Vietnam Enhances Tourism Strategy To Draw Russian Travelers, Boosting Direct Flights, Visa Policies, And Cultural Exchanges In 2025

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Vietnam is intensifying its efforts to pull much Russian visitors arsenic portion of a broader strategy to capitalize connected nan market’s beardown recovery. With promotional campaigns, enhanced aerial connectivity, and improved services, nan state intends to prolong maturation and surpass erstwhile tourism records. The surge successful Russian arrivals is driven by factors specified arsenic nan resumption of nonstop flights, favorable visa policies, and nan increasing entreaty of Vietnam’s lukewarm climate, making it an charismatic replacement to accepted Russian wintertime vacation destinations.

Vietnam’s tourism assemblage is accelerating efforts to pull much Russian visitors done targeted promotional campaigns, improved work quality, and expanded aerial connectivity. These initiatives purpose to prolong robust maturation from this cardinal market.

In nan first half of 2025, Vietnam saw astir 260,000 Russian visitors, surpassing nan full number of arrivals successful 2024, which was conscionable complete 232,300. Russia now ranks among nan apical 10 world markets for Vietnam, pinch nan fastest maturation complaint coming from Europe.

Before nan pandemic, Vietnam welcomed complete 650,000 Russian visitors successful 2019, making Russia nan sixth-largest root of world visitors astatine nan time. While nan pandemic led to a crisp diminution successful arrivals, nan betterment has been impressive. In 2024, Russian tourism surpassed 232,300 arrivals, reaching 36% of pre-pandemic levels and marking an 85% summation compared to 2023.

Russian visitors are known for their extended stays successful Vietnam. Many take to walk an mean of 12 days successful destinations for illustration Nha Trang successful Khanh Hoa province, enjoying nan section seafood, tropical fruits, Vietnamese coffee, and a assortment of locally crafted souvenirs.

The surge successful Russian tourism is evident successful nan accrued number of flights. Cam Ranh International Airport reported 144 flights from erstwhile Soviet Union countries successful April 2025, double nan number seen successful March. Russian travelers made up nan mostly of these flights, highlighting nan increasing request from this market. In nan first 5 months of 2025, Khanh Hoa saw 121,000 Russian visitors, a singular 192% summation compared to nan aforesaid play successful 2024.

The resumption of nonstop flights from Russia to Cam Ranh has been important successful facilitating this growth, boosting arrivals from Russia and Kazakhstan. Vietnam has go 1 of nan fewer Asian countries to quickly resume charter flights from Russia, aided by favorable visa policies and a estimation for being a safe destination. The lukewarm ambiance of Central Vietnam has provided a compelling replacement to accepted Russian wintertime destinations, further driving request for formation vacations.

The Russian market’s beardown betterment has not only revived tourism successful Khanh Hoa but has besides importantly contributed to Vietnam’s broader tourism recovery. According to nan Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), Russia was nan only world marketplace to study a grounds maturation complaint of complete 139% successful nan first half of 2025.

Visa facilitation has besides played a cardinal domiciled successful this surge. Russian citizens tin enactment successful Vietnam for up to 45 days without a visa, while Vietnamese travelers tin use for a 16-day e-visa to Russia. Plans are nether information to widen this to a 30-day e-visa, further strengthening nan bilateral tourism relationship.

The resumption of commercialized and charter flights by airlines specified arsenic Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, Aeroflot, and Azur Air is considered basal for maintaining tourism momentum. To further grow marketplace share, nan VNAT suggests offering much supportive measures for section businesses, including streamlined visa issuance for circuit groups and further nonstop flights to caller destinations. Sharing accusation astir tourism policies, finance opportunities, and marketplace trends should besides beryllium accelerated to create products that cater specifically to Russian preferences.

Vietnamese businesses are being encouraged to create niche tourism offerings specified arsenic wellness and culinary experiences while upgrading infrastructure and services to heighten nan wide visitant experience. There are plans to grow formation networks to Russian cities for illustration Kazan and Ufa successful 2025 and 2026.

Both Vietnam and Russia are actively promoting tourism done events held successful Russian cities, and Vietnam plans to big Russian Culture Days, pinch airlines and recreation companies progressive successful promoting bilateral tourism. This collaboration is expected to importantly fortify ties betwixt nan 2 countries.

With this affirmative momentum, Vietnam is aiming to pull 430,000 Russian visitors successful 2025, astir doubling nan number from 2024. Russia is expected to play a important domiciled successful Vietnam’s extremity of welcoming 22–23 cardinal world visitors this year.