Sustainable development strategies and policies for Vietnam’s cultural industries and cultural tourism play a crucial role in promoting distinctive cultural values and simultaneously fostering a country's economic and social development. The main aim of this paper is to propose sustainable development strategies and policies for cultural tourism within Vietnam’s cultural industries by applying a combined approach. The methodology integrates qualitative Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis and quantitative methods, including the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method and the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM), to evaluate internal and external factors influencing sustainable development of cultural tourism in Vietnam. Two hundred twenty-six survey responses from tourists, cultural tourism site managers, and 35 expert opinions were collected and analyzed. The findings identify the most significant strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats impacting the sustainable development of cultural tourism in Vietnam. Among these, the strengths and opportunities outweigh the weaknesses and threats. Based on the analysis from the SWOT-AHP-QSPM model, the study discusses and develops a growth-oriented strategy, prioritizing the application of digital technology in cultural tourism services, enhancing tourists' experiences, improving service quality, and strengthening cultural tourism promotion campaigns. The preliminary findings provide insights for policymakers, cultural tourism service providers, and local communities to adopt policies and strategic solutions that will promote the sustainable development of cultural tourism in the future, contributing to the growth of Vietnam's cultural industries.
