Record increase in Russian tourists
According to statistics from the General Statistics Office, in the first 8 months of 2026, Vietnam welcomed more than 1 million Russian visitors, an increase of 165.7% compared to the same period in 2025. Russia currently ranks 3rd in the top 10 largest tourist destinations of Vietnam, after China and South Korea.
According to news.ru of Russia, Mr. Nikita Kondratyev, Director of the Department of Multilateral Economic Cooperation and Special Projects of the Russian Federal Ministry of Economic Development, predicts that the number of Russian tourists to Vietnam in 2026 may reach about 1.5 million.
Before the pandemic, in the 2018-2019 period, the number of Russian tourists to Vietnam was only about 700,000-800,000 per year. If it reaches 1.5 million in this year, the Russian market will set a new record.
Direct flights and charter flights are playing an important role in promoting Russian tourist flows. Direct connection of many Russian cities with sea tourist destinations makes it more convenient for tourists to choose Vietnam.
Nha Trang, Mui Ne and Phu Quoc continue to be destinations favored by Russian tourists thanks to their warm climate, resort products, cuisine and accommodation facilities.
In Khanh Hoa, the Russian market is growing strongly. Travel businesses continue to increase charter capacity, connecting Moscow and many Russian cities with Cam Ranh airport.
The Russian tourist flow is also expanding to other localities. Da Nang has restored charter flights from Russia, while Phu Quoc has been strengthened to operate charter flights in the 2026-2027 winter.
Expanding the flight network to many localities creates more room to allocate Russian tourists, reduces concentration on some traditional destinations and expands the growth space for Vietnamese tourism.
Maintain growth momentum by diversifying destinations
Travel businesses are tending to expand their charter networks to many cities in Russia, connecting with Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Phan Rang, Da Nang and Phu Quoc. This is the basis for Vietnam to continue exploiting groups of tourists who need sea resorts and long-term accommodation.
According to Anex Vietnam representatives, in the winter of 2026-2027, the enterprise is expected to welcome about 198,000 Russian and CIS tourists, an increase of about 30% compared to the summer of 2026. The enterprise also opened an additional Moscow - Cam Ranh route and a flight program to Phu Quoc, thereby expanding destinations to serve this market.
However, to maintain the flow of passengers in the coming years, the expansion of routes needs to go hand in hand with the reception capacity, service quality and diversity of products at destinations. Localities need to improve the quality of accommodation, services and experiences, and build more products suitable to the needs of the Russian market.
Distributing tourists to many localities also helps expand benefits from the Russian market, reduce pressure on crowded destinations and create more opportunities for tourism exploitation in areas with remaining room.
The milestone of 1.5 million Russian visitors in 2026, if achieved, will be the highest level ever. In the long term, maintaining air connectivity, expanding destinations and improving product quality will be important factors to turn the current upward momentum into stable growth of the Russian market.
