Russian tourist arrivals in Vietnam forecast to hit record 1.5mn in 2026

The figure would roughly double the 700,000-800,000 Russian arrivals recorded annually in Vietnam during the peak tourism years of 2018-19, Kondratiev said, as cited by Russian news outlet News.ru.

In the first eight months of 2026, Vietnam welcomed more than one million Russian tourists, up 165.7 percent year on year, the highest growth rate among Vietnam's major international tourism markets, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) reported.

By number of arrivals, Russia became Vietnam's third-largest source market for international visitors in the period, behind China and South Korea.

Kondratiev credited the strong growth partly to the continued operation and expansion of direct flights between Russia and Vietnam, as well as convenient payment options, including QR codes and MIR bank cards at some locations in Vietnam.

The VNAT also attributed the surge to Vietnam's reputation as a safe, friendly and attractive destination in Asia, along with the resumption of air routes and increased frequencies of direct charter flights from Russia to Vietnam.

A report by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia in June showed that more than 742,000 Russian tourists had visited Vietnam in the first half of 2026, 2.8 times the number recorded in the same period last year.

Popular destinations among Russian tourists include Nha Trang, Mui Ne and Phu Quoc, which are favored for their warm climate, diverse cuisine and modern resort facilities, according to the VNAT.

Overall, Vietnam welcomed nearly 16 million international visitors in the first eight months of 2026, up 14.4 percent year on year.

The strong performance puts the country on track to achieve its goal of attracting 25 million foreign tourists this year.