The international flight operated by IKAR Airline, carrying 370 passengers from Khabarovsk City (Russia) landed safely at Cam Ranh International Airport. This is the result of coordination between the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Khanh Hoa, Pegas Misr Vietnam Travel Company Limited and related units, clearly demonstrating the efforts to restore the key international tourist market, especially Russian tourists - one of the traditional markets of the locality.
From April 2025, travel agencies will start operating an average of 7 flights/month, transporting about 2,500 Russian visitors to Khanh Hoa. Subsequent flights depart from many major Russian cities such as Yekaterinburg (19.4), Kazan (20.4), Krasnoyarsk (25.4), St. Petersburg. Petersburg (27.4), Novosibirsk (30.); and from May, there will be more direct flights from Irkutsk to Cam Ranh.
Khanh Hoa has long been a familiar destination for Russian tourists thanks to its temperate climate, beautiful beaches and high-class resort system. Russian tourists tend to stay for a long time, an average of 10 - 12 days, even up to a month, contributing to a significant source of revenue for the province's tourism service industry.
The return of the Russian tourist market shows a clear sign of recovery for Khanh Hoa tourism industry. In the first quarter of 2025, the province welcomed over 2.5 million overnight guests, an increase of 19.7% over the same period last year. Of which, international visitors reached more than 1.3 million (up 12.5%), domestic visitors reached more than 1.2 million (up 28.9%). Russian visitors alone reached 49,100, an increase of 110.7% over the same period in 2024. Total revenue from tourism in the first quarter of 2025 is estimated at more than VND13,850 billion, up nearly 21.8%.
However, tourism businesses are also facing many challenges. According to Mr. Bui Quoc Dai, Deputy Sales Director of Anex Trading and Tourism Company Limited, due to the prolonged decline in Russian visitors during the pandemic, many products and services have not been able to be restored to their former state.
He said that Khanh Hoa needs to invest more in services specifically for Russian tourists such as spas, health care, eco-tourism, adventure... to increase attraction and create a different impression.
To ensure the quality of tourism services during the April 30 - May holiday and the peak summer season, the authorities have proposed many specific solutions. Solutions include strengthening immigration control forces at Cam Ranh airport, creating favorable conditions for airline staff and related units, optimizing airport infrastructure, expanding cargo terminals, priority lanes and building booths to introduce products of tourism and aviation businesses.
Vice Chairman of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee Dinh Van Thieu suggested that central ministries and branches support the opening of new routes, increase flight frequency and exploit night flights, fly at low hours associated with preferential accommodation policies. He also proposed reducing land service prices at Cam Ranh International Airport, shortening flight procedures to enhance the experience for tourists.
