Number of Russian visitors to Vietnam’s Khanh Hoa soars threefold in January-August

The department reported on Tuesday that the province welcomed 279,000 Russian tourists from January to August, representing a 294.9 percent increase from a year earlier.

Authorities said the growth signals a strong recovery of the international tourism market, which has long been a pillar of Khanh Hoa’s economy.

Currently, about 30 flights per week connect Russian cities to Cam Ranh Airport in Khanh Hoa.

Of these, 26 are charter flights operated by Ikar Airlines, IrAero Airlines, Vietjet Air, Azur Air, and Red Wings Airlines, while four are regular commercial flights by Aeroflot.

Aeroflot launched a direct route from Irkutsk to Cam Ranh on September 5, operating twice weekly, with plans to increase to three flights per week from October 6.

Additional routes from Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, and Vladivostok are scheduled to open at the end of September and early October.

Nordwind Airlines also plans to start flights from Moscow, Yekaterinburg, and other cities in the same period.

Cung Quynh Anh, deputy director of the Khanh Hoa Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, highlighted that the result stems from more direct flight routes, transparent visa policies, strong marketing efforts, diversified service offerings, and a professional tourism business environment.

Pham Minh Nhut, chairman of the Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa Tourism Association, added that the surge in Russian visitors was also driven by the province’s affordable costs, favorable weather, and rich culinary attractions.

Russian tourists tend to enjoy long stays of 15-30 days and often return multiple times, placing them among the most loyal visitor groups.

With the current growth trend, Khanh Hoa is likely to surpass its previous record of 463,000 Russian visitors in 2019.

Looking ahead, the Khanh Hoa Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Center plans to expand promotional efforts in South Korea, China, and European countries.

Activities will include hosting familiarization trip groups from mainland China and Taiwan and welcoming large-scale arrivals by air, sea, and rail.

The province aims to attract around 5.4 million international tourists in 2025.

Overall, in the first eight months of 2025, total visitor numbers in Khanh Hoa exceeded 12.8 million, up 15.6 percent from a year earlier.

Tourism revenue reached VND50.585 trillion (US$1.91 billion), marking a 17.8 percent year-on-year increase.