(Fatherland) - Khanh Hoa welcomes a direct flight from Russia after nearly 3 years of suspension, marking the initial recovery of the local tourism industry in this traditional tourist market.
At about 3:30 p.m. on March 17, flight ZF2577 of Russian airline Azur Air, carrying 231 passengers from Irkutsk landed at Cam Ranh International Airport, Khanh Hoa province.
Immediately after landing, the plane was greeted with a water cannon salute. Leaders of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, representatives of relevant departments, agencies and units and Anex Vietnam Trading and Tourism Company Limited presented flowers and souvenirs to the passengers.
This is the first direct flight from Russia to Khanh Hoa after a 3-year suspension, operated by Anex Vietnam in cooperation with a Russian airline on charter flights.
Delegates take souvenir photos with the Russian delegation. Photo: Thao Phat
In 2019, it is estimated that nearly 463 thousand Russian tourists visited Khanh Hoa, accounting for 71.6% of the total number of Russian visitors to Vietnam (646 thousand visitors) and was the second largest international tourist market of the province at that time.
However, since March 2022, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical instability, direct flights from Russia to Khanh Hoa have been suspended. Russians who want to travel to Khanh Hoa must transit through a number of countries such as Kazakhstan, China, etc., causing the number of tourists from Russia to Khanh Hoa to decrease sharply.
Estimates for 2022 and 2023 are 14,007 and 51,209 visitors, respectively. By 2024, the number of Russian tourists to Khanh Hoa has recovered, estimated at 105,000 visitors (up 206% over the same period), but only 22.8% compared to 2019.
Russian tourists are happy to travel to Khanh Hoa with a charter flight. Photo: Thao Phat
Mr. Nguyen Duc Tan, General Director of Anex Vietnam Trading and Tourism Company Limited, said that from March 2025, Anex Vietnam will resume charter flights connecting 11 Russian cities to Khanh Hoa. The frequency of operations in March 2025 is 12 flights. From April to June 2025, there will be about 50-55 flights/month and from July 2025 onwards, there will be 90-100 flights/month.
Mr. Cung Quynh Anh, Deputy Director of Khanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that having a direct flight will help Russian people easily access Khanh Hoa without having to transit through other countries. Restoring the flight route will not only shorten travel time but also reduce airfare costs, creating favorable conditions for Khanh Hoa to restore and attract the Russian tourist market.
In the first 3 months of 2025, Khanh Hoa welcomed more than 2.5 million overnight visitors (up 19.69% over the same period), exceeding the first quarter plan and reaching 21.95% of the yearly plan. According to the plan, this year Khanh Hoa tourism industry strives to welcome 11.8 million tourists, including 6.6 million domestic visitors and 5.2 million international visitors, with tourism revenue reaching 60,000 billion VND./.
Source: https://toquocweb.dev.cnnd.vn/khanh-hoa-don-chuyen-bay-thang-tu-nga-sau-3-nam-20250317172219656.htm
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