Waiting for the wave of Russian tourists to Khanh Hoa

After much effort, direct flights from Russia to Cam Ranh have resumed since March 17, promising a wave of Russian tourists to Khanh Hoa in the near future. The Agarwood Tourism Industry has actively prepared to bring satisfaction to Russian tourists.

Passenger numbers will increase sharply when there are direct flights.

Russia is a traditional international tourist market for Vietnam tourism, of which Khanh Hoa is the most favorite destination for Russian visitors. In 2019, Khanh Hoa welcomed about 463,000 Russian visitors, accounting for 71.6% of the total number of Russian visitors to Vietnam (646,524 visitors). Due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, flights from Russia to Khanh Hoa were suspended for a long time. When Vietnam reopened to international visitors after the Covid-19 epidemic, Russian visitors who wanted to travel to Khanh Hoa had to fly from Kazakhstan, China... so the number of visitors was not much. According to statistics from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in 2024, Khanh Hoa will only welcome about 105,500 Russian visitors, equal to 22.8% compared to 2019. Therefore, organizing direct flights from Russia to Khanh Hoa is considered a key issue in recovering the Russian tourist market.

A Russian child expressed his joy at traveling to Khanh Hoa.

After many efforts, the direct flight from Russia to Khanh Hoa was officially resumed on March 17 with Azur Air's flight from Irkutsk (Russia) to Cam Ranh with 231 tourists. Previously, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam licensed Azur Air (Russia) to organize charter flights from 11 cities in Russia (Moscow, Ekaterinburg, Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, Barnaul, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Tomsk, Novokuznetsk, Blagoveshchensk) to Khanh Hoa. Azur Air will cooperate with Anex Vietnam Trading and Tourism Company Limited to operate 12 flights in March and increase to 50 - 55 flights/month from April to June; 90 - 100 flights/month from July onwards. Aeroflot also opened a commercial flight route from Moscow to Khanh Hoa with a frequency of 2 flights/week from March 22. With the convenience of increased flight routes, tourism in the land of Agarwood is expecting the Russian tourist market to have a sudden growth in the near future.

Mr. Cung Quynh Anh - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said: The demand for Russian tourists to travel to Khanh Hoa is currently very large. In the first 2 months of 2025, the province welcomed 24,000 Russian visitors, an increase of 70% over the same period last year. The opening of direct flights from Russia to Khanh Hoa by Azur Air and Aeroflot airlines will create favorable conditions for the provincial tourism industry to promote attracting Russian visitors, and there will certainly be a wave of Russian visitors coming to Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa for vacation in the near future.

Proactively prepare to welcome Russian guests

Immediately after landing at Cam Ranh International Airport, the group of tourists from Irkutsk city was warmly welcomed by the leaders of the Provincial People's Committee, the Tourism Department, and Anex Vietnam Trading and Tourism Company Limited. Despite having to take a flight of more than 8 hours, the Russian tourists were very excited to fly directly to Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa without having to transit like before. "This is my first trip to Vietnam. Thank you for your warm welcome. I will have 12 days to explore Khanh Hoa tourism. I have not made a specific schedule for this vacation, but I will definitely spend time playing at VinWonders Nha Trang and going on island tours. In addition, I also want to enjoy local cuisine," said female tourist Archipova.

Russian tourists fly directly to Khanh Hoa on Azur Air flights.

To welcome the return of Russian tourists, Anex Vietnam Trading and Tourism Company Limited has actively recruited tour guides and connected with partners to prepare products and serve Russian tourists, especially sea and island tourist destinations and shopping destinations exclusively for Russian tourists and those from countries that separated from the Soviet Union (formerly). Mr. Phan Dang Anh - Deputy General Director of Anex Vietnam Trading and Tourism Company Limited said: "Russian tourist groups traveling on Azur Air flights to Khanh Hoa will stay for a long time at 3-5 star resorts and hotels in Bai Dai (Cam Lam) and Nha Trang City. During their stay in Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa, guests will take a tour to visit Nha Trang City, Nha Trang Bay, and have fun at VinWonders Nha Trang, Orchid Island Tourist Area... The company has set up hotlines to support tourists, service providers and government agencies in the province, ensuring security and safety for tourists throughout their stay."

Although there has been initiative in welcoming guests, re-organizing direct flight tours from Russia to Cam Ranh after a 5-year hiatus will certainly encounter some difficulties. “One of the biggest difficulties is the lack of aircraft, especially when the frequency of operations gradually increases from 12 flights/month currently to 90-100 flights/month from July. This requires Azur Air to have a large enough fleet and meet the quantity requirements. In addition, the team of tour guides and tour service staff in Nha Trang, ensuring the quality of tourism services from hotels and resorts are also issues that need attention. To ensure service quality, the company will closely coordinate with partners in Khanh Hoa to prepare human resources and improve the quality of accommodation services,” said Mr. Phan Dang Anh.

Regarding the issue of welcoming Russian guests, Mr. Cung Quynh Anh said: "Khanh Hoa has about 1,200 accommodation establishments with about 60,000 rooms, so the provincial tourism industry is capable of meeting the accommodation needs of Russian guests, without affecting or causing conflicts with Korean and Chinese tourists (Khanh Hoa's two leading international tourist markets). Regarding human resources, to support businesses welcoming a large number of Russian guests, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will organize training and fostering classes, creating conditions for tour guides to exchange their cards so that they can guide Russian guests."

According to Mr. Pham Minh Nhut - Permanent Vice President of Nha Trang - Khanh Hoa Tourism Association, Russian tourists stay for a long time, so businesses need to prepare tourism products and services carefully. Businesses need to diversify and improve the quality of products to satisfy Russian tourists right from the start, thereby spreading the image and tourism information of Tram land to the Russian community, attracting more Russian tourists to Khanh Hoa in the future.

XUAN THANH

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/du-lich/202503/cho-don-lan-song-khach-nga-den-khanh-hoa-0b20b81/