Why are Russian tourists queuing for cash in Vietnam’s Nha Trang?

Long queues have been reported at several locations, particularly the ATMs near the Muong Thanh Vien Trieu hotel and apartment complex in Bac Nha Trang Ward, the intersection of Le Thanh Phuong and Thong Nhat Streets, and along Tran Phu Street in Nha Trang Ward.

At these locations, at least 20 foreign tourists are often seen waiting to withdraw cash.

At the ATM outside the Muong Thanh Vien Trieu complex, queues have at times grown to more than 40 or 50 people.

Artur, a 37-year-old Russian tourist, said he had brought some cash with him before traveling to Vietnam but it was not enough for his trip.

“I brought my bank card, but in Nha Trang I can only withdraw money from ATMs operated by Vietnam-Russia Joint Venture Bank (VRB),” he said.

“It is convenient, but I have to wait quite a long time.”

Another Russian tourist, Oxana, shared that she had waited more than 30 minutes to withdraw cash for spending during her holiday in Nha Trang.

“There are so many people withdrawing money that I have to wait,” she said.

“I also have to travel quite a long distance to reach an ATM that I can use.”

The tourists said they use VRB ATMs because their Russian-issued cards are accepted there.

However, they said the bank has relatively few ATMs in Nha Trang, while demand among Russian visitors is high, resulting in long waits.

Financial restrictions related to sanctions imposed by European countries and the United States have limited the banking options available to Russian tourists, said Bui Quoc Dai, deputy director of business at Anex Vietnam, a travel company specializing in the Russian market.

As a result, many Russian visitors can only withdraw cash from VRB ATMs, he said.

“This is not only happening in Nha Trang,” Dai said.

“In some other destinations such as Hai Phong, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, VRB also has relatively few ATMs, so tourists have to wait.”

Besides, VRB’s withdrawal limit per transaction is relatively low, meaning tourists who need to withdraw larger amounts must make multiple transactions.

This leads to tourists having to queue at ATMs to withdraw money.

VRB also acknowledged that Russian tourists have been queuing at its ATMs to withdraw cash.

According to the bank, most of these visitors carry payment cards issued in Russia and therefore mainly use VRB ATMs.

However, the queues tend to occur only during certain hours of the day, reflecting the spending and travel habits of Russian tourists.

VRB said it has proposed opening additional cash withdrawal points in Nha Trang, with priority given to areas where large numbers of Russian tourists stay.

Meanwhile, Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) said some Russian-issued cards can also be used to withdraw cash from its ATMs.

However, few Russian tourists use the service, largely because they are not accustomed to doing so.

Khanh Hoa Province welcomed more than 734,700 Russian visitors between January and July, marking a three-fold year-on-year increase, according to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Visitors from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) exceeded 156,400 during the period, up more than 46 percent year on year.

Currently, around 14 to 16 flights from Russia and CIS countries land at Cam Ranh International Airport each day, bringing thousands of tourists to Khanh Hoa.

Russian tourists have overtaken Chinese visitors to become the province’s second-largest international visitor market.

South Korea remains its largest source of international tourists.