huy Lieu, who represented the Ministry during its public debut at the Independence Ceremony (National Day).

On January 1, 1946, the Provisional Coalition Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was formed by reorganizing the Provisional Government to include members of the Viet Quoc and Viet Cach parties. A new ministry named the Ministry of Propaganda and Mobilization was established, with Mr. Tran Huy Lieu continuing as Minister.

On March 2, 1946, the Resistance Coalition Government was formed following the first session of the 1st National Assembly. This government did not include a ministry equivalent to the previous Ministry of Propaganda and Mobilization. Instead, on May 13, 1946, Minister of Internal Affairs Huynh Thuc Khang issued a decree establishing the Directorate General of Information and Propaganda, under the direct command and control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Nguyen Tan Gi Trong was appointed Director General.

On November 27, 1946, President Ho Chi Minh issued Decree No. 224/SL, renaming the Directorate General of Information and Propaganda to the Directorate of Information. Nguyen Tan Gi Trong remained the Director.

On July 10, 1951, the Directorate was transferred from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Prime Minister’s Office, with Tran Van Giau appointed as Director.

On February 24, 1952, Decree No. 83/SL merged the Directorate of Information (under the Prime Minister’s Office) with the Department of Literature and Arts (under the Ministry of Education) to form the Directorate of Propaganda and Arts under the Prime Minister's Office. To Huu was appointed as the new Director.

Following the 1954 Geneva Accords, the Government Council met in August 1954 and announced the establishment of the Ministry of Propaganda to prepare for the takeover of North Vietnam. Hoang Minh Giam was appointed Minister, with To Huu serving as Vice Minister.

On September 20, 1955, the National Assembly renamed the Ministry of Propaganda to the Ministry of Culture. Mr. Hoang Minh Giam continued as Minister for nearly 22 years.

In the South, the Ministry of Information and Culture was established on June 6, 1969, as one of the eight ministries of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, headed by Minister Luu Huu Phuoc.

On July 13, 1977, the National Assembly Standing Committee approved the merger of the General Department of Information and the Ministry of Culture to form the Ministry of Culture and Information, with Nguyen Van Hieu appointed as Minister.

On June 24, 1981, the 7th National Assembly split the Ministry of Culture and Information back into two separate entities: the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Information. Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu remained the Minister of Culture.

On March 31, 1990, the Council of State merged the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Information, the General Department of Physical Education and Sports, and the General Department of Tourism into a single Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports, and Tourism, headed by Minister Tran Hoan.

On July 27, 1991, the 8th National Assembly renamed the organization to the Ministry of Culture, Information, and Sports.

By September 30, 1992, the 9th National Assembly renamed it the Ministry of Culture and Information. The General Department of Physical Education and Sports and the General Department of Tourism were re-established as separate entities under the Government.

On July 31, 2007, the 12th National Assembly established the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism by merging the Committee for Physical Education and Sports, the General Department of Tourism, and the cultural division of the Ministry of Culture and Information. Hoang Tuan Anh served as the first Minister.

On March 1, 2025, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism took over the state management functions, personnel, and apparatus for press, publishing, and media following the dissolution of the Ministry of Information and Communications.

• Department of Familial Affairs
• Department of Traditional Culture
• Department of Library
• Department of Science, Technology and Environment
• Department of Training
• Department of Legislation
• Department of Planning and Finance
• Department of International Cooperation
• Department of Organisation and Personnel
• Ministry's Inspectorate
• Ministry's Office
• Vietnam National Authority of Tourism
• Sports Authority of Viet Nam
• Agency for Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition
• Agency for International Cooperation
• Agency for Foundation Culture
• Agency for Copyright
• Agency for Cinema
• Agency for Performing Arts
• Agency for Cultural Heritage

Educational and training institutions affiliated with the ministry are:^[1]

These institutions offer Bachelor's and postgraduate degrees.

These colleges award associate degrees, which would be equivalent to diplomas in some countries and below the level of Bachelor’s degrees.

These institutions award intermediate diplomas (Vietnamese: bằng trung cấp), which is above high school diplomas but below associate degrees (awarded by colleges).