Kinhtedothi - In recent years, Vietnam has been a destination chosen by Russian tourists for their vacations, but attracting more high-spending tourists from this market is a "problem" that needs to be solved.
Vietnam's Attraction
Information from the National Tourism Administration shows that in 2024, Vietnam's tourism industry will welcome more than 232,300 Russian visitors, an increase of 84.9% compared to 2023. In the first 2 months of 2025 alone, nearly 80,000 Russian tourists were welcomed, an increase of 204% compared to the same period in 2024. Russia is currently the number 1 market among European countries bringing tourists to Vietnam.
At a working session with the Hanoi Department of Tourism on two-way tourist exchange activities between Hanoi and travel agencies in the Far East (Russian Federation), Vice President of the Asia-Europe Business Association Malinovskii Roman informed that recently, Russian and CIS tourists searching for information on tourism in Vietnam has increased by 35%.
In particular, cities such as Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, Da Nang received a 130% increase in searches. "This result shows that with its natural beauty, pleasant tropical weather and many unique experiences, Vietnam is outperforming many other destinations in Asia," said Mr. Malinovskii Roman.
Regarding the number of Russian tourists choosing Vietnam as a destination, Director of the National Tourism Administration Nguyen Trung Khanh informed that the reason why Russian people choose Vietnam as a vacation destination is partly due to the close relationship and affection between the people of Vietnam and Russia. At the same time, Vietnam possesses long coastlines, clear blue water, a temperate climate and rich services.
From a business perspective, Director of the Russian Impression Company (member of the Russian Travel Association) Bui Lan Huong explained that the growth of Russian tourists to Vietnam is due to the fact that many coastal areas of our country have year-round sunshine, friendly people, many valuable relics and attractive cuisine... In addition, in recent years, Vietnam has also implemented many measures and promotional campaigns to attract Russian tourists.
At the same time, from August 15, 2023, Vietnam has exempted visas for Russian tourists for 45 days. The visa exemption has attracted Russian tourists to Vietnam, while this is a tourist market with a fairly high level of spending on health care services, enjoying seafood, drinks and buying souvenirs...
The two destinations that Russian families prioritize are Da Nang City and Nha Trang resort center. “They travel mainly in the winter for relaxation, so they really like beach resorts, especially high-end resorts like Da Nang and Nha Trang. In addition, they also spend a lot on health care services, enjoying seafood, drinks and buying souvenirs…”- Ms. Bui Lan Huong shared.
Statistics from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) show that although Russians do not travel very often, they spend quite a lot of money, about 2,000 USD per trip, of which 610 USD is spent on non-tour expenses, 40% higher than the average spending of tourists from other countries. The fact that Russian tourists choose Vietnam as a destination to experience nature and culture has created a large source of revenue for Vietnamese tourism.
Improve the quality of tourism services, retain tourists
According to tourism experts, the large number of Russian tourists coming to Vietnam is a good sign for the Vietnamese tourism industry, but to retain Russian tourists, businesses need to improve the quality of their services to retain them.
Deputy General Director of Saigontourist Doan Thi Thanh Tra said: The main demand of Russian tourists is to stay at the beach for a long time at one location, not to follow a tour program through different localities and regions, so the supply of hotel rooms during peak season is very difficult.
In addition, the territory of the Russian Federation is vast, the regions are very far apart, so many areas do not have direct flights to Vietnam, so they have to transit through a third country, causing the tour price to increase. Not only that, in the process of organizing the tour, the number of Vietnamese tour guides who know Russian is only 418 people, a number too small compared to the minimum customer service needs and current regulations.
Tourism professionals affirm that overcoming these difficulties will exploit the Russian market very effectively. To facilitate Vietnamese businesses to attract Russian tourists, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has officially licensed Azur Air from March 16, 2025. Accordingly, it is allowed to operate flights to Vietnam, connecting 11 Russian cities including: Novosibirsk, Vnukovo, Krasnoyarsk, Koltsovo, Irkutsk, Novy, Vladivostok, Ignatyevo, Omsk, Novokuznetsk and Barnaul to Cam Ranh with an average frequency of 14 flights/week, thereby shortening the travel time to Vietnam for tourists.
Regarding the upgrading and renovation of tourist destinations to welcome Russian tourists, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association Vu The Binh said that currently, most Russian tourists coming to Vietnam mainly go on vacation in Nha Trang and Phu Quoc. To diversify destinations to welcome Russian tourists, the Vietnam Tourism Association is cooperating with the three localities of Hanoi - Binh Dinh - Phu Yen to build tours combining cultural tourism and resort.
This is because Hanoi has a system of 5-star hotels and a unique culture for tourists to experience, while Phu Yen and Binh Dinh have beautiful beaches to satisfy tourists' beach vacation needs... In order to encourage Russian tourists to come to the locality, Phu Yen and Binh Dinh tourism have committed to reducing service prices by 20-30% for Russian tourist groups.
To attract Russian tourists, tourism businesses share the same opinion that in addition to upgrading facilities and services, it is also necessary for management agencies to organize programs to promote and advertise Vietnamese tourism in the Russian market. Regarding promotional activities to attract Russian tourists to Vietnam, Deputy Director of the National Tourism Administration Nguyen Le Phuc shared that in addition to building tours and new destinations, localities need to step up promotional activities, from promoting tourism on-site to taking advantage of the strengths of the internet, promoting through Russian-language websites...
The team of tour guides, interpreters, operators, and tour sales in Russian also need to be trained to increase in quantity and quality to ensure the effectiveness of transactions. "On March 11, in Moscow, Russia, Khanh Hoa province held a tourism promotion conference here. This is a model that local tourism needs to learn and replicate" - Mr. Nguyen Le Phuc gave an example.
Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/tim-loi-giai-bai-toan-hut-du-khach-nga-den-viet-nam-nhieu-hon.html
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