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With the rapid and steady growth rate of Russian tourism in Viet Nam, Russia still shows plenty of untapped potential as a market for Viet Nam tourism, according to industry experts.
The General Statistics Office (GSO) has reported that in the first eight months of this year, Viet Nam attracted 19,000 Russian tourists, 22 per cent more than in the same period last year.
As many as 12,250 tourists came to Viet Nam in 2004, a year-on-year increase of 42 per cent. That number sharply surged by 94 per cent to 23,800 tourists in 2005.
The average spending of a Russian tourist stands at US$1,458, of which self-spending accounts for $610 - 40 per cent higher than the average spending of tourists from other countries in Viet Nam, the GSO said.
Director of Russia Extreme programme Timoshina Tamana attributed Viet Nam’s popularity among Russian tourists to the country’s tropical climate and beautiful beaches, along with its modern coastal resorts.
A survey by Saigontourist revealed that central and southern high-grade resorts located in Da Nang, Phan Thiet, Mui Ne and Phu Quoc were the most favourable destinations for Russian tourists and their families.
According to Russian travel companies, safety and the good reputation of Vietnamese tourism in the international market were additional reasons for the increase in tourist numbers.
Transport was also becoming more convenient for Russian tourists thanks to Viet Nam’s efforts to open direct flights linking domestic tourism centres to large cities in Russia.
The long-standing relationship between Viet Nam and Russia was an another factor making Viet Nam attractive to Russia tourists, particularly the older generation who maintained good sentiments towards Viet Nam and its people.
In the near future, Viet Nam would need to run promotion programmes and take advantage of the great number of Vietnamese nationals living in Russia - who could introduce Russians to Viet Nam’s culture and tourism - to maintain the country’s appeal as a travel destination, experts said
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