Hue, Viet Nam, June 9, 2026 – The Mekong–Republic of Korea (RoK) Cooperation is working to spur a more vibrant creative industry in Hue, Viet Nam by generating investment opportunities through the Creative4Mekong project. Funded by the Mekong–RoK Cooperation Fund (MKCF) and implemented by the Mekong Institute (MI), the project convened a consultation meeting where stakeholders expressed their commitment to advancing the development of Investment Opportunity Profiles (IOPs).
The meeting, attended by representatives from Viet Nam’s Department of Tourism, Department of Finance, Hue University, and CoPlus in Hue, highlighted strong interest in creating clear, practical, and locally owned IOPs that align with Hue’s development priorities and attract potential investors.
Hue’s priority areas include creative and sustainable infrastructure, such as waste management and heritage area improvements, heritage-based tourism experiences, digital transformation and smart tourism, and capacity building for MSMEs and creative entrepreneurs. “The discussion emphasized the importance of defining project ownership, financing models, investor benefits, and implementation arrangements to ensure investment readiness,” shared Mr. Sa-nga Sattanun, Senior Program Coordinator at MI.
Building on these discussions, the Thua Thien Hue Department of Tourism reaffirmed Hue’s strong tourism recovery and rising number of international visitors, positioning the city as a priority destination for cultural and creative investment. Hue University highlighted its role in research, training, and MSME support, and proposed collaboration in areas such as smart tourism platforms, digital heritage interpretation, and sustainable tourism promotion. The Department of Finance outlined potential incentives, including tax exemptions, to strengthen investor interest, while CoPlus, a startup incubator and SME service provider, emphasized the importance of clearly defining project scope, ownership, and investor benefits.
The consultation discussed the next steps, including finalizing IOP criteria and templates, shortlisting promising project concepts, preparing communication materials, creating a digital information-sharing page for outreach, and coordinating with local authorities for event approvals.
Ms. Thongvone Sosamphan, Project Coordinator for Creative4Mekong, said that similar work will be carried out across the project’s four other target heritage destinations—Ayutthaya (Thailand), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Luang Prabang (Lao PDR), and Bagan (Myanmar)—to identify and develop locally relevant IOPs that reflect each destination’s unique cultural and creative assets.
The completed and validated IOPs will be uploaded to the project’s online platform, “Explore Mekong Heritage,” and presented to investment stakeholders during a separate meeting with government agencies, investors, development partners, academic institutions, and financial institutions. “This next engagement, scheduled for mid-September in Hue, aims to facilitate dialogue, partnership building, and investment decision-making,” said Ms. Somsamphan.
Creative4Mekong is a three-year regional project that strengthens creative industries, preserves cultural heritage, and promotes sustainable tourism across five World Heritage Sites in the Mekong region. It fosters capacity building, digital promotion, intellectual property protection, and cross-border collaboration to build a stronger regional ecosystem.
